Aug 28, 2012 - Wrangell

Tuesday -- Today is our last day in Alaska for this trip. Tomorrow's ferry to Prince Rupert, B.C. leaves Wrangell at 5:45 and we are supposed to be at the terminal across the street at 4:00. There were other more reasonable ferry times later in the day but their long layover in Ketchikan was very early in the wee hours of the next morning. The early ferry gives us daylight hours to see the scenic narrow passages and has a 7 hour layover in Ketchikan in the afternoon so we might be able to do some sightseeing there. We used today to prepare...

Aug 27, 2012 - Wrangell - Zimovia Strait hikes

Monday -- Another sunny, warm (67F) day to take advantage of the Tongass N.F. We drove out the Zimovia Hwy. Alongside the first 5 miles there is a paved bike path. At Mile 14 we turned onto a Forest Services road and parked at the Nemo Campsite called the Three Sisters at Mile 1.5. From there we walked the road to the other two campsites at 2.2 miles and 3.3 miles. These free campsites, though primitive (no water) are beautifully located with views of Zimovia Strait. The road was a little hilly but easy to walk except for the construction...

Aug 26, 2012 - Wrangell

Sunday -- For our hike today we picked .7mi Rainbow Falls to 2.7mi Institute Creek to Shoemaker Bay Overlook to 1.3mi North Wrangell Trail to High Country Shelter. We were so happy to see sunshine when we woke up. It would be a hot (68F), sunny day - most unusual weather for Wrangell. Everyone was outside picnicing, gardening, boating. The patches of blue sky grew increasingly bigger as we started up the Rainbow Falls trail. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the whole hike today would be on a system of boardwalks built up over bogs....

Aug 25, 2012 - Wrangell - Stikine River

Saturday -- We were up and waiting for Eric at the designated meeting place at 8:00 but the remainder of his passengers were not as punctual. They all had an impressive array of expensive camera equipment for hobby photographers on vacation. The Stikine River flows 330 miles from the mountains of B.C. to empty into the Gulf of Alaska. It is the fastest free-flowing (i.e. without dams) navigable river in North America. The large river delta, with its abundant grasses and sedges, is a critical annual migratory stop for thousands of shore...

Aug 24, 2012 - Wrangell - the city

Friday -- The large group of young people disembarked in Petersburg in the wee hours of the morning. We learned later they were on their way to a State Volleyball Tournament this weekend. We were glad we opted for the cabin when our Sitka friends reported that the solarium heat lamps were broken. They didn't have a very warm night, even in their sleeping bags. There was enough light before arriving in Wrangell this morning to get a glimpse of life in the small inner passages between the mainland and Kupreanof Island, where the Petersburg...

Aug 23, 2012 - Juneau to Wrangell

Thursday -- The hard rain had turned to drizzle by the time we woke up. After a cold tailgate breakfast the rain stopped long enough to pack up the tent and stuff it into the car. Before leaving the campground we strolled the short ecotrail through the bogs and caught one last glimpse of Mendenhall glacier reflected in the lake before mist creeped across the water. By 11:00 we were driving north along the coast to the new (as of 2002) Eagle Beach Recreation Area. It is a beautiful camping area near the mouth of the Eagle River at the Lynn...

Aug 7, 2012 - Wrangell

August 2-3 It was rainy and cold both days. We went to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum and then across the street to the lobby of the State Office Building to view a restored theater pipe organ from 1928, designed to accompany silent pictures. On some days, an organist will play and we were lucky to hear this. He played music to a crowd from show tunes, current hits, and patriotic melodies, a little something for everyone. What a great diversion from the weather. We were supposed to leave tomorrow on the 7 am ferry to Skagway and decided...

Aug 16, 2011 - Wrangell

Days 53-57. The Alaska ferry from Petersburg to Wrangell is a three hour trip. Shortly after leaving Petersburg, the ferry entered a meandering, often narrow, twenty-one mile channel called the Wrangell Narrows. There were numerous navigational markers to guide the pilot of the ferry. Often there were small islands as well as visible boulders. We were told that it was a “+3” low-tide when we’d left Petersburg. In one part of the Narrows that meant only about five feet of water, not nearly enough for the ferry! But by the time the ferry...

Jul 11, 2011 - Wrangell, Alaska

Norah: We arrived in Wrangell at 5:15 a.m. and, having checked out the RV campsites before our arrival (the one by the dock looked totally unappealing), headed straight out of town to secure a site at the municipally run campsite, which has a ‘first come, first serve’ policy. The instructions for payment were posted on the sign and, as you can see by the photos, the view from our chosen site was stunning. We had neighbours, but they weren’t so close that we had to whisper. Besides, it was fun to watch the parents blow bubbles. Back in town...

Jul 31, 2010 - Whales on Ferry Days

Very early this morning we stopped at Sitka. After we all woke up properly, we went down to the cafeteria for breakfast. Apparently pancakes are hotcakes in this part of the country and they are good. We went for a walk around the outside of the ship, then went back up to the solarium to whale watch. We didn't see many at first because we were going through the narrow straits a few yards from shore. We did see a ton of birds, though. The fog was rising off the water making beautiful artistic designs that float and waver beneath the ragged...

Jul 26, 2010 - Wrangell to Petersburg

The tide was very low when we got on the ferry in Wrangell today. Low tide means the ramp is at a steep angle. First to go on was a big diesel pusher and they sit low to the ground. They had him go slow as he went off land and onto the ramp. It was obvious he was going to high center. There are some pictures of the AMHS workers getting blocks to put under the guys tires. Three blocks under each tire and was able to clear the ramp. They looked under my bus and I guess we were OK because they just sent me on with no blocks. They were right,...

Jun 27, 2010 - Still heading north

Woke to a beautiful morning. Explored Ketchikan while they fixed the boat, some kind of navigational issue and then got underway 4.5 hours late. Walked too far for my foot and am now paying for it. Forest ranger on board is great! Good stories and lots of info. See Karen, this is a cruise! Had to wait in Wrangell for a bit to let the tides come up so we can make the next stretch - boat drafts 13 and the next channel was only 18 at low tide and they need 6 feet of clearance so our breakdown has put us off a bit. Been to AK twice now...