Life List:
Wild Alaska by boat
The lighting in Alaska is always stunning, whether it's rainy or sunny.
Epilogue
In Ketchikan, Vic drops us off at the airport dock and
watching him chug away without us just about brings tears to my eyes, I am so choked up. We wave goodbye and turn to walk up the pathway to the airport. The front of the airport is lined with large boxes and as we get closer, we realize they are addressed to the guests of the various fishing lodges and contain the bounty of successful fishing trips. The boxes are labeled with the contents: halibut and salmon; halibut; salmon; salmon and halibut.
After checking in, the woman tells us that since we are several hours early, it’s fine to go back outside and say our last goodbyes to Alaska. We wander out to some picnic tables that overlook the harbor and the seaplane docks. It is a beautiful, warm day—blue sky and mountains peek out of cottony clouds, the water is a deep blue-black.
The weather has been a bit of everything during our trip: rainy, sunny, foggy, overcast, in the 40s, in the high 60s.
We both take off our fleeces and bask in the warmth. The weather has been a bit of everything during our trip: rainy, sunny, foggy, overcast, in the 40s, in the high 60s. Most of the time it was in the low 60s and it was quite comfortable just wearing a T-shirt and fleece. In the evenings, we usually needed a light jacket. Our Gore-Tex shells proved to be the perfect choice because they are so versatile. As mentioned earlier, a spring-weight hat and gloves would have been useful on a few occasions. Our kayaking gloves would have been a good idea too, though we were fine without them. One thing we wish we had invested in is a good pair of tall rubber boots. Everyone seems to have a pair and they work perfectly on the boat, wandering along the shoreline, even while kayaking and hiking. We agree that we’ll remember those items next time we visit.
We can’t put it off any longer. We return to the airport to go through security. As we’re sitting in the gateway, the chatter of conversations surrounds us. Some are with fellow travelers or strangers sitting nearby, others are cell phone discussions with people back home. We can’t control our chuckles as we listen to people on their phones saying, “I’m in the airport in Ketchikan, Alaska. Just got back from a fishing trip. We caught halibut, coho salmon, silver salmon, king salmon. You name it, we caught it. We averaged eight pounds filleted. It was incredible.”
Scott observes, “There are no tans in Ketchikan.” Nope. Just a bunch of people invigorated by getting back to nature in one of the last unspoiled places on Earth.
And that is the story of Alaska.
First Day | Fiords, Glaciers and Icebergs | Secluded Coves
Steller Sea Lions | Bears, Bears and More Bears
Fishing Villages and Hot Springs | Harbor Seals
Rainforests, High-Alpine Lakes and Beaches
A Whale of a Tale | Epilogue | Your Turn: Charter a Yacht
Alaska Photo Galleries