July 7 – Day 68 --- Heading to Elfin Cove

July 7 – Day 68 ---  Heading to Elfin Cove

 

Entering Elfin Cove

 

 

Elfin Cove is charming.   There is a front side and a back side with dock space as well as a back bay.  We anchored in the back bay.   

 

View from back bay looking at the town center

 

Harbormaster watching our entrance

 

As we were anchoring a couple boats from Eagle Charters Lodge came in.  One offloaded several nice Salmon and a very big Ling.   The other brought in 4 large Halibut.   Someone had a good day!

3 of the big Halibut caught off the Screamin Eagle 

Likely 70-90+ lbs each

July 6 – Day 67 Mirror Cove to Pelican

July 6 – Day 67  Mirror Cove to Pelican

 

 

Glen and Steve went out to scout and plan our exit.  Decision is to wait another hour for the tide to rise enough for us to clear the rocks on the exit.   Pulled out and everyone made it out without incident.  

The ocean swells were light and made the short trip to the Lipsianski straight an easy move.

 

At dock in Pelican

  

View from main street of harbor and hills across the way.

 

Pelican is built on the shoreline and against the hillside with buildings on both sides of a 'street' which is really an elevated one lane boardwalk.  They allow ATV's and golf carts on the 'road' along with a number of bicycles, they seem to survive without special bike lanes.  At times; usually when mornings or when planes are coming in, it can be quite the busy road, and posted as 12 mph limit.   There are about 60 full time residents, but during the summer with fishing charters there are many more.   One of the charter companies had 30 guests while we were there.  

 

Changes since our last visit of 2016… Several new houses in 'town', the Highliner Lodge owner has purchased several other places in town to go along with his fishing charter business.   Rosie's is now under his ownership and is still a going bar which opens at 8pm.  The library is still the place to get internet access. The library is only open certain days for limited hours so everyone comes and sits outside in the evening to get their internet fix.  The fish processing plant which reopened in 2016 is doing well and growing.    

 

Michelle and I at the office.   She had a zoom call for RHYC,

and I was doing NSP and other business.

 

There is snow in Pelican during the winter.  This sled made me chuckle.

 

Main street, Pelican

 

We supported the Pelican community by staying at the dock and had a huge breakfast in the café. Glen also bought a Twinkie at the liquor store for a dollar.

 

The Café has 3 tables, plenty of room for Pelican

 

 

 

 

Social distancing sign in Cafe

 

Goodbye to Pelican

July 5 – Day 66 Waking up at Goulding Harbor part 3 -- White Suphur Springs

July 5 – Day 66  Waking up at Goulding Harbor  part 3  -- White Suphur Springs

 

 

 

 

Where's Waldo (aka Glen)?

 

His own private pool

 

 

 

Large outside pool

 

Michelle and Steve inside the bathhouse pool with its very hot water

 

Steve enjoying the view and his ice-cold brew

 

 

No this is not an infinity pool.  

This is Glen in the outside pool with the ocean behind him.

 

We're taking it easy

 

There was a lot of evidence of bear in the area and using the boardwalk and rock trail.   They are digging up the Skunk Cabbage roots which are plentiful along the route.   On the way out I counted 49 piles of scat (not counting the very old stuff), in the 1 mile hike.   That's a lot of Scat and one or more busy bear.

 

 

We survived the hike returning to the beach West Arm and the big boats.

July 5 – Day 66 Waking up at Goulding Harbor - part 2

July 5 – Day 66  Waking up at Goulding Harbor - part 2

 

We headed out about 10am for about a 4 mile cruise in the ocean headed toward Mirror Harbor and the White Sulphur Hot Springs after the 1 mile hike in.  The reward will be a hot soak in the springs.    Before going to the hot springs we went for a tour of Mirror Cove which had another large boat in it, and the Nickel Mine just outside the entrance.  We were anchored in the West Arm of Mirror Harbor nearby which has a rocky entrance but no 'Z' turns in a very short distance.  'Z' turns are much sharper than 'S' turns. 

