2012 July 6-20 Alaska Land and Cruise Adventure Review with LOTS of photos!

[WalleyeLJ]

Finally, the last set of whale photos from the day.

 

 

 

Mom & a little one

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tails, Backs, and Spouts...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There goes Flame - one last time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last one - it's a four pack!

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

On the way back in, Jay took us by his home on the SW end of Shelter Island. It must be nice to not only wave to the family while you work, but to see all those whales right from your living room! If you look close, you can see the family waving to us as we go by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

People have to do things a little differently in Alaska - check out the excavator in the front of the Landing Craft, which is also a hauler/tow truck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset over Auke Bay...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capt Jayleen and the crew on the Haarvendam!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whale watching isn't the only thing to do in Juneau - fishing is always an option!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bev & I with Captain Jay!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jay doesn't do as many trips anymore due to the wide range of other things, including green energy solutions in the Juneau area, but he was a terrific guide and a wealth of knowledge! He even thanked me for being so easygoing and said he would love to have us back anytime. Apparently "serious" photographers can sometimes get demanding or frustrated with not pushing in on the whales more aggressively. I appreciate the fact that H&M's organization still works to follow the rules regarding approaching marine mammals as they do and that they don't push the limits in an effort to placate visitors that maybe don't fully understand the rules of conduct and/or the reason behind them. If they receive too much pressure, it may end up badly for the whales and maybe even the people (note several humpback whale breaches REALLY close to boats and people online in the last two months) In short - both trips were a pleasure and we can't to go back! Harv & Marv was again top notch, from booking with Callie, altering our reservation schedule along the way, both shuttle rides, and the two trips themselves!

 

Well, that finally beings our LONG but FANTASTIC day in Juneau to a close. This was the one night we didn't have dinner with my parents as they had eaten earlier. We were so tired that I don't remember what we had or if we even made it to the show. We were getting up early the next day in Skagway to take our one shot at finding a wall hanger King Salmon!

 

Tomorrow night we're off to see Brad Paisley in concert, so I'll either post REALLY late, or I'll have to make up ground on Saturday!

 

 

L.J.

[knukruzer]

BEAUTIFUL WHALE PICS!!!

 

love them all, the ones with the mountains in the back ground are especially beautiful. great job and thanks again for sharing.

 

enjoy the concert you two!

[am-mc]

LJ - you are amazing. I have always been a nature lover and whale/dolphin lover the most - and when we had the chance to go whale watching in Hawaii - we had people get mad that they couldnt get closer to the whales - they didnt know that some of those marking on the animals are from boats - they just dont understand. People dont get it - these are wild animals - they arent tame - we are in their world - we have to respect them. If you dont do that - these animals wont be around - either by choice or not - for others to enjoy. Ok will get off my soap box now.

 

Thank you so much for your review - I have enjoyed it so much and look forward to more. You have been the most informative of all I have read.

[WalleyeLJ]

Well, I was going to have a lot more posting done today, but Photobucket wasn't letting me upload photos all morning, so I'm getting a late start. So, without further ado - lets fish naked!

 

We awoke to a mostly cloudy day with a decent wind blowing up the Lynn Canal. We were off the ship first thing, making our way down the Railroad Dock to the small boat harbor to meet up with Capt Joe and Fat Salmon Charters for our quest to find Alaskan Kings!

 

 

 

Small Boat Harbor Entrance

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close Up of the Small Boat Harbor Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

A First Look at our boat for the day - "Badly Bent"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capt Joe said if he had a nickel for every photos folks took of the subtitle, he'd be able to retire...

 

 

 

 

 

 

A shot of our Captain, guide and chief storyteller for the day...Capt Joe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was booking our other fishing trips for the week, I had more than one company tell me that booking a fishing trip for Kings in Skagway was a risky proposition at best. I won't tell you what some of the others said... Schedule wise, it was the only chance we had to fish for them, so I had my fingers crossed that the VERY small charter fishing fleet in Skagway was mighty (and good/lucky). So, all aboard - here we go!

 

 

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

BEAUTIFUL WHALE PICS!!!

 

love them all, the ones with the mountains in the back ground are especially beautiful. great job and thanks again for sharing.

 

enjoy the concert you two!

 

Thanks knu!

