Now We're Down South!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig is exactly what Joel and I felt as we opened up the truck door and lo and behold the beast started right up! So as we did the happy dance around the truck in the rain giving each other high fives and explosive knuckles (everyone who knows Joel will know what that is)it hit us that, YES, we are once again under our own steam and officially off on our adventures together. Our past 2 weeks in Alaska were filled to the brim with friends, family, laughter and smiles. We were able to take a wonderful boat trip with Pop and Lucas aboard the good ship Shearwater visiting White Sulphur Hot Springs as well as surfing at Sea lion Cove and picking chantrelle mushrooms on the way home to keep our mind off all the bear sign.


Over labor day weekend we spent time with friends camping and harvesting shrimp, dungeness crab, halibut, rockfish, beach asparagus, huckleberries- needless to say we feasted all weekend long. The weather over our camping trip was night and day with 30 knot winds and hard sideways rain the first day and 70 and sunny the next for our 2 hr trip back to town. Joel and I were able to help Mom with a few projects around the house and celebrate her birthday with her before going south. On September 10th Joel, brother Lucas and I flew south and said our goodbyes in the Seattle airport (Lucas is off to Guatemala). Joel and I then hopped in with Flo and Nicole (good friends from White Salmon) to drive up to Port Townsend for the Wooden Boat Festival. We spent the weekend amongst friends and aboard John and Melinda Maher's beautiful sailboat the Mycia. We had sunny skies and fair winds making for a great sail- however we could all feel fall in the air. We are now off to Portland and its vicinity for the next week or so before flying to China at the end of the month. The biggest and best news of the summer is Joel and I are engaged. Joel proposed on September 2nd making me the happiest woman alive. No details yet ironed out but do stay posted. All the best from Kjersti and Joel!

Yeah!!!

It's starting to sink in. I've wrapped up my commitment on the Alaskan Song as of August 20th. Now it's time to get back to serious laughing smiling and having fun. All in all it has been a great experience. I couldn't have asked for a better week to end this summer. The family aboard last week was filled with youthful exuberance, laughing, smiling, having fun and so gracious for EVERYTHING. I also felt like I laughed and smiled a lot this week even though there were some tough emotional times as I missed some serious family time in the past couple of weeks. Again, I couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up work or better people to be with in the remote waters of SE Alaska.

We'll be here in Sitka until September 10th. Kjersti is on the last days of her work getting back to Sitka in just a few more days. So excited for the Kjersti and Joel time to be happening again. We're going to be free to do what we want!


Until next time.

1/2 Way

The summer is cruising by literally and figuratively with Joel and I about 1/2 way to fulfilling our dreams of time off and world travels among manny more. We both have had plenty time aboard our boats to dream up tomorrows and what next ideas- all of them great and on the same page- most of all we are looking forward to cruising together again. Joel has been fortunate enough to have a some time off in Sitka to experience some of what the town has to offer in kayaking adventures with Dana and Dinners with my Mother and my Father as well as mucking about with brother Luke. Come July 2nd Joel and I will be on the same cruising schedule and the time apart between trips will be a mere 6 nights and 7 days which will feel like nary a trouble at all after our months without seeing each other.
Life aboard the Alaskan Story has settled into a routine of sorts. There are always monkey wrenches and something breaking on a boat so between the weather, the fishing, and the whims of our clients each trip we take has a different spin. The last trip we took from Juneau to Sitka was likely one of the most difficult with 25 knot winds and 5-6 foot seas causing us to turn back at one point and some queasy stomachs. The rain came down in sheets for the first 4 days and then let up and only came in bursts for the last 2 days- however none of us completely dried out - I call it soggy bottom syndrome. The Whaler broke down on the day we were to go crabbing for dunginess thus Captain Geoff and I had no choice but to take the inflatable zodiac out and haul the crab pots by hand (me) all the while waves coming over the bow and the rubber raft floating into shore- We did get allot of crabs though:)! All in all the experience has been good thus far and it has been a joy meeting people from allover the USA and being able to show them the best of what Alaska has to offer.
Well until next time with more adventures to report. Perhaps Joel and I will be writing together and dropping hints on what could possibly be next.

Made it to Alaska.

Monday May 17th 10:00 P.M.
It’s been a week underway with the Alaskan Song. As I write the daylight is nearing its end here in Warm Springs Bay just 10 miles east, as the crow flies, from Sitka (the home of beautiful Kjersti Johnson) across the rugged mountains that jut from the sea to form Baranof Island. We’ve come nearly 700 nautical miles in 7 days.

