Steve and Ellen's Adventures: August 2015

Chapter 10 9 Aug 2015

I asked the owner of the campground we were staying at how much he would want for storage of our camper to include electricity for the week we were in the Aleutians. He said he charged $1.00 for boat storage and for anyone with a freezer he charged $2.00. So $3.00 would should cover my storage. I immediately said "OK". After thinking it over, the next day I returned and paid him $5.00 for each day and knew I still was getting a great deal since it included a lot of security. Now we were ready for the trip on the ferry. We departed Homer at 10:30 pm on the 28th of July, we had a cabin with bunk beds and a lavatory. I won't say it was the best accommodations but with a little rocking I know I got some sleep. We arrived at Kodiak, on Kodiak Island at 8:15 the next morning. We planned on renting a car to see the area since we were in port for 8 1/2 hours, but all were reserved earlier. So we walked around town and had a leisurely lunch and sat by the beach. We felt like the tourists that come to Portland on the cruise ships and walk around and say they saw Portland.
We left Kodiak at 4:45pm and sailed for Chignik, a small village farther down the Alaska peninsula. We spent a lot of time exploring the ship, talking with other passengers and looking at and for birds on the water. Late that evening we retreated to our cabin for a little shut eye with an early rise to watch birds, scenery and have breakfast in the dining room. That morning a stop at Chignik was special because a lady there makes donuts, and when the ferry comes, she makes a lot more. We arrive at 11:30 am and everyone leaves ship for the donut lady. We are met on the dock by all the residents heading for the ship for lunch of fresh hamburger and veggies, and fruit. We didn't know where to go but a crewman said to follow the line. At the head of the line was another crewman who knew the way. She makes 4 or 5 dozen for the crew and the rest of us get whatever is left. We got half a dozen and they were the best donuts we've ever had, and the price was $1.00 each for regular and $2.00 each for filled. We ate some right away but saved half of them till next morning because they were so large.
We sailed on the rest of the day until 10:30 that night when we got to Sand Point. It was late so we stayed on board and arrived at King Cove at 6:30 am the 31st. Time in port at these small villages was usually just over an hour or so because all they do is offload cargo and passengers. Next was Cold Bay, basically a National Wildlife Preserve with its support personnel and a few local fishermen. We stayed in port 3 hours and took a tour of the refuge. It was disappointing because we didn't see any birds of animals. They said our arrival was bad because we were between bird migrations.
On Friday Jul 31st we officially stopped on the Aleutians at False Pass. We got off and bought our False Pass hat, a stocking type because the wind was whistling between the mountains and it was right off the Bearing Sea and cold. We didn't know the Alaska Peninsula extended about 500 miles southwest from Homer and the mainland. We spent a lot of time on deck watching birds, whales, and islands with no trees, and lots of mountains, many with volcanos, some of which are still active.
Akutan was the next island with a village by the same name. We got to know a family onboard that was from Maine and going to Akutan as teachers for the school year. The school has 14 students which include their two children for grades 1 to 12. If they thought northern Maine was isolated, they hadn't seen anything yet like Akutan, 4 days from the mainland and a ferry that comes twice a month.
Our destination was next, Unalaska or Dutch Harbor. Home of the Deadliest Catch, approx 700+ miles and 3 days, 10 hours and 45 minutes by ferry from Homer, Alaska. We had 8 hours in port and had arranged for a tour with Bobbie. She drove us around to all the sights, including a museum of WWII with all the Japanese memorabilia from the attack on the island. We visited a Russian Orthodox Church and did a little shopping. After returning to the ferry port, everyone got out except Ellen & I and a man who was also a birder. She took us up Mt Balleyhoo "not spelled correctly" where we found snow bunting and a rock ptarmigan. The rock ptarmigan was a life bird for us. There was a lot of military debris on the mountain with some bomb craters too. It was fogged in so we couldn't see the harbor but on a clear day she said it was beautiful.
The return trip was a reverse of the trip out except no donuts. There were less people on the ship and not so many tents or people sleeping in chairs or on the floor in sleeping bags and on air mattresses. The captain said it was the smoothest trip he had ever experienced on that route. At times we could see reflections of mountains in the ocean. The mountains & hills were very green with ground cover, moss and grass, and snow in the higher elevations. We saw some new birds like shearwaters, fulmars, and petrels, along with puffins, murres, guillemots and murrelets. It was a lifetime trip and very enjoyable. Back on the mainland, we stayed the night in Ninilchik and then drove to Steward. A couple of nights at the harbor and a tour of Sea Life Center, containing local birds and fish. We are back in Anchorage now for a couple of days before heading for Glenallen airport for our next adventure.
Wishing all a happy summer. Steve