Juneau to Ketchikan

Arrive Juneau by either private jet or fly to Seattle, then via a scheduled direct flight to Juneau on Alaska Airlines. Tickets for blocks of seats may be purchased from Alaska Airlines Group Sales: 1.800.445.4435; www.alaskaair.com

DAY 1
Leave Juneau (Alaska’s capital city) and cruise to Taku Harbor, the home of the abandoned Hudson’s Bay Trading Post. Once the site of a commercial cannery, this now abandoned and derelict facility offers a public float and plenty to explore. Foraging bear continue to fish for salmon in the stream north of the old cannery.

DAY 2
Located just 15 miles from our anchorage in Tracy Arm Cove, you can see Tracy Arm which has the North and South Sawyer glaciers at its head, both of which are calving glaciers. We will wind our way (carefully) through the ice flows and icebergs, scooping up glacier ice for the ice chest (imagine a cocktail made with ten thousand year old ice!). The scenery is beautiful with steep rocky walls and waterfalls on both sides. For those interested in yet another spectacular perspective, a fly-over in a seaplane is possible.

DAY 3
Today will be a day of exploration on Admiralty Island, known as the fabled “Fortress of the Bears”. Admiralty Island is the densest habitat on earth for brown bears, with one bear per square mile on this large island of over 500 square miles. We will motor up Seymour Canal and on to Pack Creek, a rich wildlife feeding ground and spawning site for returning salmon. Here we can observe the bears from our tender or possibly hire a licensed guide to take us even deeper into bear country. Our evening anchorage will be in one of the bays on Admiralty Island where we can fish, Zodiac, kayak and beach-comb. Tonight we will set the crab pots for the Pacific Northwest’s renowned Dungeness crab.

DAY 4
From our anchorage on South Admiralty Island, we head south into the heart of “Whale Country.” This area of Fredrick Sound is famous for its concentration of marine life and may be best place in the world to observe whales, especially the Humpbacks which use an unusual feeding technique called “bubble netting”. Witnessing this remarkable occurrence is like watching a giant-scale dance performance: the whales circle well below the surface, blowing air bubbles to create a column net to contain the krill; then, in unison, they all turn to swim straight up, breaking the surface with mouths wide open, gorging themselves on food --- an amazing and unforgettable spectacle! With their distinctive black and white markings, Orca whales are also residents of this special place as are Dall’s porpoises, the fastest cetacean swimmer, reaching speeds of up to 35 mph and kicking up a rooster tail of spray when they surface. We will launch the tender for spectacular photo opportunities and end the day by anchoring for the night in one of the secluded bays.

DAY 5
Remote and beautiful, South Baranof Island is a seldom-visited part of southeast Alaska. This “must see” location offers natural hot springs and the abundant wildlife that one thinks of when the word ALASKA comes to mind. In a classic display of Alaskan extremes, we will stop for a dip in Baranof Warm Springs --- three temperate and pleasant pools situated next to a raging 100 foot waterfall. We can hike from the Springs to Baranof Lake, a beautiful natural lake ringed by high mountains at the spine of the island. At day’s end, we will anchor in one of the quiet coves of Baranof Island where we may see commercial fishing boats at work.

DAY 6
Today we will transit around the top of Prince of Wales Island to the Lodge at Whale Pass where you can explore the lodge grounds or simply relax in the lodge’s comfortable and rustic great room. For those who wish to fish, this is the perfect opportunity to book one of the lodge’s celebrated guided fishing boats; others may wish to go mountain biking or watch a carving exhibition. We will overnight in the bay at Whale Pass.

DAY 7
We will venture up the Behm Canal into the Misty Fjords National Monument, a network of fjords winding through sheer walled cliffs more than 1,000 feet tall! Today’s final destination will be Yes Bay, one of the most tranquil settings imaginable. Here we can hike, kayak or fish.

DAY 8
Today we will cruise to Ketchikan and sadly, our trip will come to a close. You may wish to spend a few hours exploring this quirky and picturesque Alaska frontier town: a charming shopping district is built on stilts in the city’s former “red light district” and one of the well-known local pubs has walls covered by hundreds of photos of Alaskan shipwrecks and grounded boats.

DEPART KETCHIKAN
By private jet or via scheduled direct Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle.

NOTES

This can be changed 100 different ways to accommodate your interests! You can fully explore fewer spots or see as many things as possible.
To include Sitka, we advise most parties would appreciate a longer charter. We have cruised Ketchikan-Sitka-Juneau in 7 days, and can certainly do it again, but some might find that a bit rushed.
There are a vast array of things to see and do. Longer charters are welcomed, but not necessary.
This route is approximately 290 nautical miles.
This route is easily reversed, Juneau to Ketchikan.