This morning we arrived in Ketchikan and docked at 6:30 am. Ketchikan is Alaska’s third largest city and is on an island, situated in the Tongass National Forest -- the largest in North America. The weather was cool with a slight breeze.
We had a Wilderness and Crab Expedition planned for today and the advice was to dress warmly in layers. We dressed in regular clothing, hooded sweatshirts and jackets over them; Susan even brought gloves. Since Ketchikan is the rainiest city in the United States, averaging 13 feet (yes feet) a year, we also took along an umbrella.
After a nice breakfast, we headed to the tender area, disembarked and walked one block to the old Ketchikan downtown area. What soon became apparent was that we had dressed too warmly. After a brief souvenir shopping spree, we returned to the ship, stripped off the layers and then headed out again.
The high was to be only 59, but we ended up with a beautiful sunny day with temperatures hovering in the mid -60’s. One of the locals told us that today was the 9th consecutive day without rain, and since over half of the 13,500 residents depend on the rainwater to fill their cisterns for daily water use, a state of drought has been declared.
We headed by motor coach to the George Inlet Lodge, our destination to begin our wilderness and crab exploration. Both drivers on the way to and from, gave several interesting facts regarding tides in southwestern Alaska, which change the sea level by 20-24 feet four times daily.
We learned about totem poles, what they represent, the different kinds, that they are made of red cedar and how anyone can have a custom totem made for him or her ranging anywhere from $500 for one carved by a novice to $3500 per foot for one that is master carved. We learned about Dungeness crab, the five different species of salmon and the three different appearances each takes during their life cycle. Fascinating. We’ve heard that during our trip, we will see bald eagles as plentiful as seagulls along Pier 39. While we have seen about a dozen today, they still remain elusive.
We arrived at the lodge and boarded a pontoon boat that motored us to a secluded
bay where fresh water from the mountains mingles with the salt of the Pacific. It is in these brackish waters where Dungeness crab thrive. We checked several crab pots, all of which yielded a catch of crab and in one, a red sea star.
Our pilot, Rusty and guide, David, instructed us in the finer points of sexing a Dungeness, determining whether or not the female was brooding and sizing the male version for the boiling pot of sea water.
Our pilot, Rusty and guide, David, instructed us in the finer points of sexing a Dungeness, determining whether or not the female was brooding and sizing the male version for the boiling pot of sea water.
After working up an appetite, we headed back to the George Inlet Lodge and were treated to an all-you-can-eat crab fest. Our hosts challenged each table of four to build a skyscraper of nothing but discarded shell casings of the crab. He announced that the tallest would yield a prize for the architecturally savvy group. The meal was capped off with homemade cheesecake drizzled with wild blue berries and sauce from the island. We’re glad that our dinner reservations are for 8 pm and not earlier.
Back on board, we retired to the sun deck and bid Ketchikan farewell as we departed and headed northward.
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