"I've seen three treasures
of the world-The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite--and
this is every bit as beautiful and impressive . .
. and much wilder," our photographer said quietly
under his breath.
 We
had just entered Punchbowl Cove in Rudyerd Bay, probably
the most spectacular and mysterious watery canyon in
the heart of Misty Fiords National Monument. Our long-anticipated
trip began several days earlier from Ketchikan, Alaska,
aboard the elegant Nordhavn. Don and I had long looked
forward to this moment. It did not disappoint us.
Our destination –Misty Fiords-is
nestled up against British Columbia's northern border.
Ketchikan, Alaska's first city and salmon capital of
the world, lies on the western shore of Revillagigedo
Island; Misty Fiords encompasses the opposite side of
the island plus the mainland east of Behm Canal
To do this trip right, you need a comfortable,
well-found vessel, a week of time to make the 200-mile
trek, boots and rain gear, and your adventurous spirit.
Here there are no navigational aids or man-made facilities
of any kind. The water is too deep for your echo sounder
to work, there is no radio reception on Channel 16,
and no VHF weather reports. A fleeting visit by high-speed
catamaran or a float plane flight allows only a few
precious viewing moments; you must travel here on your
own boat with time to unwind and sense the overwhelming
size and grandeur of one of America's most spectacular
national monuments. Here you can savor quiet, majestic
beauty as you sail through this pristine wilderness.
The 40-foot Nordhavn, skippered by
Brian Saunders, meets us at the south end of the Ketchikan
airport-located on Gravina Island-where a segment of
Seattle's old Lake Washington floating bridge is now
used as a loading dock where small boats tie up temporarily.
Also joining us was our intrepid photographer, Dave
Shuler of San Diego.
 The
route we have planned takes us north from the airport,
clockwise through Tongass Narrows into the Behm Canal
which winds around Revillagigedo Island, first in a
northeasterly direction, then almost due south. Formed
by glaciers, East Behm Canal features a spectacular
network of fiords pushing into the North American mainland.
From the Unuk River outlet it stretches 60 miles down
to Revillagigedo Channel near Dixon Entrance.
Walker Cove marks our
entry into Misty Fiords National Monument. The Monument
was designated in 1978 to preserve a prime 2.3 million
acre parcel of untouched temperate rainforest wilderness.
This pocket of land in Southeastern Alaska is so wild
and isolated that it begs to be explored. On land there
are no signs of civilization, no lighthouses, and mankind
is only a short-term visitor. So many peaks remain unclimbed,
rivers and creeks go unnamed, and Grizzly and black
bear range freely over 1,000 square miles of raw Alaska.
Western hemlock, Sitka spruce, and cedar line the slopes
of these mist-shrouded Fiords.
 The
first time Don and I entered Walker Cove we used radar
to navigate through the dense fog-and until the following
morning-we had no idea what splendor surrounded us.
Now, many trips later, we are still stunned by the immensity
and beauty of our surroundings. Forested hillsides contrast
with granite walls of deep purple and violet; overhanging
gardens of fern, moss and miniature evergreens line
cracks in the rock. In spots, the granite is scrapped
bare by slab avalanches that occur frequently due to
the sheerness of the walls; the air is perfumed with
the scent of evergreens.
Brian maneuvers the Nordhavn
to a vertical rock face below a cantilevered waterfall;
the water is so calm and the depths beside the wall
so great that there is little danger to the boat. Don
stands on the bow and takes a shower fully dressed!
Invigorating!
As we move southward toward
the Punchbowl, the clouds return to the Monument, reminding
us of its well-chosen name. Fog and mist hang in wisps
in several layers starting 100 feet above the shore,
obscuring the high peaks of the Punchbowl. We are alone
in the 10 mile long fiord save for one small fishing
boat we saw earlier this morning; it is quiet and the
water a mirror.
 On
this trip, fall is clearly on the way: the ground dogwood
are in full fruit; berries, a Chinese Red, decorate
the heart of four green, arrow-shaped leaves. The waist-high
leaves of the skunk cabbage lie low along the ground
with no sign of their yellow spiked blossoms that bloomed
early in the summer. Salmonberries hang pendulous from
their branches, a treat for the bears that inhabit the
region.
Another sign of autumn
are the hundreds of leaping salmon that gather at the
mouth of Behm Canal's creeks in anticipation of a rainstorm
that will raise the water and allow them to head upstream
to their spawning areas. From the boat we witness numerous
bears, eager to fatten themselves for their winter hibernation,
gorging themselves on these unfortunate salmon.
As the Nordhavn navigates
into the fiord, we are treated to a myriad of waterfalls
along the Punchbowl that appear in the mist as thin,
white stripes painted on the grey, granite walls. We
watch as the melting snow tumbles nearly 3,000 feet
from the high ridges on its journey to the Pacific Ocean.
In places the rock is deeply cut indicating that a glacier
worked its way out of the basin some millennia ago.
Clouds continue to waft across the first layer of ridges
as we pause to enjoy the tranquility. The sun ultimately
makes an appearance, but all on board agree that the
mist and clouds are what give the Fiords their mysterious,
lonely and majestic quality.
We tie up at the U.S.
Forest Service public mooring buoy near the head of
Punchbowl Cove. A most scenic, but steep, boardwalk
and dirt (sometimes mud!) trail leads to gorgeous Punchbowl
Lake. Be sure to wear rubber boots; the trail, which
gains 600 feet in three-quarters of a mile, is rigorous
and slippery. At one point we pass a spot where the
trail runs along a narrow rock ledge with a 300-foot
drop to the north. In spite of its arduous nature, there
are plenty of scenic vantage points to stop and admire
the view (as well as catch your breath). After about
half a mile up the trail we come to the Punchbowl Creek
Waterfall overlook. Those who continue on to the lake
and want to further their explorations will find a USFS
skiff with oars available at no cost.
Our cruise to the
bitter end of Rudyerd Bay is well worth it. With camera
in hand, out on the bow in my slicker, stocking cap
and gloves, I feel the full beauty of this shadowy place.
On deck I see the little details I missed from below:
a cascade of water every 100 yards, an overhanging arch,
then another; a hanging valley out of which roars a
massive quantity of water; and slick slab walls covered
with eerie, green moss. The wind bites against my cheeks.
I zip my fleece vest to the collar and seek protection
behind the Portuguese bridge. It's nice to be able-when
I've had my fill or as the rain increases-to re-enter
a warm, comfortable pilothouse.
Veterans from 60 N to 56 S, Douglass
and Hemingway have written extensively under FineEdge.com
about cruising Alaska and British Columbia. Reanne's
bestseller, Cape Horn, has recently been published in
French and Italian.
|
