Departing Cannery Cove and Pybus Bay we weren’t sure what conditions we’d see out in Frederick Sound…likely some wind waves on the beam, but more importantly, how long would it take for the sporty conditions in Southern Chatham Strait take to flatten out?
We had a little bit of roll as we headed west in Frederick Sound, but pretty lazy and not too dramatic, and best of all it wasn’t raining! And as we entered Chatham Strait…nothing but nice easy swells and about 10 knots of wind. Perfect!
We have the place to ourselves for the moment, which is a treat.
Kevin dropped the shrimp traps out near the entrance, and then of course the rain returned, but we went out exploring anyway.
Russ and Missie (from Selene Melissa Lynn) joined us for a short cruise up river while the tide was high enough to get a little ways.
It’s just so stunning here. Everywhere you look, incredible snow-capped peaks and lush green trees.
It’s sobering to see all the fallen trees, complete with giant root balls, that came from somewhere up river, and to think about the intensity of the winter weather that brings them all the way to the river’s mouth.
We were almost back to where the river empties into the bay and I turned my head and happened to spot a brown bear on shore not 60 feet from us. Bear! I pointed, and then got out my long lens. In the photo below with Missie and Russ in their dinghy, the bear is right at the base of the tree just left of middle…slightly warmer brown, behind a rock, as it made its way along the shore, heading upriver.
We followed from a distance and took some photos.
And then, the bear got in the water and swam across behind us to the other shore. Always a treat to see these animals swimming.
Kevin took the drone up earlier when it wasn’t raining for a few aerial shots:
Russ and Missie caught one big crab in Cannery Cove that they gave us, so we cooked it and made some crab dip for happy hour today. And while Kevin was out setting the shrimp pots earlier, he also caught a few rockfish that he brought back to Airship, so I lightly steamed it and then made ceviche…a pretty fancy fresh fish happy hour today!
The rain stopped and the sun returned for a bit this evening.
Tomorrow, we’ll head up the coast of Baranof to Warm Springs Bay!