Day 31 ~ Tracy Arm Cove to Taku Harbor

I was like a little kid on Christmas morning waiting for the rooster to indicate it was time to get up. By about 6:00 a.m., I couldn’t stand it any longer and I crawled out of the bunk. We were sitting in a minus tide that was 15 feet lower than when we anchored so the beach was really close. There as a large iceberg that had grounded itself of the rocks at the entrance to the cove.  Across the bay all that could be seen was a bank of fog and Dad confirmed that we were not departing until it lifted. Dodging icebergs in the fog was not a desirable activity. By 7:35 the fog had lifted enough that we could see the hillside across the bay so we hoisted the anchor began our journey.

As we exited the harbor with great anticipation, we spotted a cruise ship heading across the bar on its way to our destination. Determined to get in front of it we began to race off to get in front of it. Finally, we gave in using the law of gross tonnage and allowed him to go in front of us.

The walls in Tracy arm were just as magnificent as what we had been seeing lately. They had varying veins of colored granite with green foliage in every nook and cranny. The water was more aqua than what we had seen so far. Dad was at the helm and Wendy was on ice watch. The cruise ship in front of us suddenly stopped which we deduced was due to the ice fields that were just ahead of us. Some folks were disembarking into a small tour boat, and hundreds of people were on the upper deck taking pictures of us as we pressed on around them. When we got our first glimpse of the actual South Sawyer Glacier we were in awe to amazing shades of vibrant blue. You could also see were the ice was calving off it.

All eyes were forward as we carefully weaved our way through the ice and then it started to get fairly thick so Wendy and I bundled up and headed to the bow pulpit to fend off the ice. The pole wouldn’t quite reach because the bow is so high out of the water so we used the boat brush which would extend farther. When we saw a berg the size of a house coming down the channel Dad decided that we had maneuvered our way far enough into the ice fields and it was time for the girls to get in the dinghy and take pictures. The film crew weaved through the ice using the pole to fend it away from the dinghy as we moved closer to the South Sawyer Glacier. Wendy was not happy with me as I urged her to move closer and finally I gave in and just took pictures. I was a bit surprised how far away from the big boat we had ventured and Dad commented that he was struggling to see us.

We continued filming Dad and the Simbalaut starring in the ‘Deadliest Bergs’ from the dinghy.  Dad departed approaching the ice with a different strategy of more speed and then abruptly slowed down and using the wake of the boat would push the ice away. Eventually, we had to cry Uncle because we were freezing cold.

As we transit our way down Tracy Arm we celebrated our accomplishment of getting the Simbalaut to Tracy Arm. We left Seattle 31 days prior and being here was one of our primary objectives, it can now be checked off the bucket list.

As we rounded Pt. Coke after crossing the Tracy Arm Bar a school of Dahl porpoises were swimming right at us. Wendy slowed the boat concerned that she was going to harm them and they turned around and started playing in our bow wash. There were 8 to 12 of them darting around the front and jumping out of the water, giving us front row seats to a fabulous show for about 3 minutes before they went back on their way.

Taku Harbor was once the site of Hudson’s Bay trading post established in 1840. In the 1900’s, a commercial cannery, now in decay, was located here. All that remains are decaying piers and rusty boilers. We chose this harbor anticipating seeing the bears that reportedly fish in the creek. We tied up on a public dock in front of a beautiful sail boat and later a 1931 85’ classic wooden boat that appeared to be an old fashioned cruise boat.  

As we were eating dinner, Wendy noticed a man rowing into the harbor. The rain was falling hard at this point but it didn’t seem to faze him. He rowed to the dock and tied up. Then he took his bottomless tent up to the tall wet grass, popped it up and he was home. Right under the sign ‘Beware of bears’!  Dad’s comment was that he was a sandwich short of a picnic!