Second Impressions



The Fish Trail

 

Another day at Yakutat revealed more secrets found in this unique location.  After resting up from our overnight excursion, we were off with the bikes to ride the historic “Fish Trail,” an 11-mile overland route built in 1903 by Yakutat and the Southern Railroad, which ran between the Situk River fishery and the Yakutat Cannery.  

The Fish Train

The overland route was much safer than the hazardous ocean route and helped enhance Yakutat’s economy for many years.  The railroad’s first engine was steam powered and had provided service in New York City before arriving in Yakutat.  It was replaced by a second engine that consumed two tons of coal every round trip, necessitating replacement.  A new and improved diesel engine was used from 1949 until 1969.  Fish today is normally frozen or processed for packaging rather than canned, greatly reducing the need for canneries.  Yakutat no longer has a cannery but does have a fish processing plant, a source of employment for its residents along with fishing lodges and other tourist related jobs.  

Fish Train Steam Engine

We turned off the Fish Trail onto Airport Road and then followed a graveled side road leading out to Cannon Beach along Tawah Creek through beautiful marsh land.  

Beautiful Marsh for Nesting Birds

The area is abundant with numerous bird species and other seasonal wildlife such as wolves, coyote, lynx, and bear.  Over a bridge and through the woods, we arrived at Cannon Beach where we hoped to find the cannon placed there during WWII.  A local who happened to be at the beach pointed us in the right direction, behind some trees on the bluff.  

Cannon Emplacement at Cannon Beach, Yakutat

As with most historic cannon sites, the nose of the gun has been removed and lies nearby in the bushes, still impressive nevertheless.  

Cannon Beach

Even more interesting is the WWII Landing Craft found at the park just upland from the beach.  

WWII Landing Craft

To our astonishment the craft is in surprisingly good shape, it still contains the big radial engine with spark plugs, hoses, and wiring.  We found zincs still attached to the tracks.  It was a timely find for Leonard who has been reading a book titled, “Voices of the Pacific” by Adam Makos detailing personal stories from WWII.  

Landing Craft Tracks

We bicycled back to Airport Road and continued southwest to the old WWII Hanger that still remains at the airport.  Eleven thousand solders were once stationed at Yakutat which is how the airport came to be built in this remote location.  

Landing Craft with Radial Engine

The Airfield was constructed in 1940 as part of the long-range defense program for Alaska during the Aleutian Campaign.  

WWII Hanger

A few locals are currently putting together information and collecting artifacts to start a small museum in the hanger.  Our day was slipping by and it was already late afternoon.  We wanted to get back in time to attend a play being held at the school.  With weary legs we made our way back to the marina, having completed a 20-mile round trip bike ride.  Several of the locals had seen us out biking, many of whom we had gotten to know.  Thankfully, one of them gave us a ride to the play so we didn’t have to bike to and from town again.  An unexpected event in Yakutat, the Macbeth Shakespeare Play turned out to be excellent, directed by David Edgecombe and his group out of Anchorage.  We never would have guessed in a million years that we would be seeing a Shakespeare play in the wilds of Yakutat.

Gulf of Alaska

We departed Yakutat in Monti Bay on May 29^th at 7:45am in fog with 4-5 foot swell.  As we continued further through the entrance of Yakutat Bay, the swell grew to between 7 and 8 feet with shorter periods.  Yakutat Bay is bordered by shallows which extend some distance out to sea; basically it’s like crossing over a bar.  To safely exit the area, we made a zigzag coarse between the shoals making our way out to sea.  We were over the bar by 10am and the swell improved, lessening to between 4 and 6 feet with 10-14 second intervals.  A couple hours later we were along the coast where Malespina Glacier faces the Ocean and where 18,008 foot Mount St. Elias touches the heavens.  We still had fog and still had not detected any other boats in the area; we only had the playful antics of Porpoise to keep us company.  It took three hours to pass the breadth of Malespina Glacier whereupon we were intercepted by another pod of Porpoises.  By 4:30pm we were off the entrance to Icy Bay and Guyott Glacier with wind gusts varying between 8 and 17 knots.  Once past Icy Bay the sea state lessened to 5 foot swells and more Porpoise came to play alongside Got d’ Fever.  The sun finally showed its face at 6pm in a painted sky of blue; winds were 10-15 knots with 4-5 foot swells as forecasted. 

