Sunday on Prince of Wales

This morning, we got up and shuffled around making our breakfast items, and then when Pat came, we went to his house. It is a sweet little hand-built cabin on a hill. He has all of the things he needs, and it is very much like a cabin on a ship, everything is functional.  He does not have running water, but he has a large outhouse with windows and cedar chips to put in the hole.

Pat’s friend Pete took us out on his boat to put out traps for Dungeness crabs and for the local spotted shrimp. Then we went to El Capitan to get oysters from Pat’s friend George. He and his wife started an oyster farm some years ago. Now they have eliminated some of the process, so he keeps his oysters at the beach at El Capitan.

We came back to the house and made a feast for dinner. We cooked Alaska salmon that Pat had brought over, then we grilled the oysters which were large and succulent. By 10:00 pm we were all exhausted.

Island life here in Alaska has no clocks, it is relative to the rhythms of life. Donna who owns the cabins where we are staying has the only “real” job in Whale Pass. She is the postmistress. She does not get paid by the postal service because they do not have a zip code. But in twenty plus years, she has never missed the mail plane. She is kind of the mom of the community. Everyone else lives pretty much off the land. They garden, fish, hunt, and live simply. I have no phone access, and can only access the internet through the library which is open a couple hours about 3 days a week.

Prince of Wales

As I write this, I am sitting on the deck of the cabin where we are staying on Prince of Wales Island. We are in the burg of Whale Pass (Pop 58). The most wonderful thing about sitting here is that all I can hear are birds, a babbling brook and my fingers on the keys as I type this. There is no car noise, not boat noise, nothing,

We met up with Marilyn’s cousins Anna Lou and Mac in Ketchikan. Very quickly the four of us became a pod. Mac is a professional photographer. He has a Nikon D200 with him, and he is an amazingly patient teacher. He and I bonded instantly, and I am sure we have bored Marilyn and Anna Lou to death with camera talk. He has convinced me to buy the D300s I have been contemplating.

Upon arrival on POW, we were met by Marilyn’s cousin Pat. He has been in Alaska for many years, and lives alone here in Whale Pass. He talked a blue streak through dinner. The restaurant we ate at was on the water in Craig, we enjoyed Pat’s stories and watched the waning hours of light on the lake and mountains surrounding us. Then we drove to Whale Pass, which is about 80 miles from the restaurant with the last 25 or so miles on a dirt road.

There are black tailed deer here on the island, they are quite small compared with our white tailed deer. We must have passed hundreds of them but they were not particularly phased by our driving past them. We had to be very careful though because they would suddenly jump out and run up the road in front of us.

Pat got busy talking with Mac, and we missed our turn by about 12 miles. We had to turn around and come back to the Whale Pass cut off. But at 1:45 am we arrived at our destination, and after unloading our provisions and belongings, we fell into bed and slept deeply.

Ketchikan at last

My trip from Maine to Seattle was a mess as is so often the case when I am traveling. All went well until the jet boarded at JFK. We taxied as normally and then stopped...for a very long time. Then after a couple hours we were sent back to the terminal. An announcement was made that people could get off the plane but only for 8 minutes. Once we reboarded, we were trapped on the hot plane for another two or so hours...then back to the terminal. Finally, over seven hours after the initial boarding, we were airborne. We arrived in Seattle at 4:30 am PST, I had been on a plane since 4:30 pm EST. I was worn to a frazzle. Then when I finally got to the hotel, I could not wind down. Marilyn arrived about 12:30 this afternoon, and we were able to stay at the hotel until it was time to head to the airport.

We got to Ketchikan at about 7:30 pm. It was still light out, and the flight from Seattle was gorgeous. There were massive quantities of snowy mountains below us as we flew up. We settled into the hotel, and met Marilyn's cousins Mac and Anna Lou for dinner. I had spotted shrimp and gnocchi in a creamy pesto sauce. Fanfreakingtastic. Tomorrow the adventure really begins. We will spend the day in Ketchikan, catching the ferry to Prince of Wales Island in the late afternoon. 

Mac is a photographer, so I plan to use his brain to learn how to fix my shooting issues. But for now, I will sign off, a weary traveler, but ready to really get going in the morning.

Today!!!!!!

Oh My GOD! I woke up this morning and realized it is today that I leave for Seattle! This will be the trip of a lifetime in so many ways, and it starts with the first flight at 4:30 this afternoon. My innards are like jelly all of a sudden. 

Of course, I am not packed...yet. But there is stuff strewn throughout the master suite. I think that the critical stuff is the camera equipment, rather than choice of clothing. I have about a thousand errands to run, and then Laurie is picking me up for the trip to the Jetport. 

Tomorrow, Marilyn will arrive in Seattle about 2:00 pm, and then we will fly off to Ketchikan about 6:00. This will be the first time I will see Marilyn since Mom died, but I know that she needs this trip even more than I do. She went home to two more deaths in my uncle Aubrey's family. Marilyn amazes me with her resilience. She calmly sails through these losses, supporting those around her. Then she grieves in private. 

