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Alaska's Untamed Misty Fiords
"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.
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