Aug 18

I swear I heard animals walking around our tent in the middle of the night but in the morning everything was exactly as we left it.

We made the usual oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. (We had been experimented a lot with coffee. That morning we had the instant mocha French vanilla.) I still had some in my mug as we departed, after the difficult loading of the canoe along the loose bank.

We pulled out into the fast current and rounded the immediate point. I wanted to work our way to the left but we were in one of the more major channels and there were no channels exiting to the left and our island was still on the right. Way ahead at the point of the island I could vaguely make out what looked like some trees leaning in the water and some unusually tall waves. The current was moving us very quickly now and I could soon see two tall trees laying horizontally across the channel and lots of choppy water in front of them, underneath them, and behind them.

We started really digging hard for the left side as the water got rougher and rougher. Just above the trees another channel joined from the left, causing great confusion among the waves. They were hitting us from front and side simultaneously, shaking and precariously rocking the canoe as various currents and our own paddling tossed us around.

I could see by now that the trees extended almost completely across the channel. I aimed for the eddy behind the sand bar on the left and we hit it hard them came to a fast stop in a couple inches of water.

We had the situation under control and we were never in much danger but the event shook me up a little. We weren't expecting anything like that. If I had not identified the strainer as early as I did, we might have capsized. Anyway, it made us vigilante for the rest of the day, although the rest of the strainers were easy to avoid.

After the Klehini delta, there are many narrow wooded side channels again. These were really enjoyable. On the long straight pools we just laid back and floated, still at a nice rate. About 10 miles above Haines the river opens up again. All of the trees on the sand bars disappear and the its wide open flats the rest of the way.

About 5 miles above Haines, Bob spotted us from the Haines highway as we lazed our way down. We pulled over and said hello and arranged to meet him at 5pm the next day at Chilkat state park.

Right after we left, things suddenly got a lot harder. We rounded a point where we changed to a slightly more eastern course and the headwind started. I think this place used to be called "Windy Point."

Also, as the river spread out, the current started slowing and it got shallower. For a time we were constantly getting in and out dragging the canoe of just barely submerged silt bars. We made the mistake here of heading out towards the middle of the river looking for continuous current and depth. For a long time we touched bottom on every paddle stroke.

Our progress had really slowed as we passed Haines. We went from 5 miles per hour without paddling to 2 miles per hour while paddling.

This went on for an hour or two. At which point we passed a distinct line where the Chilkat river ends and the Chilkat inlet begins. With amazing suddenness, the water went from 6 inches to 60 feet or more and the waves began. Before we knew it, the waves were bigger than what we wanted around us, 1 mile from shore in cold deep water. So we angled towards shore.

They were not dangerous yet and the canoe proved to be well designed to bounce off waves instead of plow through them. A couple of the larger ones did bring water in the boat though. It seemed like forever out there fighting the wind and waves. Joan says we were stationary for 40 minutes. 

At last we got to shore and rested on some big rocks. The tide was going out quickly (and here the tides are over 20 feet). This should have been to our advantage but we never noticed any help.

We continued fighting the wind and waves, now staying close to shore, for 3 more grueling hours. In that time, we went 3 miles.

These narratives about our trips tend to exaggerate the suffering and danger and run a little thin describing the fun and beauty. That 3 hours of paddling was as hard as any three hours of paddling I have ever done. We were tired and hungry and had expected to be done hours before.

On the other hand, the sky had cleared and as the sun sat we looked out over some of the prettiest glacier lined fjords in the world. There was even a huge waterfall spewing out under one glacier.

It was just before dark when we got to the boat ramp at Chilkat state park. We setup camp as fast as possible, not even bothering to completely unload the canoe.

On certain days when we work really hard, like climb to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back, we 2 packets of Lipton Noodles instead of 1. We call it a "double noodle night." That night was one of few we have ever had. We were to have another one a week later.

Next: White Pass and Yukon RR 

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