Alaska - Etolin Island Paddle

Our original plan was to paddle from Wrangell AK to Kake AK.  The plan was worked out over months of planning. We had to consider ferry schedule to/from Bellingham WA to Wrangell AK and from Kake, AK back to Wrangell for our ride home. We planned to stay at US Forestry service cabins when we could. So after all the planning was done, and group members had their ferry reservations made ( including kayaks), lodging in Wrangell, Kake and back again in Wrangell booked, cabin reservations made,  the Alaskan Ferry system informed us that the Kake to Wrangell ferry schedule had been moved up a day which impacted our plans so we changed our plans to accommodate the ferry schedule. Then two days before we were to leave,

the ferry had mechanical issues in Juneau and the planned Friday departure eventually moved to Sunday morning which threw all our plans for cabins, and the Kake leg of our ferry plan into complete disarray. So we scratched the original plan and plan B was hatched which ended up being a wonderful roughly 145 mile paddle.

The group consisted of 6 highly skilled, experienced paddlers and one 'newbie'.

 

 

Here is our original plan:

Friday, July 17 – Carpool and drive to Bellingham, load boats and gear onto ferry, set up sleeping sites on rear deck or optional cabin, and settle in for a 6pm departure.

Saturday, July 18 – In route to Ketchikan.  Great sightseeing and opportunities to see orcas, humpback whales, and/or dolphins.

Sunday, July 19 – Ferry travels through Chatham Sound in BC and into SE Alaska.  Arrive in Ketchikan at 7am.  Leave Ketchikan at 9:00am and arrive in Wrangell at 2:30pm.   Explore the town of Wrangell, buy fuel and food, and stay at "Be Still" Bed & Breakfast one night.

Monday, July 20 – Paddle across the mouth of the Stikine River, north 12 miles and stay in The USFS Little Dry Island cabin for the night.

Tuesday-Wednesday, July 21-22 – Paddle 10 miles around Dry Island and the Stikine Delta to USFS Mallard Sough Cabin.  Explore the area with a possible paddle to the mouth of LeConte Bay, where we will see icebergs and seals.  Fishing opportunities too!

Thursday, July 23 – Enter Frederick Sound, paddle west to Mitkof Island, and find a campsite on the east side of Mitkof Island (8 miles).

Friday-Saturday, July 24-25 – Paddle past the town of Petersburg (lunch stop) then north up Kupreanof Island on to Five mile Creek (12 miles).  Stay two nights.  Opportunities for fishing, whale watching, and hiking on established trails.

Sunday, July 26 – Paddle 8 miles north to Twelve mile Cove.

Monday-Tuesday, July 27-28 – Paddle 10 miles north to Portage Bay and camp for two nights.  Good fishing and whale watching opportunities.

Wednesday, July 29 - Paddle 12 miles west and camp on near Big Creek.

Thursday, July 30 – Paddle 11 miles in the area where Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage intersect and camp near Punta Point.

Friday thru Saturday, July 31- Aug 1 – Paddle 15 miles south into Keku Strait and to Kake, Alaska and stay for one night.

Saturday, Aug 1 – Leave on Ferry (Taku) at 6:45pm.  Travel through Frederick Sound, Petersburg (10:45pm-11:30pm) and Wrangell Narrows. 

Sunday-Wednesday, Aug 2-5 – Arrive in Wrangell at 2:45pm.  Spend three nights in the "Be Still" Bed & Breakfast in Wrangell, Alaska.  Options on Monday and Tuesday for jet boat tours to see Anan Bear Observatory, Chief Shakes Lake & Hot Spring, walking tour of Wrangell, or the Stikine River.  Museums, restaurants, shops, native longhouse, and collections of totem poles to explore in town.

Wednesday-Friday, Aug 5-7 – Leave on Ferry (Columbia) at 6:45 am on August 5th.  Stop in Ketchikan from 12:45pm until 5:00pm.  Arrive in Bellingham at 8am on August 7th.  Great opportunities to see whales and dolphins while touring through British Columbia.  Unload boats and gear, and drive home.