We arrived in Alaskan waters on May 15th cleared Customs in Ketchikan, AK, spent the evening at the dock in ‘Ketch’ and were off to Petersburg the next morning after topping off the fuel. The four evenings after departing Vancouver, BC we hunkered down in remote anchorages along our route through the inside passage. Typically we’d get to our anchorage, drop anchor, shut the generators down and catch some zzzzzz’s before pulling anchor and heading north by 5:00 or 5:30 the next morning. The weather was good and the open water passages were not too daunting. All in all a smooth trip north with a couple glimpses of sea lions, sea otters, bald eagles and humpback whales in the distance. The days at the dock in Bellingham didn’t quite get the crew together like long days cruising do. We’ve definitely had a couple more days of practicing the ropes (ha), getting to know each other and spreading some confidence.

Docking in Ketchikan was a little more of an ordeal than the prior nights of dropping an anchor in a lonesome bay. We pulled up to the middle of the dock, got tied up and plugged in our long, heavy, yellow electrical cord just in time to be asked by the resident tour cruiser the Bering Ballard to move so they could have their claimed spot at the dock. No problem. The rain was coming down sideways. Among the many lessons I’ve learned, I’ll always wear raingear while tying up or anchoring from here forward. Carharts and deck shoes are not waterproof. Thankfully the raincoat kept my torso dry. Soaking wet, we began the swap with the BB. Just as we released the bow line the wind grabbed the Alaskan Song and pushed her rapidly from the dock. “Throw the line”, they yell. So I attempt to toss the line to the Song now about 10 ft off the dock. This seemingly simple maneuver of sliding down the dock is turning into something much different. I run back to the stern line and get that released. Then I hear “Oh %$&#! Unplug it, unplug it!” I repeated the command a couple more times in my head while I switched the breaker and unplugged the cord. Winds whipping, rain pelting and the electrical cord reminding us it really isn’t that long; I find myself playing tug-o-war.

If I were to have had the choice of playing tug-o-war with a 96 ft yacht I would have opted out and given the Alaskan Song the forfeit but I didn’t. Instead the Song and I battled it out for a couple of moments. My sweaty palms (surprise, I know) holding onto one end of the electrical cord, the other end secured to the Song, and the amount of 46 degree water growing between us meant something/someone has to give. My solid stance on the dock and decent but wet grip on the cord didn’t quite cut it and I was humbly defeated.

On Sunday May 16th we pushed off from the dock just a few feet away from where the tug-o-war took place and pushed on toward Petersburg. Beyond Ketchikan the scenery has become more and more breathtaking. Tight channels with steep cliffs on each side, huge snow capped peaks, more and more marine life. Petersburg and its surroundings are beautiful. So too is Admiralty Island and Baranof Island.

Today we left Petersburg in route to Warm Springs Bay. I saw my first breaching humpback! After a few peck slaps it peek-a-booed with a graceful breach. Tomorrow we plan to hang here, soak in the hot springs and try our hands at some fishing. Although Sitka is only 10 miles as the crow flies, our route will be the 70 NMs from here around the north to the west side of Baranof Island to Sitka.

After spending a couple days at Warms Springs Bay (May 17th and 18th) and a couple other anchorages along the way we’ve made it to Sitka (May 21st)!!!

....Jiggity Jig

Home again Home again Jiggity Jig- And it feels great! The Alaskan Story all her crew and guest made it safely to Juneau on May 9th after a wonderful 2 weeks of cruising. Through BC Canada there was some beautiful scenery but very little wild life, however we did see Orca whales and a few eagles. We spent 6 days in Canada stopping to pick oysters and drop our crab pots in. The seafood was abundant- the oysters were so thick you didn't need to leave the place you hopped off the boat to fill your bucket there were so manny within reach! The Crabbing was also very successful with ~50 crab caught and ate- yep I think we had dungeness crab for at least one meal for the past week- crab cakes, crab salad, crab quiche, crab omelets.... you name it we had crab in it. Once we crossed into Alaskan waters the smile on my face got even bigger- I am HOME! The Humpback whales have arrived and we saw them breaching and lunge feeding, the eagles were so thick in a bay we stopped in- I think we counted 200+ on the beach and in the trees, the sea lions were basking on the rocks, the fishing was better- got a Halibut, the sun came out- you name it it felt good. All in all it was an enjoyable trip north and it has been a pleasure working aboard the Alaskan Story.

