Thursday, April 16 - 07:30. Breakfast at McDonalds Kelso, incredible Goblindust cache in Centralia, NW Arlington and Sedro-Wooley caches. "Meet Rose Red" Event.
Friday, 17 -
Bellingham/Fairhaven Geocaching and Benchmarking; Afternoon Tea at Abbey Garden
with three women from the tour; Guided tour by Edradine Houde of U. S. Army
Captain George E. Pickett's House; Group met in the Alaska Marine Highway
Terminal; boarded the MV Malaspina, set watch back one hour; Set IPhone on
Airplane Mode; settled in a very small windowless cabin (Room 116) with a Road
Scholar assigned roommate.
I clearly saw Mt. Baker (10,788').
Saturday, 18 -
My roommate moved out into her own cabin; Bella Bella, Ivory Island and Boat
Bluff BC Lighthouses; two open water crossing, Queen Charlotte Sound
10:00AM-1:00PM and Milbanke Sound
3:30PM-5:00PM, were negotiated.
We were originally traveling on the Matanuska. It never made it out of dry dock so we were switched to the MV Malaspina. The M/V Malaspina was designed by Nickum & Spaulding Associates of Seattle, WA; and was built in 1963 at the Lockheed Shipbuilding Yards in Seattle. She sailed Alaskan waters proudly and well for nine years, then underwent lengthening and renovation which was completed June 6, 1972. When she left the Willamette Iron and Steel Co. shipyard in Portland, OR., she was indeed a “new ship”—she had been cut in two, and had 56 ft. added to her middle. The additions included the new solarium, and remodeling of the dining area, cocktail lounge, cafeteria, and all other public areas. Stateroom capacity was increased from 100 to 284 berthing accommodations. The cabins are very small and basic in nature with limited storage space; small bathroom. The Malaspina is 408 ft. long and 74 ft. wide, and her gross tonnage is 2,928. She has a service speed of 16.5 knots, and is driven by two V12-cylinder, 4000 HP Enterprise Diesel engines.
Sunday, 19 -
During the night we crossed into Alaska waters.
Open Water: Rough crossing at breezy Dixon Entrance 3:30AM-4:30AM Alaska
Time; Ketchikan at 7:00AM; Turned off Airplane Mode on IPhone; I was given a
"Celebrating Statehood 1959-2009 Alaska 50" Pin by Staff member at
Ketchikan Terminal who helped me identify the framed Alaska Steamship Company portraits
of Huskies while we were waiting for the 1/2 hour late bus; Potlatch Park and
purchase of small Raven statue; Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of
standing totem poles; skipped lunch at Cape Fox Lodge to admire the sweeping
views and explore lodge's Alaskan Native art and artifacts. Since Funicular tram was not running I walked
down hill via the "Married Men's Trail" along Ketchikan Creek; past
Annie's House and Dolly's House; photographed 1902 St. John's Episcopal Church
(Spire Benchmark) and the Chief Kyan Totem Pole; back to the ferry; left at
1:30PM; stopped for 45 minutes in Wrangell; Wrangell Narrows - "Christmas
Tree Alley"; stopped for 45 minutes at Petersburg in the middle of the
night.
Monday, 20 -
Arrived at 7:45AM; we saw very little of the Capital city of Juneau - very
disappointing; photographed Mendenhall Glacier (Auke/Auk) where I found a
cache, photographed Nugget Falls, also
known as Nugget Creek Falls or Mendenhall Glacier Falls (EarthCache); back to
the ferry; departed Juneau at 10:45AM; northward up the Lynn Canal; Sentinel
Island Lighthouse; Vanderbilt Reef LH; Eldred Rock Lighthouse; 1 hour, 30
minute stop in Haines ("If You Lived Here, I Would Know Your Name");
did not get off the ferry in Haines. Many tourists visit Haines during the annual appearance of bald eagles in the Alaska Chikat Bald Eagle Preserve between
October and February. During this time, Haines has the largest concentration of bald eagles in
the world. Evidently there is very dramatic scenery around Haines. The MV
Malaspina arrived in Skagway at 5:45PM; cold and
very windy walking tour of historic downtown Skagway. Only a few places open.
Two Virtuals and a Benchmark in Skagway; departed Skagway at 8:15PM. Two hour stopover in Haines
(9:15-11:15).
Tuesday, 21 -
saw the Kennicott Ferry at dock; Lynn Canal and Chatham Strait (they form a
natural wind tunnel especially in the fall and winter; Point Retreat Lighthouse;
arrive Sitka at 4:15PM; tour of Russian Bishop's House, photographed Russian
Orth Church and Sitka Greek Cath Church and NE cable-stayed John O'Connell Bridge
tower Benchmarks; Prospector statue; end of the road sign "END";
departed Sitka at 6:45PM.
Wednesday, 22 -
retraced our way southward to Petersburg and Wrangell; fogged in near
Petersburg. Lost High Tide. Did 8s (I was rather confused for awhile; saw
the same very large white building on the starboard and then the port side of
the ferry!!) and then dropped anchor for three hours. Tour of the bridge. I saw Nicholas Kolars, Captain of the MV
Malaspina behind me in the hallway. The
ferry did not leave until noon - High Tide.
Twenty-two mile long Wrangell Narrows.
We did not have time to see the petroglyphs on rocks in Wrangell; rock
'n roll at Dixon Entrance open water crossing; Guard Island Lighthouse;
Ketchikan about 9:00PM "Leave as
soon as possible"; crossed into British Columbia waters during the night.
Thursday, 23 -
waterfalls; Boat Bluff, Ivory Island, and Egg Island Lighthouses; passed
through open waters of Milbanke Sound and Queen Charlotte Sound; I walked out
of the Donation envelope presentation that is prohibited by Road Scholar;
Farewell Dinner with decorated sheet cake.
Friday, 24 - I
had $1.50 left on my ferry meal ticket; instead of docking at 8:30AM we docked
at 11:30AM just in time for me to hit 20MPH traffic from Everett to south of
Olympia and then one lane traffic at Kalama bridge. Before I left Bellingham I photographed the
Old County Courthouse (Washington Territorial Courthouse).
Animals: one
deer; orcas; one bear; one Humpback Whale; Bald Eagles; and Dall's Porpoises
with "rooster tail" splashes.
I found six
Caches (5 in US and 1 in Alaska), three Virtuals, an EarthCache and 12 Benchmarks.
