Exploring Baronof Island

Sitka Marina

After seeing off future parents Patrick and Natalie, we left Sitka to start our gradual journey back to Ketchikan and eventually home. We took a more westerly route back to Peril Strait and cruised through Krestof Sound and went by the very pretty Magoun Island. It was too early to stop for the day, so we went on to Piper Island in Fish Bay. We were lucky to snag the NFS buoy in front of the Forest Service A-frame cabin with a lovely sandy beach. It was a great place to go ashore with Katie and since no one was using the cabin, we took a peek inside. (The cabins are not locked.) Katie seemed quite happy to be in a “house” again.

We got to sleep in a bit the next morning while waiting for slack current to go through Sergius Narrows. We were glad to get through before the high-speed Alaska Marine catamaran ferryboat came through this narrow gap in Peril Strait. We met her later in a much wider spot. Our spot for the night was Appleton Cove where we had stayed on the trip west. Roxie on Xanadu baked a rhubarb pie for our dessert. Marvelous! We have been taking turns doing dinners which has been wonderful. It’s like going out to eat every other night. We all agree that we are eating very well on this trip.

Grizzly and cub in bay near Sitka

We picked up our crab pot on the way out of Appleton Cove the next morning and had our best haul ever—eight crabs! Five of them were female and went back in the bay, but there were three good keepers that made tasty crab omelet’s that night. We again headed west in Peril Strait and turned the corner south into the huge and sometimes harrowing Chatham Strait. Today it was wonderfully calm. This side of Baronof Island has higher and more precipitous mountains with snow often down to the water thus creating beautiful waterfalls in the summer. We stopped and looked at one that was at least 300 or 400 feet tall. Shortly after, we stopped for the night in Takatz Bay, a granite basin with green glacier melt water in which to anchor.

Waterfall on west side of Baronof Island

Tomorrow we head for Warm Springs Bay and its natural hot springs. We are very ready for the “spa” experience!

Signing out,

Susan, Rod, and Katie