 

It was a great show - The Band Perry opened (we missed Scotty McCreary), and Brad Paisley played for 1:45! I know that fish aren't as cool as whales, but that's what's next up in the wildlife cue (and maybe a couple more surprises!).

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

People dont get it - these are wild animals - they arent tame - we are in their world - we have to respect them. If you dont do that - these animals wont be around - either by choice or not - for others to enjoy. quote]

 

I agree! Most people are good about such things, but those who aren't amaze me. Here's to the moments of serendipity that we encounter - on vacation - and everywhere in life. It makes those moments more special than just dialing them up at will. (My moment of Zen for the evening...:p:D)

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

While it never rained on us, it seemed like it just might at any moment - at least at the start of the day. At the same time, the weather looked great further down the Lynn Canal - where the front change was coming from - along with a projection for winds up to 35mph!

 

 

 

The Mountains above Skagway

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brighter day down the Lynn Canal

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had three cruise ships in port that day - HAL's Amsterdam, and RCI's Rhapsody as well as Radiance

 

 

 

Amsterdam at the Broadway Dock

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhapsody & Radiance

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Full Body Shot of Radiance

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of our downrigger rods, ready for a hungry salmon to strike, with Radiance in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the great things about fishing in Skagway is the fact that we literally fished next to Radiance. While we did run south a bit to start our first troll, the reality is that since Skagway is at the end of the Lynn Canal, and the fish are coming to run up the river that runs alongside the Ore Dock, it only takes a few minutes to start fishing instead 30 minutes to several hours like some ports. But with tough winds and a poor (outside Skagway) reputation, would we even catch anything???

 

 

Stay tuned tomorrow to find out!!!

 

 

 

L.J.

Edited September 16, 2012 by WalleyeLJ

[sue402001]

Tomorrow night we're off to see Brad Paisley in concert, so I'll either post REALLY late, or I'll have to make up ground on Saturday!

L.J.

 

I'm jealous, I just love seeing Brad in concert! Take any pictures? :D

 

You are so lucky to have 2 great trips with Harv & Marv. I just sent a email to Callie asking about a tour next August.

[WalleyeLJ]

We were reading a ton of fish on the depth finder, but the first couple three hours was slow - as in the boat was slowly trolling, and we had no fish. Finally a little before lunch time, things took a turn and the fish turned on.

 

One of my Dad's lifelong dreams as a fisherman was to go to Alaska and catch a King Salmon, the biggest of the salmon species. The world line record King salmon is 97.4 pounds, and was caught on the world famous Kenai River. While my Dad didn't expect to catch a new world record, he was hoping to catch a wall hanger...

 

 

 

My Dad's Mighty Record King Salmon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capt Joe showing us how to determine by examining the adipose fin if my Dad's King was a wild or hatchery raised. It turns out that while it was probably the smallest King salmon he's ever caught, but it was his first and only WILD King salmon, so at least it WAS a record!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the fortune to hook into a King myself, and after a nice long tussle, we boarded my fish. Just a BIT bigger than Dad's...

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Dad had talked a lot of smack about how he was going to catch the biggest and most fish - like he usually does (both the trash talking and the catching). I've learned to try and not get baited because it only gets worse. On the other hand, this was Bev's first time fishing with my Dad, and she good naturedly gave it back as good as he was giving it all week, telling him that she was going to out fish him.

 

We each ended up with one King salmon each. So...who came out on top? (Warning - graphic content below)

 

 

 

Bev's little guy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up close and personal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Bev's King weighed 25 lbs, and Dad's weighed about 2 lbs (mine was around 15 lbs), so the clear winner after Day 1 of the 2012 Weslowski Family Open was Bev! While the fishing story for the day is a wrap, there are several good stories from Capt Joe to relay, and some more photos of the area. Stay tuned for more updates during the week!

 

 

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

I'm jealous, I just love seeing Brad in concert! Take any pictures? :D

 

You are so lucky to have 2 great trips with Harv & Marv. I just sent a email to Callie asking about a tour next August.

 

LOL - no! Wouldn't you know it as we had the best seats for a concert in 10 years and me with no camera...

 

Good luck with H&M!

 

L.J.

[patwell]

Without a doubt this is the most outstanding review I've read on this site! Fantastic! And your photos bring the whole Alaska experience to life in such a wonderful way. I feel like I"m back there enjoying the incredible beauty of that fabulous state.