Currently I have one week off for the remainder of the summer until September so I have opted to hop the fast ferry to Sitka to spend some time with my Mother and see a few friends. I arrived in Sitka yesterday to my mothers whirlwind of packing for Port Alexander- she cracks me up! Not only did we spend the day running errands and packing boxes but my mother has literally brought the kitchen sink and well actually a bathtub as well. It took two heaping truck loads to get her and all her gear down to the Tracy-C for her trip to P.A (via Baranof Warm Springs of course). Granted I will give it to her that all the stuff was not hers and she was packing things south for the Port Alexander Museum as well as her food provisions for the whole summer. I was tempted to hop aboard however I would have been hard pressed to make it back to Juneau in time to get back to work.

Joel is now on his way north and likely getting deep into the wilds of BC Canada. I am very excited for him to experience the beauty that SE Alaska offers and I believe he will fall in love with Alaska as I have. Joel often describes his dream place as all mountains and ocean- which is precisely what SE Alaska is. There were places we passed along the way where the channel is >1000 ft deep and the mountain top a mere 1/4 mile from the shore is >4000 feet tall- yep Joel will love it. The Alaskan Song will likely be arriving in Sitka May 17th or so and then Joel's charter season will be off and running. For the time being he and i will continue to be ship's passing in the night on opposite schedules- however come July we will be cruising together once again- can't wait! So our Blog for the time being is each of our stories- however sooner than we know it it will be stories of us on our adventures together.

Well I best get started on the list of chores mom left for me:)... Joel welcome to Sitka my Love.

Patience Is A Virtue

It's been some windy stormy days here in Bellingham over the past week or so. A lot of the final preparations before departing require some better weather but I'm still managing to keep plenty busy. Waxing, sanding, varnishing, buffing, sanding, wiping, sanding, varnishing, waxing, buffing, sanding...... The sun is supposed to come out later this week so we can finish up that sanding business and man will it look and feel great when it's done.

A week from today and we'll have pushed off from the dock and started the long awaited journey north. Our day of departure is May 10th where we'll be heading to Vancouver for our first evening out of Bellingham. Oh am I excited just writing about it. Not only will it be nice to have a bit of a change in scenery but I'm hoping the sand paper and varnishes will be left at the storage here in Bellingham. I know there'll be plenty more cleaning and polishing going on this summer but this 'bright work' has been on the to-do list for the past month. I'm looking for some sense of accomplishment with getting it wrapped up.

Patience has come to mind many times as I rotate my right hand clockwise for a few minutes and then switch to the left. Sometimes saying 'wax on, wax off' but mostly just rocking out to my Ipod and sanding with the grain. When Kjersti and I concocted this plan to spend the summer in Alaska it was the second week or so of January. We've had mile markers on the way such as celebrating life at Mt Baker, cruising in our 'home' through Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, working on the Alaskan Song together and reuniting for a final 'good bye for now' with each one requiring me to be patient for it's arrival. Now I find myself patiently waiting for the day we leave Bellingham, the day the sanding is done, the day I get to see Kjersti, the day I see a humpback whale breach off the bow, the day I see a brown bear lurking along the beach.

Don't get me wrong though, I think about more than just being patient for the next day but I'll spare you all of those details. I'm pretty lucky to be having the experience I'm having and the days that seem tough are the days that will make those days I'm patiently awaiting much more wonderful.

Be patient and I'll have something I'm more excited to write about and some sweet pictures in the weeks to come. For now here are a few pictures from our trip to Port Angeles where we hauled out the Alaskan Song and some other pictures from around the marina here in Bellingham.

Looking toward Orcas Island and Lummi Island from the aft deck of the Alaskan Song.

Port Angeles, WA. This is where we moored for the evening before being hauled out for some bottom painting and more.

Sighting the Olympic Mountains as we cruise through the San Juan Islands toward Port Angeles.

Mt Baker in our wake.


Just in case. From Wikipedia; Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

I wanted also to add that I heard from Kjersti who had reached Ketchikan, AK. I bet she's excited as she gets closer and closer to being home again home again....

Headed North Soon!

