July 25 2007                                             

 

THE LAST DAY IN ALASKA

 

This is my last day in Alaska. As I sit dockside waiting for my halibut and chips, I contemplate the past two months in Elfin Cove, and Alaska in general.

 

As I have previously written, Alaska isn’t just a state; it is a state of mind. I guess I am not of the same mindset and will leave willingly. Sometimes a situation isn’t what you expect and ties need to be severed. The details are not important anymore, to me or to anyone else, so why relive them in text.

 

It wasn’t easy getting out of Elfin Cove; no planes had landed for several days due to fog and incessant rain. Thank goodness the weather cooperated so I managed to book a flight on a seaplane and off I went.

 

Our first stop was Pelican, a place I had visited just a few days before, a quick stopover to pick up a very large German shepherd and his owners.

 

Sitting in the front seat of the floatplane, next to the pilot, the window wide open to the breeze, we sailed high above the smooth, icy waters and green mountains, over long narrow waterfalls and snow capped peaks, a breathtaking adventure, to say the least.

 

As we flew over the Inside Passage I couldn’t help but sing to myself the words to an old Led Zeppelin song…..”Come to the land of the ice and snow, with the midnight sun and cold winds blow”, or something like that, I may have the lyrics wrong, but I think it is the “Immigrant Song” and very fitting.

 

It seemed like a lifetime since I first arrived in Juneau, back in May. Last time, the town was quiet and almost deserted. Tonight it is full of cruise ship tourists. There are at least five giant ships in the harbor and thousands of people roaming the street. Way too crowded for me, having been sequestered on the small isolated island of Elfin Cove.

 

Sitting solo, at my outside table, my halibut and chips arrive cold. The fish burnt and barely warm, the fries old and stale. I sent it back. My sons would have cringed at my action, they always hate it when I do that, but for $14.95 I am not going to eat poor quality food. Imagine my disappointment, especially since the halibut and chips is supposed to be the house specialty!

 

That’s what I get for dining outside, on the waterfront, at a tourist eatery. How strange that we ate here two months ago and I really enjoyed the coconut calamari. In fact, it was in remembering the tender, sweet calamari that drove me here once again. Alas, it was no longer on the menu so I settled for halibut and chips! Such a disappointment….don’t these people know I’m a chef?????? Sigh!

 

The weather is starting to change. It was actually sunny and warm earlier, but now I wear three layers of clothing as I do my best to enjoy the harbor and all of its chaos.

 

Elfin Cove and the lodge seem like a universe away.

 

As I have written before, “re-entry is a bitch”. No wonder I am a little agitated by everything at this moment. There is so much noise and hustle and bustle.

I haven’t seen a car in two months, let alone so many people. I remind myself that it always takes a few days to acclimate, so will mellow out and enjoy the ambiance as best I can..

 

I leave for Seattle tonight and begin yet another adventure into the unknown. My presence is expected in Wyoming August first. Until then, I will take a long holiday, visit family and friends and journey from Seattle to Phoenix before heading to the ranch.

 

Never a dull moment! Truthfully, I am anxious to thaw out and get into some sandals and shorts. I can’t wait for the hot sun to wash a glow over my pathetically pale body.

 

Finally my dinner arrives. This meal is a pathetic example of how restaurants deliberately over charge tourists in exchange for what would hope to be a memorable dining experience. When you pay $14.95 for fish and chips, don’t you think the place could at least include a cup of coleslaw? I mean, how much could a little shaved cabbage cost, anyway? As a chef, it is easy to become furious at being ripped off, but I pay my bill, leave a lousy tip (sorry!) and take off to catch a taxi back to the airport.

 

True to form, Alaska Airlines is running late. Finally I settle into my first class seat, drink vodka (something I rarely do) from a real glass and enjoy all the elbow and leg room a first class ticket provides. This is my virgin first class flight experience and I can’t help but wonder….will I ever be able to fly coach again?

 

Arriving in Seattle around 1:00 a.m., I catch another taxi and get to my mom’s house in the middle of the night, safely and no worse for the journey.

