July 28th
Today we were determined to catch a fish. We took the dinghy
out in the morning but it was just too rough out there. We saw plenty of salmon
leaping out of the water all around us but none were interested in the snack we were providing. We
made a trip to the grocery store before we headed back out that afternoon. It
was definitely calmer, and we decided to troll our lines with herring bait. All
we got were bites from the annoying black flies.
A four-story catamaran was docked behind us when we returned. A gaggle of folks passed by our boat on their way to a historical tour by one of the volunteer librarians. When they returned several leaped into the cold water and splashed around or went kayaking. I was so impressed with the hard working crew trying to keep everyone happy. There were lots of young cruisers who looked like a real party group.
July 29th
Our boat neighbor, Jeff from Chattanooga, Tennessee, brought
over the keys to the rental truck and shared with us the sites that he and his
wife enjoyed on the island. We took off on the well maintained highway the next morning and were greeted with a wave by every passing driver. We definitely saw more deer than cars. We were struck
by the lack of litter and graffiti along the way.
Our first stop was an interpretive trail near the El Capitan Cave. We didn’t have reservations to tour the cave (they only take 6 people at a time) but one of the boaters took the tour earlier this week and realized that JK Rowling was on the tour, as well! The trail was well maintained with a wooded deck path overlooking a watershed, sink holes and waterfall, while weaving its way through a lush Alaskan rainforest.
We visited six small towns on the island and each one had a
school, library and dock…in a variety of sizes and conditions but, I for one,
was impressed that libraries were such a priority in these small communities. We were taken by surprise to find a rather
large High School in Craig which looked like a new campus, beautifully
designed. We just didn’t expect such an extensive facility on a small Alaskan
island.
There are still signs of a logging industry but chartered
fishing and fishing lodges and rental cabins seem to be the biggest contributors
to the economy. We found a totem park in Klawock just above the school. The
poles we admired were replicas of original totem poles from a near-by native winter
village.
The only section of the highway that followed along the
coast was a section leading to Craig and it was breathtaking. Craig is the
leading business center on the island and is the most populous.
Theresa, who owns a B&B in Thorne Bay and who rented us
the car, had recommended that we have dinner at the Fireweed Lodge and when we
called for reservations, the only table available was the “cribbage table” in
the lobby. We took it. Fireweed Lodge is a fishing lodge and
one of the owners shared with us that so far this season, the fishing had not been all that good. (tell me about it).
Once seated,
we were joined by two of the resident dogs who were grateful for a pet. The
meal was not only delicious but reasonably priced (David was very surprised
when he looked at the bill). The owners are in the process of handing the
business over to the youngsters and were looking forward to do some traveling. The Fireweed is a cozy and inviting lodge and the staff certainly made us feel right at home.
Thought I would mention that on the main road in Thorne Bay there is a unique welcome sign housed in “The Claw” which is the world’s largest log-handling grapple. Another claim to fame is an extraordinary 5,360 year old spruce root basket, “The Thorne River Basket” which was found in the estuary of the Thorne River in 1998. It is exhibited in Juneau at the Alaska State Museum. One thing might have made the stay even better....catching a fish! But we sure did have fun trying.
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