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Started trip in Whittier. Left Passage canal, via Well’s passage and then down Culross
passage. Crossed to Knight Island, went down west coast and then crossed to Whale Bay. Side trips into Humpback cove,
Icy bay and then north via Dangerous Passage. Back through Culross passage –
side trips to Cochrane and Blackstone bays and then back to Whittier.
All pictures below taken with a
compact Cannon digital in a diving case.
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Built and packed the boat in pouring rain. Finally
ready to leave Whittier
harbor’s boat ramp.
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I handed my camera to someone in the harbor before heading out.
Me and my Feathercraft Wisper
all packed up with two weeks of food and camping equipment.
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Heading out in Passage canal.
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First night in Squirrel cove near the exit of
Passage canal. This site has a few camping platforms. The rest of the sites
were very pristine with no facilities.
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Heading east from Decision point.
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Well’s passage – crossing the entrances of
Blackstone and Cochrane Bays.
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Lunch break near the north end of Culross passage.
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View from camp near the South entrance of Culross passage.
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South entrance of Culross passage. Looking towards
Applegate Island.
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First sunny day – charging the Sat-phone .
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Stream at head of Falls Bay – water stop.
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Crossing to Knight Island.
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Sunset ~11:30PM from camp near Herring point on Knight Island.
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Morning view from tent near Herring point on
Knight Island.
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No suitable tree for hanging my food so I hung my
supplies on some springy branches, tied some cord between the bags and to a
lightly balanced pot filled with stones. Any movement of the bags caused the
pot to fall making a considerable noise. Luckily no hungry visitors tested
the mechanism (and my courage) while I slept.
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Before the trip I read up and purchased the
“recommended” salmon lures for the Prince William Sound.
I trolled these lures without luck for a few hours. Finally I switched to my
old favorite which I brought from home. Within 5 minutes the first salmon was
on board. Further proof that refined taste, even amongst fish, is a universal
trait.
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Heading south on the west coast of Knight
Island.
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Knight
Island.
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Salmon
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Salmon steak on the coals. Yes – I had the foresight to bring along two
lemons.
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Knight
Island – near entrance to Drier Bay.
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Camping in a cove a mile north of the entrance to
Copper Bay (Knight Island).
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Crossing from Knight Island towards Whale Bay. A pod of dolphins occasionally
surfaced near me – finally managed to catch one picture.
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Gulls riding the first ice near entrance to Whale
Bay.
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Camp on Dual Head at entrance to Whale Bay.
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Dual Head at entrance to Whale Bay. Later humpback whales started blowing a
few hundred yards from my tent. I spent a magical night alternatively dosing
and awake listing to their periodic breathing against the background of
almost complete silence.
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Paddling out towards the whales the next morning.
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Humpbacks.
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Humpbacks.
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Humpbacks.
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Humpbacks.
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Waterfall in Humpback cove.
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Stream at the head Humpback cove.
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Going into Icy Bay.
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Camp landing at entrance to Nassau fiord.
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Nassau
glacier.
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Nassau
glacier.
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Nassau glacier.
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Nassau
fiord.
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Entrance to Nassau fiord.
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Paddling south towards Tiger glacier. At this point it appeared that the ice
flowing out of Nassau
fiord had blocked the way. When I got closer I managed to find a way through
without having to use the limited icebreaker capabilities of my folding
kayak.
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Working my way through the growlers.
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Ice sculptures in Icy Bay.
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Heading towards Tiger glacier.
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Approach to Tiger glacier.
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Tiger glacier.
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Berg in Icy Bay.
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Icy Bay.
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Icy Bay.
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Icy Bay.
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Leaving Icy Bay.
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Back at camp at Dual Head. The Kokatat dry suit was
a pleasure on rainy days.
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Dual Head - rain returned – whales left.
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Verdant
Island in the rain.
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Passing
Verdant Island towards Dangerous Passage.
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Sea Otter family in Dangerous Passage.
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Dangerous Passage.
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Wet fingers in Dangerous Passage.
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Eagles watching jumping Salmon.
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Nowell Point camp. Two hours beyond high tide -
fresh bear tracks coming out the forest and along the beach– one big and two
small. Just caught rockfish still on line.
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Small island just outside Foul Bay
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Small island just outside Foul Bay.
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Rest stop on small island just outside Foul Bay.
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Bugs got worse during second week.
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Camp at Picturesque Bay near south end of Culross
Passage.
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Eagle skull at camp in Cochrane Bay.
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Camp in Cochrane Bay.
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Cochrane
Bay.
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Cochrane
Bay – near Three
Fingers Cove
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Seal near Three Fingers Cove.
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Rain in Blackstone Bay.
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Filling water at stream in Blackstone Bay.
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Lawrence Glacier in
Blackstone Bay.
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Lawrence
Glacier.
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Marquette Glacier in
Blackstone Bay.
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Marquette
Glacier.
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Approaching Blackstone Glacier.
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Blackstone Glacier.
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Northland Glacier.
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Blackstone Glacier.
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Northland Glacier. While I watched a massive
calving of ice fell down the falls
terminating the flow of water for about a minute.
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Camp in Blackstone Bay.
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Camp in Blackstone Bay.
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Camp in Blackstone
Bay ~ 11PM.
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Camp in Blackstone Bay.
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Camp in Blackstone Bay.
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Camp in Blackstone Bay – Ripon Glacier.
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Camp in Blackstone Bay.
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Last morning after camping near Decision point -
Passage Canal – heading towards Whittier.
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Trip’s end – approaching Whittier town.
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