Experiencing Southeast Alaska

You Are Here:

Home >> Travel >> Alaska’s Secret Island Realm

Today's Question
Where should I camp in Switzerland with my kids? answer

What's the best volcano to hike up in North America? answer

How can I plan a trip around riding the biggest, fastest roller coasters? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

Outside Magazine April 2004

Page:

Destinations: Alaskan Archipelago
Alaska’s Secret Island Realm
Keep the GPS handy, fly rod at the ready, and don't forget your rubber boots

By Michael Roberts


	Buzzing the Big Empty: Flying over the remote Southeast (Robin Hood/Alaska Tourism Marketing Council)

UP UNTIL EARLY EVENING, when the oak tiller of our 32-foot sailboat, Antares, snapped off, leaving us adrift in the rock-studded seas of Imperial Passage, it had been a nearly perfect day. That morning, two old college buddies—Toby Koffman, 29, a marine technician and the owner of Antares, and Andrew Levine, 28, a law student—and I had awoken to a cloudless sky, a rare treasure in the usually sopping climes of southeast Alaska. Four days into a 12-day adventure, we had anchored in a sheltered bay on the west coast of Chichagof Island, surrounded on three sides by steep, densely forested slopes rising to 3,000-foot granite peaks.

Dipping Into the Panhandle

CLICK HERE for the five best ways to explore southeastern Alaska.

Browse and book dozens of other great Alaska adventures.

As we sat in the morning sun eating pancakes, thousands of salmon splashed across the bay toward the mouth of the Black River. We decided to follow them—first by dinghy, then on foot. Half an hour upstream, at a wide bend, we clambered 70 feet up an enormous Sitka spruce overlooking a gravel beach covered with grizzly tracks and salmon bones. After rigging safety harnesses and seats with lines from the boat, we sat up there for almost two hours, scoping for bears (they were apparently taking the day off) and watching bald eagles glide below us. On the hike downriver, I plucked two Dolly Varden from among the salmon herd, bagging them for dinner.

A strong breeze was coming off the ocean when we reached Antares, so we decided to take a chance. It had been a sublime day—what could go wrong? We donned storm gear, howling with glee at the anticipation of a ripping sail north to White Sulphur Springs, where we'd dine like warriors on fresh fish and have a hot soak.

Then Toby fell on the tiller. We'd left the bay and were barreling westward down the passage on the strength of 20-knot winds when Toby slipped and—crack!

A moment of stunned silence followed by recognition, followed by "Holy shit!"

"It's OK!" Toby hollered. "I should be able to use the sails to angle us past the rocks. We need to get offshore."

Offshore?!

"There's nothing to ram in the open ocean," he said.

Page:

•	Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!

•	Give the gift of Outside Magazine!

•	Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.