By the Light of the Moon

Conditions looked good to continue, but we kept in mind that we had only come one-third of the way to reaching the entrance of Prince William Sound and would have further to go before arriving at our planned anchorage on Hinchinbrook Island.  Unexpectedly, by 9pm we encountered wind chop combined with 7-8 foot swell on the nose, the seas were becoming stacked with shorter periods.  We tried different speeds and angles of attack but to no avail.  If conditions continued to deteriorate, we would be in a very uncomfortable situation with many more hours to go.  We sent a text message with our Delorme device to our good friend Bob and asked him to check on the internet for a weather report from Buoy No. 46802, located further west from us.  His returned text message confirmed that conditions would not be getting better. We recited the line from the Apollo 13 movie, “gentlemen, what are your intentions?”  Yes, it was time to abort the mission and head back home to Yakutat.  

Sunset over the Gulf of Alaska

We turned around and headed east with following seas, it’s always more comfortable with swell astern rather than steep swell on the nose. 

The further east we went the better the seas became, flattening considerably as time progressed.  It turned out to be a beautiful evening cruise with calm seas and a glorious sunset.  The light of the moon and remaining light from the sun gave us many hours of good visibility. 

The Porpoise had come back to see us home, and after only two or three hours of darkness, we arrived in Yakutat at 8:55 in the morning.  Leonard checked on sea conditions for the Gulf of Alaska and discovered seas were forecasted to be 7 feet increasing to 14 feet for the western portion.  Our decision had been a wise one.  The Gulf of Alaska is a huge body of water where conditions can vary and change quickly.  It takes over 50 hours cruising at 7-8 knots to cross the Gulf from Elfin Cove before reaching Prince William Sound, a serious undertaking.  Crossing the Gulf of Alaska should never be taken lightly.

Yakutat



 

Leonard at Mallott's Grocery

While spending time in Yakutat, we came to appreciate this small community.  It is hard to believe that Yakutat has a population of 570 people with the small number of commercial buildings, spread out in such a way that it’s difficult to find any resemblance of a town center.  Businesses are found along a few paved roads leading in different directions rather than grouped together.  We located several shops including the hardware store which doubles as a general store, and two grocery stores, one of which also carries household goods.  

Costco Shopping

What appears to be the main grocery is surprisingly well stocked, including fresh produce, breads, and even a Costco section with bulk items.  Food and supplies must be flown in by Alaska Airlines to this isolated community at the northern edge of Southeast Alaska.  Roads are for local use and do not connect with the Alaskan highway system due to impassible mountain ranges and glaciers.  Visitors can access Yakutat by plane, boat, or by ferry which arrives only twice a month.  Other buildings in town include the Yakutat District Courthouse and the Yakutat City Borough office located in simple trailer-style structures.  Some businesses are found in homes like the beauty salon and a couple of gift shops.  Having learned that Yakutat is one of the oldest permanent settlements in Alaska, we found an auto repair shop that appeared to be housed in one of these earlier buildings. Newer buildings tend to be fishing lodges that attract visitors during the Silver Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lingcod, and Halibut fishing seasons.  Money has also been put into a nice school and into the local police/fire department facility.  Unfortunately, like many of the smaller towns in Alaska, school enrollment along with the local population continues to decline due to the ever increasing cost of living in Alaska and lack of jobs – fuel, groceries, and housing is becoming more expensive and job opportunities becoming more scares in these remote locations.  People with children tend to move to larger towns like Anchorage or Seattle.  

Annual Event at Yakutat

A growing trend of course is tourism; people in Yakutat are divided on the issue, however; some want to keep things as they are or were, while others would like to share more of what the area has to offer, including fishing expeditions and wildlife tours to local lakes, rivers, and glaciers.  The nearby Hubbard Glacier is the longest tidewater glacier in the world and the most active in Alaska, frequently advancing and retreating.  

Tern Chicks

For the very first time starting this June, a small cruise ship will arrive in Yakutat, an experiment by the city to test out their future in tourism.  One of the annual events in Yakutat is the Tern Festival held in late May or early June.  We were fortunate enough to be in Yakutat during part of the festival.  Terns breed in several areas around Yakutat, primarily in mixed Arctic and Aleutian Tern colonies, including the largest known colonies on Black Sand Spit which supports up to 3,000 Terns and is designated an Audubon Important Bird Area.  These seabirds, related to gulls, are impressive aerialists; they are capable of hovering like a hummingbird, flipping over backwards, and then diving into the water like a pelican for small fish.  It is their endurance that is most impressive; the Arctic Tern has been documented migrating 50,000 miles annually from Arctic breeding grounds to the Southern Ocean.  Recent research indicates that the Aleutian Tern is also a long-distance traveler.  Activities during the Yakutat Tern Festival include talks, displays, live bird presentations, field trips, a barbeque, and performance by a Tlingit dance group held at the school.  

