Fog, Puffins & Questionable Hiking Decisions: One More Adventure Before A Break

If there is one word to describe this week in Southeast Alaska, it would have to be fog.

Foggy mornings, foggy afternoons, fog hanging around the mountains, and clouds that seemed determined to put on a spectacular show every single day. And while the weather was a little dreary at times, I honestly can’t complain. The clouds draped across the mountains in such incredible ways that everywhere you looked felt almost otherworldly.

There was plenty of mist and drizzle throughout the week, but the upside was that it kept the temperatures comfortable and, perhaps most importantly, kept the bugs under control. I’ll happily trade a little drizzle for fewer mosquitoes!

Five Miles of Kayaking and One Very Early Morning

This week brought some fantastic kayaking opportunities, starting in Kalinin, followed by the always beautiful paddle in front of Lamplugh Glacier. But the real highlight was my first Long Drop kayak in Lisianski Inlet.

And it was SO much fun.

Myself and fellow guide Kali were joined by 24 adventurous guests, which meant an early start. We were up and off the boat, paddles in hand, and ready to go by 7:00 a.m.

Now, 7:00 a.m. might not sound particularly early—unless you're on vacation.

But everyone was a trooper.

We launched our kayaks and started paddling down the inlet toward the back of the bay, where our boat was waiting for us with lunch. It was such a fantastic way to experience Lisianski Inlet. Instead of simply cruising through the landscape, we got to slowly paddle our way through it, taking in the mountains, waterfalls, shoreline, and all the incredible intertidal life along the way.

The early morning fog made the whole experience even more magical. Sunlight filtered through the mist, creating these incredible beams of light across the water. Waterfalls echoed from across the bay, and every so often we caught little glimpses of the surrounding landscape—including the small community of Pelican.

It was one of those mornings where you find yourself thinking, “How exactly did this become my job?”

I’m not sure how you make a five-mile kayak much better than that.

Orcas Are Back!

We also had some fantastic wildlife encounters this week.

One of the biggest highlights was finding a nice-sized pod of orcas.

It had been a while since I’d gotten to spend any real time with them, so it was especially exciting to see them again. They even treated us to a beautiful close pass, traveling right alongside the boat from stern to bow.

There is something about seeing orcas that never gets old. You can spend years working around wildlife and still find yourself completely captivated when those dorsal fins appear on the horizon.

Puffin Hunting in Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay also delivered this week with a little puffin treasure hunt.

The Tufted Puffins were everywhere, as usual, but we were determined to find their slightly less common cousins—the Horned Puffins.

And guess who found them?

Yep.

Me.

I'm not saying there was a competition among the guides...

…but if there was a competition, I won.

We managed to find a pair of Horned Puffins, which was a great addition to an already fantastic week of wildlife sightings.

George Island, World War II History & Sea Lion Chaos

Even with the fog and drizzle, we still managed to make it out to George Island and the Inians, which is always a fun combination.

George Island is one of those places that gives guests a completely different experience from the rest of the itinerary. The hike out to the gun is a fantastic way to stretch your legs without having to crawl over, under, and around fallen trees—which, as anyone who has bushwhacked in Southeast Alaska knows, is a luxury!

The island also provides a fascinating opportunity to talk about Southeast Alaska's World War II history. After spending much of the week talking about wildlife, glaciers, geology, and marine ecosystems, getting to dive into a completely different piece of Alaska's story is something guests really enjoy.

Then it was off to the Inians.

The currents and wind around Sea Lion Rock were doing their best to keep things interesting, but nothing too dramatic. The sea lions were hanging out on the seaward side of the rock, which was a little unusual, but we still managed to get some excellent looks.

And the sea otters?

They were everywhere.

If anyone had somehow made it through the week without seeing an otter, they certainly weren't leaving the Inians without one. We had plenty of opportunities to watch these adorable little marine mammals floating, grooming, and generally being ridiculously cute.

The Takatz Bushwhack Reputation

One of the funniest things about this week was hearing guests compare their bushwhack experiences with different guides.

Apparently, my bushwhack at Takatz has developed something of a reputation.

Takatz is one of my favorite bushwhacks. The basic strategy is simple:

Go straight up.

Then we find a few muskegs to wander through, eventually make our way back toward the boat through a steep ravine filled with boulders, and finally reach the shoreline where the skiff picks us up.

Oh—and there is a rather large rock at the end that you basically have to slide down onto the skiff from.

It is, in my opinion, an absolute blast.

Apparently, the guests agree.

Throughout the week, guests who had gone out with me on the Takatz bushwhack would later go out with another guide and start comparing notes.

Things like:

"Erica would never make us do this!"

Or:

"This isn't nearly as hard as Erica's hike."

Or:

"Erica's was WAY harder."

At some point, the other guides started wondering what exactly I had been doing to these people.

The funniest part?

Only nine guests actually did the Takatz bushwhack with me.

Apparently, nine was enough to establish a reputation.

I'll take that as a compliment.

One More Round Before a Break

And now, somehow, we're already approaching the end of another rotation.

We have one more trip from Juneau to Sitka before I get a very well-earned three-week break.

It is hard to believe how quickly the season has gone. It feels like we just started, and now we're already watching the first real signs of the changing season. The days are getting shorter, the vegetation is beginning to shift, and there are little reminders everywhere that winter is waiting patiently in the wings.

But we're not done yet.

There is still one more trip, one more group of guests, and one more opportunity to see what Southeast Alaska decides to throw our way.

Maybe we'll get sunshine.

Maybe we'll get rain.

Maybe we'll get fog.

Hopefully we'll get some whales, bears, puffins, orcas, and a few more unexpected surprises along the way.

Because after another season of exploring Southeast Alaska, I've learned one thing for certain:

You can make a plan in Alaska, but Alaska always gets to decide what actually happens.