Flotsam and Jetsam

July 3 – Travel Day 11

view from the ferry "looks alot like Maine"  i.e. mile after mile of rocky, forested islands, until you look up at the mountains

After our splendid Canada Day in Prince Rupert we arrived early (6pm) to wait in car lines to board our Alaskan Marine Highway System (AMHS) ferry.  We had brought our leftover perishables as we had to turn off the propane fridge for the journey. We weren’t too worried about the cheese and mushrooms and celery left inside, but having just bought a dozen eggs, we boiled them and peeled them and planned to eat them regularly, ever conscious of lifting the lid off the container.  We ate a super salad in the parking lot. Spoiler alert:  the eggs did not survive until the end of the voyage.

Arranging vehicles from the size a motorcycle to a tiny truck camper such as ourselves along side the 50 ft campers and semi-trucks and full tour bus was a feat. And factor in that we’re not all getting off at the same city. Some were getting off in at the first stop. We were scheduled to disembark second to last (had our HAINES sticker in the windowsill) AND at each stop, more vehicles and passengers arrive with their varying tonnage of cargo to distribute.  It was almost scary as the young guy with the walkie talkie directed us.  We parked on the Malaspina about 11:30pm for a 12:30am departure.  Already past our bed time, we were thrilled to get to our state room:  a two bunk, small room but with a private bath AND HOT SHOWER (sheets, pillows, towels included)!  We were so excited we used all the facilities and could hardly fall asleep.  We did fall asleep, and woke up in Ketchikan, ALASKA. We familiarized ourselves with the lay out of the several decks and observations sites, places to purchase food (hot cooked vs. vending machine.) We observed where the low-budget travelers camp out either in chairs or by duct taping their tents to the deck. The bus load of teenagers we’d seen in parking-lot line, were sleeping on the deck of the solarium, a group of 7-week summer campers from Michigan, coming to hike the Chilkoot Trail.

our little Northstar camping in Haines

my artist's rendition of the floater in my eye that is bigger than a gnat

Being early-uppers, we got our choice of deck chairs and had a front row (inside) lounge chair.  We could leave our backpack and still go outside or walk laps and save our spot. We had both just read a book describing the inland passage as a tricolor of green, white and blue:  green forests, white-capped mountains and blue water.  We were stunned by the hours and hours and hours of voyaging past the gray, gray and gray:  dark gray forests, pale gray mountains and gray water. It allowed me almost too abundant time to ponder my floaters. While staring at the scenery (i.e. looking for whale or seals or otters,) all I seemed to see was flotsam, jetsam and the debris in my eyes’ vitreous humor. Some of you may have the experience when you look at a white wall, it seems there’s a gnat on the wall but when you look right, it follows, just out of focus, but if you look left, it’s back and it trails along in your sight-line.   I have one gnat in my vision, but also one dust-bunny. Sometimes it turned out to be a dead bug on the windshield. We got a little sad about how long the “marine overcast” could last.  We cheered somewhat on the second morning when we could see glaciers on the way between Juneau and Haines.  It was not until we arrived at camp that we heard other wayfarers talking about how sad it was the views were obscured by the wildfire smoke from Seward and Fairbanks (the next couple places we are slated to visit.) FOILED AGAIN—we were clueless two summers ago when the Grand Tetons were hazy. Now to be told our views are again tainted by smoke.  And the first week we arrived in Jacksonville, Oregon they said, “this is the worst we’ve ever had wildfire smoke.” AND, our first month in Walla Walla, THEY said, “the wildfire smoke has never lasted this long.”  Either we’re bringing it with us, or some kind of awful climate thing is happening.