Naha Bay

May 30

Morning - sunshine and blue sky.

No bear sightings this morning.  Headed out by about 11am heading for Naha Bay.    Spotted one lone whale cruising up the shoreline early in the trip.   Overcast day with good water.  Boy have I been lucky on this trip so far with the water conditions.    Passed by several small boats fishing; a sign that the locals

must find fish in this area.

Spotted 3 whale up ahead.  Two closer to shore and one bigger one further way.   Humpbacks based on tail sightings when the first two dove not to be seen again.   The other one dove and then resurfaced some distance away, now off to our starboard side.   I got a few photos but nothing great do to distance.

Passed the town of Loring.  Small place apparently used to be a fish cannery town.  Now looks like about 3 houses.

Naha Bay - arrival at 1:55pm   5 boats tied together with 3 anchors down (at angles) and no stern tie to shore.  We are in the outflow of the waterfall so Glen says no chance of spinning.   Time for a quick lunch and then another hike.  This time on a board walk at least most of the way.  This is the place with the skid path which used to be used (maybe still is) by people to get their small boats up into the lake for fishing.

The walk was long but fun.  Board walk much of the way, gravel and mud other places. There were several areas where trees had fallen and taken out the boardwalk, thus some log climbing or worse.   A deer jumped out of the woods at us near the beginning and stayed near us for a bit.  At one point it actually jumped out from behind a tree and nipped at Sophie the Miner's dog.  It scared the dog who yelped and ran back to mom and dad.    Lots of fresh bear evidence.    Five of the group turned back about 1/3 of the way, then two more a short distance later.  Four of us continued up around the lake and up the river to the church camp.   The way back seemed shorter but was still tiring.  

Nat and his group having turned around first had gone back to their boats and jumped into Flec and since the tide was so high they made it over the waterfall and up into the lake.   Tom followed them not to be outdone.   They found us walking the trail and Sophie and I hitched a ride back the last 1/4 of the way.   Just as we got out near the head of the trail we saw a small black bear on the shore.  The dog barked and the bear went up into the woods and stopped on the trail.  Tom and I started laughing thinking that Michelle, Steve, and Glen were likely on the trail just around the corner and would likely come around the corner and see the bear in their path.   The bear would have run from them up into the woods but we listened for Michelle's shriek.   Another group was in a dinghy and they went to the dock.  Their dog (hunting type) obviously smelling the bear ran up the trail barking which at first scared the bear back to the shoreline, and then it turned and ran up the hill.   About 5 minutes later our last three hikers appeared.  They had not seen the bear but saw fresh tracks. 

Tonight is our last night together for the 5 boats for a while as the Nelsons and Colliers need to fly home for a week in a day or two.  They will be leaving their boats in Wrangle.   Dodges, Miners, and Mehlums will stay together for few days exploring this area and then Glen and I will be headed back to Ketchikan so that I can fly out on 6/5.  Glen will rejoin Mehlum and Miner for about a week.  Colliers, Nelson's and I will return on or about 6/9 meeting up in Wrangle for the next chapter of this adventure.

Dinner on Nelsea  - again way too much food.  We have managed to have fresh crab and shrimp often