The Summer has fast approached with it being only April but experiencing lovely sunny days both in Bellingham and on Bainbridge Island. Alas Joel and I knew the day was coming however it did not make it much easier to say our goodbyes for the summer with only a few days over the next 5 months that our paths will cross. However we are thinking we have enough great memories and wide open time for further adventures ahead of us that the time will fly by and we will be once again "cruising together". Joel continues on in Bellingam preparing the Alaskan Song for it's summer of cruising and I on Bainbridge Island on the Alaskan Story, lucky for me right down the road from my aunt and uncle Greg and Betsy. My duties have thus far included washing and waxing the whole 96 ft yacht- and let me tell you I though it was bad enough waxing my car let alone this boat- the bright side is the boat looks pretty good and well my scrubbing muscles will be fine tuned machines by the end of the summer. It has been nice falling asleep to the sound of the ocean every night, running the whaler around the bay, and soon to learn what I can about engines all sorts of engines- the scrubbing was second nature:). Joel and I will both be on our way North within the next few weeks with more adventures and stories to tell once we arrive I'm sure.

Fun in the Sun

Kjersti and I just returned from our weekend whirlwind trip to Huntington Beach, CA, Sun City, AZ and back to Bellingham. WE flew into Long Beach CA and met up with Kjersti's brother Aaron. Thank's Aaron for being a gracious host! We had a great time catching up on the chit chatting, chilling on the beach, watching the surfers and most of all the beach cruising!



This is pro surfer Aaron Johnson from the HB Pier.
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Huntington Beach Pier.


Kjersti, Aaron and I then drove over to Sun City, AZ to surprise their father and join in the festivities of his 65th birthday.






We're now back in Bellingham with tonight being our last night together before we've got to head off in our separate ways for these summer gigs. Whereas it's a bummer to be having the Joel and Kjersti time dwindling, this means we're getting closer and closer to summer; the season and experience we've been talking about since January!

Alaskan Song

It's no April fools...we are on the Alaskan Song docked in Bellingham, WA. Looking forward to a great summer and Mt. Baker and Boundary Bay while we're here in Bham. Check out the Alaskan Song's webpage at www.yachtexplorer.com and the Alaskan Story at www.alaskanstory.com.

March 2010

Having lot's of laughs at the Inn of the White Salmon. Then Mt. Hood for best day of skiing this year. Too much powder to even stop and take a photo. 3/30/2010.

Mt Bachelor Powder day!!! 3/29/09

American Pride.

Hot springs off of ID Highway 21.

Kjersti and I with the Sawtooths at our backs. 3/27/2010

Sawtooth winter wonderland.

Sunbeam Hotsprings. 3/27/2010

Lost Trail Powder Mountain. 3/26/2010

Goldbug Hotsprings. 3/26/2010

Goldbug Hotsprings.

Unimog. Good thing Alan and Erika were home and that they owned a Unimog. We hiked 9 miles from our highcentered home and truck to this lovely couple's home. It's great to have such wonderful new friends! Check out the video below for more. 3/25/2010

Our campsite west of Conner, ID.

Jerry Johson Hotsprings. 3/24/2010

Getting another Sail on Ship. 3/22/2010

Elyn, Paul and Roady on Ship.

Paully, Roady, Me and Darby at Mt. Baker on March 20th.

Stacey and I battling it out with headstands....I won!

Darby, Me, Kjersti and Mt Baker.

Shuksan.

At the Madsen farm. 3/15/2010

Wind turbines on Buffalo Ridge, Southwest MN. 3/15/2010

My Uncle Randy and I.

Kjersti and Sheep.

Wild Willy and his Comrads...

This month began with Kjersti and I making a reality out of our dream and goal for the summer. As of March 5th we officially began our new journey together and look forward to what's to come.

Our first excursion was down to Ashland, Oregon where we visited Kjersti's brother Lucas and had some great days of Skiing/Boarding Mt. Ashland. This was our 'test run' for cruising in the truck. We happened to be there the weekend of the 'Dummy Downhill'. This made for some good laughs.

Upon return from Ashland, we trasitioned our bags for a trip to Minneapolis, MN. As it was my father's 60th birthday we had the opportunity to celebrate a milestone and visit with many family and friends. I think Kjersti was a little shocked at how many releatives she was able to meet but she says she had a great time.

March 17th was when we moved into our new home. The walk-in closest may not be the standard nor the bed but we've managed to have a wonderful two weeks in our new home. From Portland to Seattle to Mt. Baker to Montana to Idaho and back to Portland the truck and our home has been a reliable means to a good time and exploration of the beautiful northwest.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and videos of the recent good times. From celbrating my dad's 60th birthday, stomping around on Randy and Jewels sheep farm to celebrating the first day of spring and life to hotspringing across MT and ID to getting the truck stuck and all the great skiing throughout....Here's a shout out and thanks for all the wonderful family and friends who we've been able to spend some time with and a special thanks to those who made my birthday weekend a blast.

Until next time...

http://www.yachtexplorer.com/