15 May, we departed Ward Lake in route to Harriet Hunt Lake which is only about 10 miles north of the city of Ketchikan, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We read they stock this lake with trout so we thought we would come up here and enjoy a dinner.
As we arrived at Harriett Hunt lake and we saw the turn out we were looking for next to a boat ramp, which is perfect for a boondocking spot. We are overlooking the lake, and the mountains to the north and east of us. Not too shabby.
Just 100 yards down the road where it dead ends, there is a public dock. A canoe adventure company takes cruise ship passengers on a canoe excursion and a jeep excursion here four times a day. There were about 20 cruise ship folks in a large canoes paddling around the lake in the rain and cold. There were about six jeeps waiting to take the wet canoers on a little adventure.
We spoke to the lady that was handing out lifejackets to her clients and asked her if she knew anything about the road going north from here up to the Boy Scout camp which is on the George Inlet.
She didn’t know anything about it which makes it perfect for us because that’s where we’re going.
So Ann Marie, Virgil and myself got our hooks wet, fishing off the docks of the boat ramp. Plus he tried wading out from shore as far as we could so water wouldn’t go into our wellies. None of us brought hip waders, so wellies is all we have.
Of course we’re fishing in the rain, I guess I don’t need to tell you that, as we are in the middle of a rain forest. There was a time in my life when I was fishing on the lake back in Georgia, and if it rained I wasn’t out there, a fair weather fisherman I guess, but we’re here in Alaska so we’re going to get them.
The next morning I woke up to the sound of silence. No pitter patter of raindrops on the camper roof and it was 5 AM. So I thought, coffee or fishing? I said to myself, even though it’s 40° let me go outside and catch some trout. After about 45 minutes Virgil joined me out there with his fishing rod and neither of us had any success .
The morning was partly cloudy, with the sun peaking through and no wind or rain. Virgil decided to bring his drone out and get some drone video of where we’re camping in this beautiful lake that we’re on.
So he fired up the drone and the drone immediately went in circles around him like it was trying to corral him for the kill . Virgil was dancing around in circles so the drone wouldn’t hit him. Finally he got control but then the drone just took off and went to his left and flew into a tree.
He retrieved the drone dusted it off put it back in flight. This time the drone flew about about 50 feet straight up and then all by itself it began to fly down the boat ramp toward me. Still climbing higher, then all of a sudden it took a sharp turn and just veered into the woods and we heard a loud “thunk”.
So Virgil replayed the last video that the drone displayed before it met it’s fateful match of a spruce tree in the middle of the woods. We retraced that steps and we scoured the forest floor and looked into the trees for quite some time.
After a while we realized it went from a rescue mission to a recovery mission but there were no pieces or parts to be found. RIP drone.
16 May – We leave here at Hunt lake at zero 9:30 in route to our next destination unknown, somewhere up North about 10 miles on a logging road. On Google Earth it looks like a logging camp right next to George’s inlet, but the map has it is id’ as a Boy Scout Camp.
We want to go there for a night do some fishing in the inlet and see what is there. The road is full of potholes and it turns into a one lane logging road for most of the way. It wound around on the side of a mountains up and down down into a valley next to the White River. Many waterfalls from the melting snow from above.
As we encountered oncoming vehicles on this path, which only happened two or three times, everyone stops and the smallest vehicle backs up until they can find a turn out. We were never the smallest and we were never going to back up. So it worked out for us.
After driving 10mph, it seemed like we had to be close to our destination. Then a pick up truck was approaching , he backs up a good ways to give us plenty a room as there is not much room on this road. As I approach the truck, I roll my window down and ask him where the heck are we? He said well, you’ve got one mile before you get to a locked gate and have to turn around. I said what do you mean, we just want to get a hook wet and spend the night somewhere. He said this is private property plus the bridge is out up ahead and they’ve been working on it for a while so this is the end of the road! Crap!
So we continue up to the gate so we can turn around and we stop to get out of the trucks. We’re looking down into the George inlet and across the valley and we see snowcapped mountains that are absolutely beautiful! It was a gorgeous site and would have been a perfect spot for us, but who knew? Some times you never know what is at the end of the road.
So we climb back onto the Bigfoot and Elkhorn and descend down this 10 mile, one lane, pot hole filled road. We will find somewhere else to go.
Surprise! We ended up going to Safeway to get some milk and essentials. Oh, what did they have on the shelves in the liquor store? Alaskan Amber beer, yes ! We are finally in the home of Alaskan Amber ! It is made in Juneau and one of my favorite all-time beers, so time to stock up.
We leave there and head south on the Tongass highway to go to Settlers Cove State Park. We stop at a few road side pull outs along the way to admire the views and walk through some wooded areas.
We arrived at the state park to find a few empty camp sites available, so this is where we are for the night.
Cell service is pretty much nonexistent here, unless one is in the right spot, so we get it when we can. In fact right now I am using text to speech in my Google email on the trail head overlooking the water watching a couple harbor seals not a bad place to be.
We will leave here today and probably go back to Ward Lake we still have some things we want to visit such as all the totem poles and such so that’s it for now
We board the Blue Canoe for our second voyage 20 May. We will be heading to Wrangell.