 

I have just read all the way through from start to finish. I was totally blown away by your bear encounters. Phew...I thought I was close last year when a momma black bear and her triplets came right up to our van....but I was INSIDE the van!! I could have petted her from the window if I had no further use for that arm, but your shots of both experiences is mind boggling!

 

We too enjoyed HArv and Marv's wonderful whale watch trip. I'd never do it any other way but to use them. They were professional, personable and got you to the whales fast. We only had 6 of us on one of their larger boats and it was grand. Simply breathtaking to see and hear those incredible creatures so close. Highly recommend using this company!

 

We loved Alaska.....every American owes it to themselves to see this majestic state and not just from the rail of a cruise ship. We loved our cruise past Hubbard and especially our exceptional day in Glacier Bay but I'd never go back with out doing another land trip again. Denali was unforgettable as was the Alaskan railroad. But to do a trip as you did has to be a once in a lifetime memory.

 

Thank you for taking so much time to share your experiences with those of us who wish we were there again. We'll go back for sure and will look into some of what you have done on your trip next time, so thank you for such great information.

 

Cheers, Penny

 

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water” Rabindranath Tagore

 

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec. 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 16,2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 9, 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 30, 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 7, 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 7, 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 14, 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 22, 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2,2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1544173

2012...Assorted land trips in my own stunning country

Oct 2012....OBX

2012...Booked on the lovely Noordam again

 

Several North Atlantic crossings from childhood thru college on ships of the old Norwegian America line and Swedish America Line...RIP to those marvelous old ships

[sue402001]

Bev's little guy...

Up close and personal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Bev's King weighed 25 lbs, and Dad's weighed about 2 lbs (mine was around 15 lbs), so the clear winner after Day 1 of the 2012 Weslowski Family Open was Bev! While the fishing story for the day is a wrap, there are several good stories from Capt Joe to relay, and some more photos of the area. Stay tuned for more updates during the week!

 

 

 

L.J.

Way to go Bev!!!!!!!!!:eek:

[DizzyDallasDi]

My Dad's Mighty Record King Salmon!

 

 

 

 

I literally LOL'd at this picture. Ya gotta hand it to the man, at least he could force a smile. :D

[WalleyeLJ]

Sorry I'm guessing no one saw the caption earlier that said we were "Fishing Naked" in Skagway. Obviously WE weren't fishing naked - but our bait was! We were trolling for the Kings, and often you use a variety of artificial lures and various types of attractors (sound and/or flash) as bait. That what Dad & I use when we fish for Kings ion Lake Ontario. While we did try a few lures, none of them worked. All our fish came on what started as live bait, fished without anything else on a two hook rig run off the downriggers, which allow for controlled depth fishing. IN addition to the three fish we did catch, we missed 4 others. As you can see below, it might be better for the bait if the fish just succeeded in stripping the bait off the hooks!

 

 

 

It's NOT alive!!!!

(aka You should see the OTHER guy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple more shots of the cruise ships in port, and a couple additional landscapes

 

 

 

Fishing the Lynn Canal...

 

 

 

 

 

 

More wind, more clouds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Radiance and Amsterdam

 

 

 

 

 

 

The RCI family - fishing off Radiance & Rhapsody

 

 

 

 

 

 

We weren't the only one chasing th salmon that day - this guy got in on the action too!

 

 

 

 

 

The wind was a constant pain all day, especially when it blew into the cabin when we were going down wind. The other issue was that while I liked the Badly Bent, the gunwales/side deck of the boat was very short, so you had to take greater care than usual to ensure you didn't stumble or slip and go overboard. Capt Joe told us about a local man that a week or two before was out fishing with his daughter when they got some crab pot lines caught in the prop. They were dead in the water, so he went to try and work on the jam, without floatation protection. He ended up in the water and between the weight of all his clothing and the freezing cold water, was quickly overcome while his 21 year old daughter frantically tried to get the boat going and back around to save him. Unfortunately he was gone and had not been seen since. Given that the water not far from shore was 1,300+ feet deep, odds are they never will. They had just had a memorial service for him a few days prior. It was a sobering moment in an otherwise carefree and fun day, but an important reminder - again - of just how life can turn on a dime, especially in Alaska.

 

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

Without a doubt this is the most outstanding review I've read on this site! Fantastic! And your photos bring the whole Alaska experience to life in such a wonderful way. I feel like I"m back there enjoying the incredible beauty of that fabulous state.

