5/27/13 It’s been only a couple days since we left Ketchikan but we have seen a bunch and have had a great time. We cruised up to Carp Island upon leaving Ketchikan and had a very pleasant and secure anchorage stern tied to the island. A small fishing boat was there, turned out they were a couple hunters who were stalking a big Brown bear at the head of the inlet. Were hoping to get him in the next day or so. We took No Debt to the end, Steve and Michelle borrowed our inflatable and we took a 20-mile tour to the end of the two large bays. They were nice but nothing compared to what was to come. Nat tried fishing, no luck. They had Dolphins following in their bow wake but we never saw them. Tried crabbing no luck. Did not put down a shrimp pot everything too deep. Fascinating rock formation called Eddington Rock in the middle of the channel just outside of the Punch bowl. It is a 100 or so feet high old volcanic core that rises from 1000 feet from the sea floor. The cinder cone has long ago washed away and all that remains is the tree-covered pinnacle, like something out of the movie Avatar. 5/28/13 Punch Bowl was one of the highlights so far. Chris and I took off in No Debt to tour the huge fjord. It has rock cliffs soaring 3000 feet straight up with waterfall after waterfall cascading down to the water. It's a long multi fingered Fjord. Nat and Glen decided to hike the steep and slippery trail to the lake while we toured by Dinghy, from all reports we made a good decision although they had a great time. We were checking out a pretty green glade with a river mouth when Sophie went nuts, barking and snarling so we knew she had smelled something and sure enough there was a large beautiful black bear right by the waters edge eating fresh grass shoots. He seemed to not be the least concerned about us even though we were floating just 20 feet away. We watched for a good 30 minutes taking video and photos and trying to keep Sophie quiet Look carefully to see the plane. The entire Fjord is amazing, every turn revealed new vistas and amazing waterfalls. It is a very popular place for cruise ship tours. Seaplanes were flying in and landing every few minutes and they would set down and let the passengers get out onto the floats to take photos. The fjord is so large that the planes were really not any kind of distraction from the beauty of the place. That evening we had a spectacular thunder and lightening storm with just a little rain, Nat and Glen got back from their hike just as the rain began. 5/We headed north and made a 12-mile detour into Walker Bay, which is another incredibly beautiful Fjord of similar nature. When we came out the wind had picked up a bit and it clouded over for a bit of a weather change. We had following seas of about 2 to 3 feet that made for a bit of steering but the boat did fine. Nat managed to get his tow-rope caught up in his rudder while nosing into a water fall, minor screw up # 2. His first was hitting the overboard pump for his holding tank while we were anchored a few nights ago. Oops, that was quite a smelly mess for those around him . 5/29/13 Anchored in Klu Bay last night, end of Shrimp Bay. Very secure anchorage. Lots of logging activity from the past but all the clear cuts are filled in and its very pretty now. Double bear sighting at the head of the bay, once again got to within 20 yards of one for a great photo op before he wandered off into the woods after giving us the evil eye. The other took off long before we got close. Took a hike up to a nearby lake on a typical muddy and steep forest service Alaskan trail. There is a cabin at the lake that is well maintained and the lake was very pretty. We were the first people to visit the cabin since last August and they were fly in fishermen, so the trail does not get much use. Found a boat and rowed back to the head of the lake with the ladies and cut off about a mile of muddy hiking for them on the return trip. Lots of fresh bear sign on the trail, paw prints and fresh dug up skunk cabbage roots. Sophie was using here nose a lot so the scent was fairly fresh and strong. Carried the shotgun but never saw a bear while hiking. Our bear sightings came later that afternoon when we got back to the boats. Lots of shrimp, I pulled about a hundred in three pulls. Others were getting a dozen at a time. But everyone else got crab I got none. Go figure, same spot same bait just different traps. Same with shrimping, all within 100 yards and I pull full ones and they pull one or two? Anchored in Naha Bay tonight. Glen and I were here in 2008 and liked it. We are all rafted together in the outflow stream from Roosevelt Lagoon. Keeps us pointed upstream, no swing. My anchor is in 6 feet of water, I am in 30. Hiked the boardwalk for about 2 miles before Chris had to turn around. Much nicer hike that the last two. Steve, Michelle, Glen and Liz went all the way to the Church Camp and bear viewing area. We got back and could get into the lagoon as the tide was high enough to allow passage across the outlet. Went and picked up Liz, the rest finished the hike out. Liz and I spotted a bear just 100 feet up stream from the dock where we were to pick up the hikers and we scared it up the hill right onto the trail. Had to be real close cause the came out to the dock within 2 minutes of the bear sighting. They said there was real fresh bear scat and bear tracks on the trail. Yep 2 minutes old fresh. Finally we have dismal gray sky and rain.