First Day Off June 13th

I let Jack sleep in until 9 am so that "he wouldn't waste his downtime". Our boss Bob stopped by the site to chat for a while. Jack and I are planning to canoe to the Garnet Ledge cabin located at the mouth of the Stikine river next week. Bob offered us his dry suits for the channel crossing and gave me some advice on our route, the timing of the tides, and possible water conditions. He's kayaked these waters for years and I trust his judgement.

After a breakfast of mountain goat sausage and French, I mean Freedom, toast, we headed over to check on our favorite local K-9 and her house. Jack got caught up on his electronic addiction and I did a load of laundry. While the clothes spun, I took Bob's kayak for a spin along the shore and then out to an island that sits about a quarter mile or so out into the strait. Bob told me that a black bear lives on the island although I saw no sign of it.

The weather was picture perfect again. with sunny skies and temps in the 70's. I went for a run before coming back to the house to fold laundry.

Jack and I then headed to town to pick up a king salmon stamp for my fishing license as our boss offered to take us fishing.

Even though there wasn't even the slightest breeze, the water just outside of Wrangell began to have some chop. As we approached Clarence strait, we were hitting rollers in excess of three feet. You fish for king salmon with herring and a heavy finned weight that clamps onto the line with what looks to be a plastic clothes pin. The weight keeps your lure at the appropriate depth and a lines fish will pull the line from the pin, allowing you to retrieve it free from the weight.

The waves made the fishing tough - it was tough enough just to stand. Jack was more than a little concerned that we were going to sink and Bob did a good job of convincing him that we'd make it. Although we didn't catch a thing, we saw porpoises and one of the most spectacular sunsets of the summer, not to mention the white knuckle ride back to harbor.