 

Alaska is a dream to me now and hard to imagine that I was walking around the cove earlier this morning. The memories are bittersweet, filled with loneliness and love, beauty and strange characters with a few whales thrown into the equation, just to make it interesting.

 

I know one thing for certain; I will return to Alaska one day, there are so many places yet to explore. Next time I will go as a tourist, take my time and breathe in the spectacular, breathtaking panoramas and wildlife, see it from another point of view. I owe it to myself to return with a different frame of mind so I can appreciate it all so much better than in the past and change my state of mind. But until then….

 

Wyoming, here I come! Yee Haw!

 

 

                   

 

                                   

The Celebrity and the Sea Lion

June 12, 2007

 

 

 

Elfin Cove is an extremely isolated village, no cars, buses or trains, in fact, there is a saying here that goes like this….

 

“Elfin Cove, a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem”!                     

 

Naturally, when a celebrity comes to town, everyone knows about it.

 

So just when I thought I had nothing to write about, along comes the actor, Kurt Russell and a great viewing of Sea Lions, not together mind you, but close enough to be included in the same story!

 

Kurt Russell is in our humble village this week, doing some fishing with his step son, Oliver Hudson. He was originally supposed to be booked at our lodge, but much to my dismay, schedule conflicts caused him to go to a neighboring lodge. Too bad for us.

 

However, that doesn’t mean we didn’t put out a good effort to see him. Once he stepped off the plane, the ladies of our lodge (all three of us) made a bee line for the boardwalk in hopes of getting a glimpse of the famous, well liked movie star.

 

Now those who know me can attest that I have met and prepared food for numerous celebrities and dignitaries during my illustrious career, it isn’t anything new. I have learned that there is a proper way of addressing them and what the protocol is when encountering a celebrity; i.e. never ask for a photo or autograph, don’t gush all over them, don’t be a pain in the ass around them, etc.. But there are opportunities to get close encounters with celebs, and I am very clever about finding ways to do just that.

 

Kurt Russell was no exception. My timing was perfect. We had walked down our steep pathway that connects to the main boardwalk just as his entourage was approaching. My co-workers went up ahead in hopes to get a view of him near the post office, but I had other plans.

 

Fortunately, one of our neighbors was walking in front of Kurt’s group, so I stopped to chat with her. As they came up behind me, I stopped, turned around to face them as if to let them pass, and then started to greet the people that were with Kurt. It consisted of several staff member that I know from the lodge where he is staying, so it wasn’t out of place to give a friendly greeting. Kurt was the last one in the group, and as he passed by me (literally inches from me); I smiled and naturally said hello, just as I had with all the others.

 

Ladies, this is where it gets good! The ruggedly handsome Kurt Russell, dressed in faded denim jeans, baseball cap and a stylish sweatshirt, looked straight into my eyes, smiled and asked how I was doing! He was so absolutely gorgeous and I was on a high the rest of the day. I mean, it was KURT RUSSELL!!!!

 

So now, for the next few days, we will be hearing about Kurt Russell sightings and I am certain everyone will be trying to out do the others for the best close encounter.

I really envy the staff at Eagle Charters where he is staying and I am very upset that he didn’t get to be with us. Sigh!

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the Sea Lion part of the story.

 

Last night we all went out for a ride around Cross Sound, looking for bears at the Saltchuck inlet. No bears where to be found, which didn’t surprise me because I have terrible luck with bear sightings (in fact I have yet to see a bear in the wild). So the best part of our journey was passing the Key Hole (see pics) and going to Sea Lion Rock.

 

 

At Sea Lion Rock the smell was almost unbearable as we rounded the citadel inhabited by this colony of strange sea mammals. It was exciting to see so you put up with the odor and the animals were so fascinating that you didn’t really care. I have seen Sea Lions at the zoo and on T.V. but never in their natural habitat. All I can say is….Wow!

                                

 

 

                                                           

 

 

We pulled right up next to the rock which is home to a whole colony of them including two or three bulls, several cows and lots of young babies. They splashed in the water, swam next to the boat and made lots of noise from the rocks. I took tons of photos but it was getting dark, not all of them turned out very well, but some did and are posted here for your enjoyment.

 

Let me know what you think! Until next time…………………………….