 

 

And the trip we did: Circumnavigate Etolin Island

Sunday, July 19 – Carpool and drive to Bellingham, load boats and gear onto ferry, set up sleeping sites on rear deck or optional cabin, and settle in for a 1:00pm departure on July 19th.

Sunday, July 20 – Ferry north.

Monday, July 21 – In route to Wrangell, arriving at 3:15am.  Launch from beach near ferry.

Tuesday, July 22 – Paddle 17 miles south and camp at the sand spit on Turn Island.

Wednesday, July 22 – Start paddling early (to catch the ebbing tide) and paddle 18 miles through Zimovia Strait and camp in the last cove at the south end of Zimovia Strait on Etolin Island for the night.

Thursday-Friday, July 23-24 - Paddle 8 miles to USFS Frosty Bay Cabin and stay for two nights.  Great hiking and fishing opportunities!  Also, those who can get permits in advance ($10 each) could paddle 11 miles to Anan Wildlife Observatory to see the bears, fish, seals, eagles, etc.

Saturday, July 25 - Paddle 15 miles around the north end of Deer Island and south down Etolin Island, through Canoe Passage, and camp on the north side of Stone Islands.

Sunday, July 26 – Paddle 9 miles north to Kelp Point and camp on the low island just off of the north end of the point.

Monday, July 27– Paddle 12 miles north and find a campsite in or on Stanhope Island and Three Way Passage.

Tuesday-Wednesday, July 28-29 – Paddle 12 miles north and stay two nights in USFS Steamer Bay Cabin.

Thursday, July 30 – Paddle 14 miles north and camp at the last bay before Chichagof Pass.

Friday, July 31 – Paddle 17 miles northeast through Chichagof Pass to Wrangell.

 July 31-Aug 5 – Spend five nights in the "Be Still" Bed & Breakfast in Wrangell, Alaska. Take optional excursions Sunday-Wednesday, Aug 2-5 – Arrive in Wrangell at 2:45pm.  Spend three nights in the "Be Still" Bed & Breakfast in Wrangell, Alaska.  Options on Monday and Tuesday for jet boat tours to see Anan Bear Observatory, Chief Shakes Lake & Hot Spring, walking tour of Wrangell, or the Stikine River.  Museums, restaurants, shops, native longhouse, and collections of totem poles to explore in town.

Wednesday-Friday, Aug 5-7 – Leave on Ferry (Columbia) at 6:45 am on August 5th.  Stop in Ketchikan from 12:45pm until 5:00pm.  Arrive in Bellingham at 8am on August 7th.  Great opportunities to see whales and dolphins while touring through British Columbia.  Unload boats and gear, and drive home.

This is a remote destination paddle with a major portion of it in Tongass National Forrest which is a wilderness area. We did see lots of salmon fishing boats and loads of jumping salmon. While in Wrangell I saw both the Time Bandit and the Wizard of the TV show Deadliest Catch in port.  Lots of eagles, bears especially on the 'salmon' rivers and streams as this was a salmon run year it was easy to avoid those water sources. And I must say water sources was NOT an issue! We were told Wrangell had record rainfall while we were out on our trip. I can attest to hard rain day and night for the last portion of our paddle, but that made for some pretty spectacular waterfalls along the way. We had almost no wind during this trip so we pretty much travelled wherever we wanted, where outside coast line or wandering through the hundreds of islands.  Amazing jelly fish display in the channel between Etolin and Brownson Island, never seen so many and so many different species of jellyfish in one place.

If you have the time and money ( most excursions are not cheap), take a ride up to the Anan Bear Observatory ( met a couple that went three consecutive days in a row at $290 per person per trip) here you will see large number of grizzly and black bears trying to catch some of the 5,000 salmon that are heading to their spawning grounds that pass this point daily. The LeConte glacier and the icebergs it sheds are an amazing site to see. Wrangell has a real wonderful museum and is well worth the time to go thru, also several totems in parks around town. The Skikine Inn is the 'fancy' hotel in town and has both a good restraunt that servers 'Alaska sized portions' and coffee stand.   

So despite the rain and being wet a good deal, and those blood sucks no-seeum's which were abundant, Alaska is a magical place to paddle this was a wonderful trip and which I'd do  again.