Adventures of Gandalf: Two most amazing anchorages

For the last several days we have been motoring north, visiting the coolest, most out-of-the-way places we can find. We found some winners. Rising to the top of the list are Khutze Inlet and Baker Inlet. We picked these stops because they are wild and remote, but most especially because there is the potential to see bears. Grizzly bears, even. Big, fat 55-gallon drum grizzly bears.

Ok, so we didn't see any grizz. But we did wake up this morning to 2 of the biggest, fattest black bears we have ever seen. Rambling along the shoreline, rooting around in the grass. And we were safely cozied up in our boat, watching with binos.

Baker Inlet was especially amazing. To enter the inlet, you pass through a channel called Watts Narrows. This channel is only wide enough for one small boat to pass through, and it zig zags and has a strong current and tree branches overhanging the water. Once you enter the channel, you are committed to going through, as there is no room to turn around. If the current slams you up against the wall, well, too bad. We managed to hit the timing just right when we entered, and entered at the slack. But this morning, we faced about a 4 kt current and it was a might dicey.

Anyway, once past the narrows, the channel opens up to this serene wonderland of glossy water and trees and loons and fish and mist and, as I mentioned, bears. It is 3 miles back to the head of the inlet, where we anchored. The surrounding mountain slopes still held snow.

Near dusk, a commercial shrimp boat entered the cove and anchored near us. We were the only boats around. Frank and Collin motored over in the dingy and asked if they would like to sell us some shrimp. Sure! A big bag of still alive spot prawns was exchanged for some Canadian $$, and everyone felt good. Topped that off with some Dungeness in the crab traps and it was a successful day all around.