 

 

 

 

 

June 2, 2007

 

 

 

“Dinner and a Show”

 

Elfin Cove Lodge is blessed with what is referred to as “the million dollar view”. Our dining room has huge bay windows looking out over the cove, the Inside Passage and beyond. No other lodge around has such a prime location so we are all very fortunate to work here.

 

Where else can one dine looking out on such spectacular scenery? Gazing through the glass one can view Cross Sound all the way to Brady Glacier and the Fairweather Mountain Range. Good thing it stays light so late here, our guests are able to enjoy the view throughout their entire meal service.

Even better when the guests aren’t here because the staff gets to dine in front of the windows, watching the world unfold in all its splendor; and what splendor it is! Fortunately for us there are no guests at the lodge right now.

 

Tonight while eating our pasta we had quite an entertaining show.

 

Because today was crystal clear and so beautiful, sunny and almost warm, the view was perfect. Outside the windows, flocks of white seagulls circled above a school of herring that wiggled over the top of smooth, dark water.

 

Two Orca whales rolled around the water below us, splashing their large tails, diving and blowing mist for what seemed like hours. A mother and baby, perhaps, but we couldn’t tell for sure.

As the whales blew, the mist actually dissipated in slow motion, a very strange sight to see; tiny droplets of water hanging in mid air then ever so gently vaporizing into nothing.

 

 

Several bald eagles swooped and flew around the seagulls doing their best to snatch some of the herring. The less ambitious raptures waited their turn perched in the tall pines, knowing the herring would still be there as long as the whales remained in the cove. It was as if all of nature was dancing for our enjoyment, an evening of spectacular entertainment. No show in Vegas could ever top this!

 

With binoculars in hand, I watched the whole scene unfold in perfect harmony. Not even the fanciest restaurants with their fabulous views could come close to the magnificence that was ours tonight. Nature at its finest….pristine perfection!

 

The Dance of Nature performs nightly with matinees on clear days only

Dinner is included in the price of admission.

VIP Seating is available at no extra charge

Gratuity not included

 

 

 

 

 

The Journey

 

 

Flying from Phoenix to Juneau one encounters several shock factors; the obvious being a dramatic change of climate and the not so obvious being a change of venue. I might as well have landed on another planet, the differences were so severe. I left behind 90 degree, sunny weather and found myself in a frozen, chilly, snow covered alpine village. Did I mention it was cold?????

 

Alaska isn’t just a state; it is a state of mind. This is a world unto itself, unlike any other place on earth. The way people dress, their friendly manner, the way they act, the hard life they lead all blend into a melting pot of culture and attitude. Even the architecture and snow capped mountains give this place a unique feel of peace and tranquility.

 

 

What seems to be missing is ego. There are no superficial pretences, no make-up to wear, no Prada purses to carry, and no trendy restaurants to see and be seen. It’s just a place filled with people, in their natural state of beauty, working hard and living the simple life. I like it already! Nay, I love it already!

 

After a day of wondering through the streets of historic Juneau and exploring Mendenhall Glacier, I dined at a quaint restaurant on the wharf. With a spectacular view of the harbor and background of snowy mountains, it was pure magic!

 

Unfortunately, the spell was broken from spending the next several days shopping for supplies to take with us to Elfin Cove. And when I say shopping, I mean shopping. Four hours at Fred Meyer, four hours at Costco and another three hours at Fred Meyer. While nursing our tired, achy feet, we get the discouraging news; the cove is out of electricity and our departure will be delayed by one day!

 

So after a long delay in Juneau, we finally loaded up the boat and headed out to sea. Our chariot is a catamaran fishing boat, loaded to the max with several hundred pounds of supplies. As we leave Auke Bay, a lone eagle was spotted in a tall pine, its white head barely visible in the green boughs of the tree. Definitely a great send off so we leave the harbor with high hopes of a smooth journey.

 

It is four hours to Elfin Cove by boat and we settle in for the long ride. While I stand sentinel on the stern of the boat, my excitement can hardly be contained and it is only with great reluctance that the severe cold drives me into the cabin of the boat.

