The noise and hubbub of Ketchikan was jarring after a summer of peaceful anchorages in the wilderness. After seeing our friends to the ferry to the airport, we couldn't wait to get back on the water with our last cruise before departing Alaska for home.
Ketchikan, separated from the mainland, sits on Revillagigedo Island. Behm Canal allows one to circumnavigate the island with Misty Fjords National Monument along the East and North part of the Canal. The wind filled in for a lovely sail into Smeaton Bay (above), where we found the anchorage to be a bit exposed to that same wind.
We continued on to a deep water anchorage in Punchbowl Cove just off Rudyerd Bay. The Granite cliffs towered over Dog Star, dwarfing anything on the water.
We awoke to the namesake for the wilderness area, hiding the tops of the cliffs. Only one other boat that we were to see several times again in the week ahead was present. The still morning did not let on to the deep low pressure system and gale warning three days from now. We had our hidden-hole in mind, but had time to move on to explore Walker Cove.
An odd site along the way is New Eddystone Rock, looking like it was dropped from the sky into the middle of Behm Canal like a lawn dart. The entrance to Walker Cove opened with more spectacular cliffs and waterfalls.
A Red-necked Grebe watched us warily after we anchored.
We took in one last view of the mountaintops before the eponymous mist rolled in.
"Exploring" is Dog Star's middle name!
To explore the river, we went at high tide,
guarded by this Bald Eagle (and many others)
we found the treasure they were guarding.
The salmon wriggled and splashed through the shallows.
The next morning, we left the towering mist-enshrouded cliffs, waterfall and wildlife of Misty Fjords behind as we made our way along the north shore of Revillagigedo Island toward Yes Bay, where we hoped it would provide protection from the predicted storm.
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