Bridge over "Dangerous River"

We attended the community barbeque held on the first night after participating in a field trip to “Dangerous River” and Harlequin Lake, a 62 mile round trip by Van.  The group included Forest Service personnel, Park Ranger Mike, school children, and adults from various States in the lower 48.  The area of low pine and scrub was dry, unusual for this time of year when snow normally covers the area and blocks off part of the road.  Large ice bergs are found in Harlequin Lake year-round, expelled from West Nunatak and Yakutat Glaciers, very picturesque.  

Harlequin Lake Trail

Our driver parked the Van near the bridge that crosses over Dangerous River, aptly named for its swift current carrying bergie bits as it heads out to sea.  We walked across the high bridge and peered down at the cold, swiftly moving river; the height of the wooden railing was just above my thigh.  No one seemed overly concerned about the children who were running about; guess they have learned how to take care of themselves in the wild.  

Harlequin Lake and Yakutat Glacier

A Beautiful Setting

We walked the quarter-mile trail to the lake and could see the glacier in the distance with large sculptured bergs rising up in front of us along the beach, a beautiful sight.

  

Managing an Oil Change



Yakutat Marina

Fisherman's Long Lines, Yakutat

After 22 hours of motoring and arriving in Yakutat in the wee hours of the morning, we slept for about two-hours before undertaking a needed oil change for Got d’ Fever.  Leonard wanted to change the oil while the engines were still warm and wanted me to assist since he was still groggy and blurry-eyed.  

Got d' Fever at Yakutat Marina

To avoid any mistakes or missed steps, I wrote down the procedure and we worked through the process together:  1) first select the correct valve on the pump for the correct engine; 2) pump out the old oil, being careful not to accidently bump the on/off switch; we didn’t need another episode of oil flying everywhere!  

Pumping out the Old Oil

Check the dip-stick to make sure the correct engine has been drained; 

Taking off the old Fuel Filter

3) remove the old oil filter and pre-fill the new oil filter with fresh oil and install; 4) close the correct value on the pump and pour new oil into the engine; 

Pouring in New Oil

5) repeat the process for the second engine; 6) check the dip-sticks and test run both engines; recheck dip-sticks and add oil to engines as needed.  Whew, we made it without any mistakes and finished by attaching the usual note on the fuel filters indicating the engine hours and date.  Next was the task of changing the transmission fluid for each of the engines, a simpler process of using a hand pump to take out the old fluid and then pouring in the new.  

Sunset at Yakutat

Jobs completed, it was back to bed to catch up on some more sleep.

Elfin Cove to Yakutat



Departing Elfin Cove

Cell coverage and internet coverage is lacking in the Gulf of Alaska, so for weather reports we are using “Commanders Weather” service, a world-wide service providing specific marine weather forecasts for a nominal fee.  Communication with Commanders Weather is through our satellite based InReach Delorme tracking device, capable of sending and receiving text messages.  We departed Elfin Cove at 7:40am, greeted by whales as typically seen in this area.  “Cross Sound”, named by James Cook on May 3 1778 after Holy Cross day, was rather rough and lumpy – we believe due to the current and cross winds around the islands.  We were re-evaluating the “go, no-go” decision and decided to wait until we were past Cape Spencer to make our final evaluation.  

Is that a Mountain above the Clouds?!

Cape Spencer Lighthouse marks the north side of Cross Sound and the beginning point for the Gulf of Alaska.  As we rounded Cape Spencer, the waters flattened out to gentle ocean swell of 3-4 feet at 12 to 16 seconds.  

Glaciers to the Sea

As we continued west by northwest, mountain peaks towered above a layer of clouds along the extensive Fairweather Mountain Range with glaciers that come down to the sea.  

Mountains and Glaciers

Further to the northwest is Brabazon Mountain Range; these mountain ranges run along the northeast coast of the Gulf of Alaska and are breathtaking to behold.  The clouds dissipated as the day wore on, revealing more mountains and glaciers with unbelievable mass.  

Beautiful Mountains, Glassy Turquoise Sea

We ran three-miles off the coastline in beautiful turquoise water from the glacier runoff, which looked to extend another 5 to 8 miles out. We were thankful that the seas were calm since there is no place to escape bad weather along this portion of coastline.  