Marilyn is one of the most fun people I have ever met. She has the spirit of adventure, she is smart and funny and brings enthusiasm to everything she undertakes. Thankfully, we are very compatible in hotels, we always room together if it is just us two. That part of the trip is a bonus, because in some ways it will be a three week long slumber party.

The only accommodations that we have that are cramped is on the state ferry line. There we have a "stateroom" with it's own private bathroom and bunk beds. That promises to be an adventure. But Marilyn's cousin Anna Lou says that we will be out on deck most of the time because the ferry line stays close to the coast, and the wildlife watching is exceptional.


Everywhere we are going, the wildlife watching is supposed to be amazing. We will see the eagles in Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island, the bears on the mainland, whales and other fauna. We don't have a lot of touristy plans, and we are more open to more in-depth opportunities than the cruise ship people.


When I went on the cruise to Alaska in 2008, we just got a tiny taste of Alaska. We were in Ketchikan for 6 hours and not much more time in Juneau, Skagway and Anchorage. Plus, on a cruise ship you are many stories above the water, so any fauna you do see is at a great distance. I have lots of photos of distant otters, bears, killer whales and other critters. 


I should stop writing now, I have to get myself into gear and not stop all day.

Packing has begun

I have started the packing process. I have spent months debating the merits of which camera(s) to take, how to transport them and buying conveyances for them. When it really gets right down to it, I don't want to schlep too much. I will most likely settle for two cameras and three lenses; which is not really that much in the grand scheme of things. My whole goal is now simplicity. Keep it simple seems to be the best possible concept.

Tomorrow is my last day at work before the great sojourn. The morning will be spent tying up loose ends, and then there is a meeting in the afternoon. Once all of that is done, I can really concentrate on the rest of the packing effort. Clothes would be a good thing, and then there is the shoe quandary. What does "business casual" really mean, and how far can I stretch that? What is the minimum of everything I will need and still be functional? Thankfully, I have all of the laundry stops planned, which eliminates too much over-packing.

At this point I am just tired thinking of every contingency, but once I get to the airport on Thursday afternoon, I will be freed of all of my logistical concerns and ready to immerse myself in the trip. The first night, I am going to be alone in Seattle. I will have a few hours on Friday before Marilyn arrives, and then we will have a few more hours before heading off to Ketchikan.

I have never been to Washington state other than landing at the Seattle airport, so I am very excited about viewing Mt. Ranier from my hotel room. That will knock another state off my list, leaving 16 for future travels.

Well, I should get back to the packing ordeal, keep your eyes out for future posts. I will try to post every day, and if something really awesome happens, even more than once a day.

Thank you for joining me on this trip, sharing it with you will make it even better!

Anticipation

I think that much of the joy in a trip like this is the anticipation. We talked about this trip for so long that when we actually started the planning, a lot was already sort of done. We each had ideas of where we wanted to go in Alaska, and just tailored the trip to fit our thoughts. The real challenge was keeping the trip to a reasonable amount of time.

Someday, when I am retired, I hope to be well enough to have the freedom to travel as I wish. But for now, I am satisfied with traveling with my friends and loved ones when the opportunity avails itself.

I have always had that wanderlust. Even as a child, I was ready to go whenever the folks wanted to. In that way I am definitely in touch with my inner golden retriever, ready to jump in the car at the least opportunity. I think that is one reason I love my job, is that I get to travel and to see Maine from one end to the other.

But for now, I should travel off to bed. I bid you all goodnight.

Lib.

The beginning

I have long considered writing a blog, but always wondered why anyone would bother to read it. We have so much over-stimulation in life now, I did not want to contribute to the chaos. But with my upcoming Alaska trip, I thought this would be a good journal to share my experiences with my friends and loved ones.

When my Mom was diagnosed with dementia in 2000, it was the beginning of a slow decline. There were moments of joy and moments of great sorrow as we watched this vital woman slowly become a shell. During that process, my Aunt Marilyn (Mom's half sister) and I became very close. She is half-way in age between Mom and me, and she has become my sister, friend and sometimes mother stand-in. Through both Dad's decline and death in 2007 and Mom's death on September 29, 2010, Marilyn was there with my brother Bill and me.

Through all of that, Marilyn and I promised ourselves a trip to Alaska when Mom passed away. We felt it would be a way to overcome some of the grief and loss we feel about Mom's passing. So, this trip will be the Farewell Alice Tour. Both Mom and Dad would have loved this trip, and I know they will be with us in spirit as we visit the great frontier of Alaska.

I will post photos, share sights and stories of all of our adventures. Once I return home, we'll see what becomes of this blog. But for now, welcome to my world, my thoughts and my life.

Lib.