 

 

Steve bringing Nelsea through the rocky passage.

Glen, are you sure this is the right way?  The other side looked about the same.

 

 

 

 

At Nickel Mine site.  How they got big metal stuff like this up into sites like this 100 years ago is amazing.

 

Boiler for mine

Pit for Nickel mine has been covered over by the Forest Service for safety.   

Good thing, it is big, deep, and now full of water

 

 

Heading out on the White Sulphur trail

 

Hikers on the way to White Sulphur

July 5 - Day 66 Waking up at Goulding Harbor part 1

July 5 – Day 66 Waking up at Goulding Harbor - part 1



I found another picture from day 64 when team 2 of the Pelton wheel project made its last stand before deciding to leave the wheel in its new position till next time.

As usual I was up early. The morning was quiet and reflective, and calm. The group of two bears (both golden brown) are still on the beach exactly where they were last night. I guess they had a sleepover on the beach. The other bear (a bit darker in color) is back in the meadow on the far side of the beach behind an outcropping of trees.

A bit later the two bears left their side of the meadow quickly as another one came out by a stream in the middle of the meadow. The newcomer was a bit bigger and much darker in color. Sorry no decent photo. It was walking toward the outcropping of trees behind which was the other single, and smaller bear (photo above). I put the camera down and picked up our powerful and stabilized binoculars and just watched. Both bears disappeared into the woods which separated them. The big meadow now empty but only momentarily. At first one, ‘the scout’ and then a group of about 5 deer came out of the woods and walked along the edge of the woods heading away from where the most recent bears were seen, but toward where the first two disappeared. The deer were clearly on alert and not wasting any time. At one point they all started running and ducked back into the woods. Shortly there-after I heard a sound like something crying out, it was loud and somewhat sounded like a human baby screaming. There were only about three cries and quiet again. It did not sound like a bird but who only knows what it was. ‘Circle of Life?’ Over the next ½ hour there were no sightings of any deer or bear. Only the sounds of a nearby waterfall or river, and a few waterbirds and a woodpecker knocking away at a tree. I think the very early mornings are my favorite time of day.

July 4 - Day 65 Happy Independence Day! Part 2

July 4  -  Day 65         Happy Independence Day!    Part 2

 

We returned to the boats and headed for Goulding Harbor but on the way saw some bear in Black Bay so we went to investigate

Momma Bear

 

Momma and twins (born likely last year)

  

 

Continuing on through Surveyor Passage we came across this sight.  At first thinking it was an otter or seal splashing in the water.  I grabbed the camera and went to the bow.  Nope not a seal or otter.

 

It was an Eagle swimming!   They swim, but generally only when they have a fish or something that is too big to fly with.  We slowed and watched to see what this one caught.

 

 

Getting to the beach

This Eagle caught a salmon it will not go hungry tonight

  

And a good sized salmon ta'boot.  No wonder it couldn't fly

  

Anchored in the inner bay of Goulding Harbor for the night.  Three more bear on meadow by the beach.   A mom and a large cub, just a bit smaller (likely a two year old), and way over on the other side of the meadow another adult bear. 

 

 

 

Steve, Michelle and Glen went out to try to find a Halibut.   There was a bit of wind, waves, and current to deal with; and no luck.

July 4 - Day 65 Happy Independence Day! Part 1

July 4 - Day 65     Happy Independence Day!     Part 1


It rained all night, but have wet woods stop us from an exploratory hike? Nope. So off we went looking for gold and silver at this mining site. No gold or silver but we did find colorful metal ….. RUST.

I also found a deer antler to add to the treasurers of this trip. My treasures are a lot smaller than Pelton wheels.

This place looks about like it did when we were last here in 2016. We hiked up the hill following animal trails, we did find one mine entrance that looked to have been blasted closed.

You call this a trail? I don’t think so!

Old abandoned equipment up in the hills.

Interesting flowering plant. Have no idea what it is an only saw these two.

Chichagof Anchorage