 

Our journey goes smoothly and we are making good time; 26 knots, a fast speed. As we enter the Icy Straights the water becomes more chopping and it starts to rain. I start to get queasy as I struggle to control the wave of nausea coming over me. I hold my own and try to focus on the horizon.

 

 

Everything seems to be going very well until all of a sudden…..KABOOM! And I mean, Kaboom! We had hit a large, solid log unseen to us, floating in front of the boat! Our captain over reacts by pulling the engines into reverse and we find ourselves dead in the water. After several attempts to restart the motors, we are faced with a harsh reality; we were without power and a long way from the cove, or anywhere else for that matter.

 

The cell phone was working so our captain made a few calls in hope of getting some help regarding the engines. A decision was made to go to a local village about 5 or more miles from where we were stranded. Accepting the harsh reality that we might have to spend the night in a strange place, we start the small, kicker motor and begin our journey towards land, at about 5 knots. It would take more than an hour to arrive at the distant port.

 

Fortunately, we remembered our boss’s brother was in his fishing boat and was probably not far in front of us. Fishing vessels don’t travel very fast and we knew he was on his way to the cove that very same day. Reaching him on the cell, we were told he would turn around and come give us a tow. It would be at least an hour for him to arrive. Aborting our plans to go to the village, we continue through the rough straights in the direction of the cove.

Fog was moving in, rain was pounding on the windows and the wind was blowing very cold air all around us. Our poor captain braved the elements as he steered the kicker motor from the rear of the boat. The Icy Straights were getting rough and we ended up in something called a “trough” of deep waves coming at us from all directions.

 

At that point, we stopped moving which made my sea sickness worse than ever. I really thought I was going to throw up. It was cold in the cabin because we had to turn off our propane heater as it created steam and didn’t allow for us to see out the windows.

 

So here I was, traveling through the spectacular Inside Passage, sick as a dog and freezing cold! I did my best not to complain and desperately tried to think of other things. What started out as a promising journey was turning into a nightmare of serious proportions.

 

After an hour of moving at snail speed, we still couldn’t see our rescue boat. We were getting worried, it was starting to get dark and visibility was minimal. We also had to look forward to hooking up the boat for our tow and climbing on board the fishing vessel. I was definitely reluctant and not looking forward to the fate that awaited me.

Then a miracle occurred! The captain came inside to warm up for a minute and to try the engines one more time. Suddenly he discovered the problem as to why the engines wouldn’t turn over…..there was a small part missing from the control panel which holds out some knobs or something, I don’t know the technical name for the thingy that was missing, but at least we knew that all we had to do is find the part and be on our way.

 

It was an exhilarating moment except for one small problem…the part itself was really small and the cabin was full of boxes and containers and all sorts of stuff. How would we ever find this thing in the mess? Needless to say, chaos was all around as we tried desperately to find the part.

 

While the captain frantically searched the cabin, we were, once again, dead in the water and our small boat was being tossed two and fro. I didn’t know I could be any more ill than I already was, but believe me, I truly thought I would be better off dead.

Finally, the part was found, and wouldn’t you know it, at the exact moment in which we spotted our rescue vessel. We felt so bad because our companion went at least two hours out of his way to help us. However, our jubilation far out weighed our guilt and we were finally on our way again.

 

After another hour on the boat, we were pulling into the safe harbor of Elfin Cove. It was still light out, the rain had stopped and all seemed right with the world. My sea sickness had abated so I snapped as many photos as I could while we headed for the dock.

 

What a rough and nerve racking journey, one that I will never forget! We grabbed only our necessary luggage and left the supplies for the next day.

 

I have heard it said that a journey is more important than the destination, but this time I would have to disagree. Our final destination turned out to be one of the most spectacular places on earth and I was most grateful to have made it safely and in one piece.

I am certain my guardian angel worked overtime that day as I can not fully explain the challenges we faced and the drama that ensued. Maybe I am mistaken, and perhaps it was the journey itself that truly was more important in the grand scheme of things. Fortitude is a great lesson and faith an even stronger one. And in the end, it was faith that sustained us and brought us safely into port.

 

And so begins my new adventures in Elfin Cove, Alaska. As you can guess, I don’t plan on taking a boat ride any time soon!