Dall's Porpoise

The only option is Lituya Bay, which can only be entered at high-slack water.  Lituya Bay is very narrow with shoals, strong current, and tide rips; at the head of the Bay are two arms, each leading to a glacier.  In 1958, a giant wave caused by an earthquake washed into Lituya Bay striping trees to a height of 1,720 feet!  Giant waves are a recurring phenomenon in the Bay, catastrophic waves were observed in 1853, 1874, and 1936.  Locals say Lituya is an interesting place to visit, but given the timing and good weather window, we continued on, not wanting to interrupt the 20 hours it would take to reach Yakutat.  In addition to the stupendous mountain views, this stretch along the Gulf Coast seems to be a major thoroughfare for whales; we saw numerous whales making their annual migration, breaching and slapping their fins in the distance.  

Mountains at Dusk

Dusk finally arrived around 10pm when we noticed a sailboat heading the same direction; we had caught up with Adrianna and her crew of two guys who had left Elfin Cove earlier in the morning.  Even at 10:30pm we could still see water ahead of us, but by 11pm it was time to set up the spotlight for our four hours of night running.  By 3am it was starting to get light again and by 4am we could clearly see in the distance.  

Morning Arrival, Yakutat

Timing for our arrival in Yakutat was good as we were following with a flood tide.  After rounding the buoy marker on Ocean Cape at Phipps Peninsula, we entered Yakutat Bay (latitude 59 degrees, 34 minutes) and tied-up at the marina; it was 6am, time for a nap!

George Island WWII Gun



Trail Head, George Island

One of the largest remaining pieces of World War II armament in Alaska is located on tiny George Island about 2 miles outside the village of Elfin Cove.  Residents of Elfin Cove and Pelican have known about the big gun on George Island since it was put there in 1942.  We learned about the site when we visited the small museum at Elfin Cove and both of us immediately commented “we have to go see this!”  The Forest Service recently redeveloped the historic trail to the gun site.  Because the steel gun was so big, 36,000 pounds, the Navy actually had to build a road for the half-mile haul to the emplacement site.  

Exiting Elfin Cove by Dinghy

We headed for George Island in our dinghy through patchy fog, navigating with the dinghy’s onboard tracking device so we would be able to find our way back should fog conditions worsen.    

Heading for George Island

Dinghy Anchored at George Island

We anchored the dinghy off shore in the same protected bay previously used by the Navy and hiked the Forest Service trail to the site.  We were surprised that this remote trail is so well maintained. 

A Steep Pitch along the Trail

At one point the trail goes along a cliff that drops off a couple hundred feet to the sea below. 

There are a few places where the beach can be accessed, including the location of an impressive Sea Stack that towers over a rocky shore.  The trail was a little eerie what with the fog and collapsed remains of Quonset huts in the forest.  

Fresh Bear Scat

The bear scat, however, was more unnerving; the scat appeared fresh so we made lots of noise as we walked along the trail.  When we came over the crest of a hill, the impressive, fully intact gun stood in the trees above the sea.  

Six-inch Gun Site, George Island

The gun is tilted down but if it were tilted up in its normal position, the gun would be pointed right at Cape Spencer Lighthouse on the north end of Cross Sound.  After

Gun and Ammunition Box

the gun was placed in position, it was fired a few times and then was covered with a tarp.  The Navy Base didn’t have a lot of extra people to go to George Island and life on the Island was difficult – living in Quonset huts with very little water that would freeze in the winter.  In order to fire the gun, people from Port Althorp on Chichagof Island located south of Elfin Cove were brought over, including the gunnery officer.  They set up a target and went through the drill, including oiling the springs that go inside the tubes.  On the fourth shot the brass gun mount underneath, sheared with a crack and the gun jumped back a few inches.  The gun was out of commission for the rest of the war and the site dwindled to a couple of men.  

Trail from the Beach, Cannery Ruins

The 1941 bases at Port Althorp and Ketchikan were the first Naval Section Bases selected in the Sitka Subsector command.  Officers requisitioned the assets of the P.E. Harris Cannery at Port Althorp and also scouted positions for 6-inch gun sites to be used for base defense.  Cannery operations had also been present on George Island, of which remains lie in the forest near the shore of the protected cove.  On June 3^rd, 1942, the Japanese attacked the Naval Air Station at Dutch Harbor and all military bases in Alaska went on full alert.  It was determined a few days later that the Japanese had occupied the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska near the end of the Island Chain.  As we walked back down the trail to retrieve our dinghy, we stopped to look at some of the cannery ruins spread through the forest floor, and came upon a log foundation for one of the buildings.  George Island is a fascinating place to visit.

Log Foundation for a Building