Sailing Away!

Ferry ride out of Haines

We said goodbye to Haines on a sunny day. This was the first leg of the long ferry ride to Prince Rupert.  It was a 4 hour trip to Juneau where we planned on staying till we could catch the ferry a few days later that would take us the rest of the way.  It was a glorious beautiful evening and the sailing was very calm. I was hoping to see the stars while we were on the water. That did not work out, even thou it was dark when we arrived at the port in Juneau.  The owners of the RV park were expecting us and helped us get to the right spot and setup.  We had thought about staying at the nearby state park, glad we didn’t due to the darkness.  It was a challenge setting up even with the owners of the RV park directing us and shining headlights!  

Haines Ferry Boat

Juneau

Juneau is the capital of Alaska and interesting enough only accessible by boat or plane.  It is fair size city for Alaska.  It gets quite a bit of cruise ship activity and crowds at the popular tourist spots.  The next day we took the short drive to Mendenhall Glacier but did not stop. It was too crowded; we could not even find a parking spot! The RV park owners suggested taking the drive up the road on the ferry side of the town which follows the northern shoreline.  The cruise ship folks don’t go that far.  We stopped at the Shrine of  St. Theresa and enjoyed a scenic stroll around the beautiful grounds and then continued up the shoreline.  We watched a few sea otters playing along the shores and enjoyed the warm sunny day. Good thing, the next two days were overcast and raining. I took a few bike rides when the weather cleared a bit and Jack and I took a few drives around the town and up to the ski area. We went into downtown Juneau for my birthday and enjoyed a nice dinner on the wharf.  We walked around the area and visited some of the shops.  Oh and we even stopped one night at the Mendenhall Glacier when all the crowds were gone.  All in all, it was a pleasant stay in Juneau!

Sunday we laid low and rested up for the next leg of the ferry trip.  We left the RV park in the dead of night to catch the 3:30 AM sailing.  We asked why such an early sailing? They time the tides to allow safe passage through the “The Narrows”. Sounds ominous! The Biff was tucked safely in the belly of the beast, Wodi was resting soundly in the back of the truck.  It was time for us to hunker down in the cabin we booked.  No luxurious cruise cabin, just two bunks and a private bath.  We tried to get some sleep that first night but not successfully.

Tucked away in the belly of the Beast!

On the "poop" deck

Soon we were at the first port and time to walk  Mr. Wodi.  They do not allow free access to the cargo hold only at designated stops. He did well doing what he needed to do on the “poop” deck.  So if you have pets, be aware that a few stretches between ports are over 7 hours. We were incorrectly told that they allow access every four hours even if not in a port.  It was going to be a long 30 hours! The weather was cold ,wet and dreary.  My stress level over Wodi was rising with each stop. That first 7 hour stretch he did not make it and had an accident in the truck.  Highly unusual for him and I suspected he was not feeling well.   We were able to get permission for an escorted visit to the hold halfway through the next long stretch to let Wodi relieve himself.  Finally, we arrived in Prince Rupert on the morning of the 8^th.   Even thou it was a beautiful drive from Prince Rupert back to Smithers, I was too tired and stressed about Wodi to enjoy.  Neither of us were well rested and poor Jack had to drive! We arrived in Smithers and the  first order of business was getting Wodi to a veterinary!  I noticed blood in his urine.  Turns out he had a nasty bladder infection and stones.The vet pumped him up with antibiotics and tried to flush some of the stones.  I thought we might lose the little guy but he is tough and rallied.  We stayed a few days to let Wodi rest up but now we were in “Get Home Mode”.   We left Smithers on the 11^th  and started the long trek home.

The Wrangell Narrows