 

I have just read all the way through from start to finish. I was totally blown away by your bear encounters. Phew...I thought I was close last year when a momma black bear and her triplets came right up to our van....but I was INSIDE the van!! I could have petted her from the window if I had no further use for that arm, but your shots of both experiences is mind boggling!

 

We too enjoyed HArv and Marv's wonderful whale watch trip. I'd never do it any other way but to use them. They were professional, personable and got you to the whales fast. We only had 6 of us on one of their larger boats and it was grand. Simply breathtaking to see and hear those incredible creatures so close. Highly recommend using this company!

 

We loved Alaska.....every American owes it to themselves to see this majestic state and not just from the rail of a cruise ship. We loved our cruise past Hubbard and especially our exceptional day in Glacier Bay but I'd never go back with out doing another land trip again. Denali was unforgettable as was the Alaskan railroad. But to do a trip as you did has to be a once in a lifetime memory.

 

Thank you for taking so much time to share your experiences with those of us who wish we were there again. We'll go back for sure and will look into some of what you have done on your trip next time, so thank you for such great information.

 

Cheers, Penny

 

 

Penny thanks so much for taking the time to plow through this lengthy account of our trip:)! You may have been in the vehicle, but you still got closer! Plus - triplets - that must have been awesome! I've seen photos of 3 or 4 black bera cubs in Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but none in person. You were very lucky!

 

We haven't been to Glacier Bay yet, but we did ride the ARR and toured Denali on our own on our first trip to Alaska in 2009. I didn't post a review of that trip, but prior to this one I did a photo countdown thread until we left on the trip in July (it got moved to the Photo Forum).

 

While we'll hopefully cruise Alaksa (and Glacier Bay) in the future, I think the next trip there will be primarily land based. But, you never know...! If you have any suggestions or experiences you like to share yourself, that would be great. I can recommend doing an all day kayak trip into Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park. Some of the photos I took on that excursion are in the 2012 Seward Visitors Guide!

 

 

L.J

[WalleyeLJ]

Way to go Bev!!!!!!!!!:eek:

 

She played him like a pro:D, which was cool considering she really hadn't fished like this at all before!

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

I literally LOL'd at this picture. Ya gotta hand it to the man, at least he could force a smile. :D

 

LOL - at least he did there. He hardly spoke the remainder of the day. It wasn't until our Icy Stright Point adventure that he came out of his funk...:eek:;):rolleyes::D

[KruisinKath]

Actually, I meant to post how disappointed (or is it relieved?) that there were no naked shots after your brazen title....I must have been tired that day, as I usually don't pass up the opportunity to be a smart a**...

 

:D

[mommybearx2]

I too saw the "Naked Fishing" post and figured you were trying to "bait" us and it was still to come. Thanks again for your very thorough review. You have quite the following. And Bev's smile with her big fish was priceless.

[WalleyeLJ]

Actually, I meant to post how disappointed (or is it relieved?) that there were no naked shots after your brazen title....I must have been tired that day, as I usually don't pass up the opportunity to be a smart a**...

 

:D

 

LOLOL - I'd vote for relieved! Sorry for slacking this week - tons of day job work, and I've been sick since Sunday. Hopefully I make some headway towards the finish line this weekend!

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

I too saw the "Naked Fishing" post and figured you were trying to "bait" us and it was still to come. Thanks again for your very thorough review. You have quite the following. And Bev's smile with her big fish was priceless.

 

Thanks mommybear! More smiles and more fish to come - along with more ship shots!

 

L.J.

[DizzyDallasDi]

I'm waiting with "baited" breath for the rest of the story. :)

[x2tpd]

I am so sorry I dont have time to read it all but was wondering what camera you used for these photos? I am sure someone asked already as they are AMAZING.

[WalleyeLJ]

I am so sorry I dont have time to read it all but was wondering what camera you used for these photos? I am sure someone asked already as they are AMAZING.

 

 

LOL - I totally understand. Most of the photos were taken with a Canon 7D DSLR, and either a Canon 17-40mm f/4 (wide shots), Canon 70-200mm IS f/2.8, or a Sigma 150-500mm OS. The bear shots were split between the last two, most of the whales were taken with the 70-200. I hope that helps! If you have any other questions, please let me know.

 

L.J.