May 31, 2010

After our last update from Thorne Bay we headed back out of town and spent the night at Eagles Nest U.S.F.S. campground. Very wooded and wonderfully isolated sites.There were only 3 campers there. We decided to take the hike around Ball Lake. It was suppose to be an easy walk over a boardwalk. WRONG. The boardwalk only went as far as a viewing platform  a short way around the lake. The rest of the trail was wilderness with an occasional bridge over a steam. A tree had fallen over one of the bridges and we had to crawl under it to get over the river. I feel like I am usually pretty ladylike when I walk however on that hike through the mud bogs, etc. I felt like an elephant galumphing through the woods. 2 and a half miles and 2 hours later we were exhausted.

 The next day we drove over to the crossroads at Hollis. The town ? consisted of 2 houses, a school and a library there. There were several other houses in the environs. There was also a small marina and a launch ramp. It was another beautiful, 80 degree day and people were swimming in the water. BRRRRR!  We found another beautiful spot to park by the water. In the  late afternoon 2 guys came into the boat launch and hauled their boat out. They had been fishing. Garry was jealous. We started talking to them and learned that one of them (Tom) owned the cafeteria concession on the Inter-Island Ferry and that we would be seeing him on the ferry the next day. The other guy was his brother Stanley. He was going out later in his own boat to check his Shrimp pots and asked if we would like some shrimp if he got a lot. I am no dummy so of course I said yes.  About 2 hours later Stanley comes back towing his boat and off he goes with a cousin (Terry) to check his pots. As the first picture attests he got some shrimp! These were the biggest shrimp I have every seem and they said they were kind of small because it is early in the season! They had filled an entire bucket with shrimp. They gave us about 4 pounds and even pulled the heads off for us.  We are having shrimp for dinner tonight! 

This morning we reluctantly  caught the 0800 ferry leaving Prince of wales Island  and have arrived back in Ketchakan.  We went shopping at Safeway and got gas at Safeway. By shopping for groceries there and spending over $50.00 we get 10 cents off per gallon. We still  need to refill the propane as it has been almost four weeks since our last fill up but since it is Memorial Day they aren't open. We will spend they night in our favorite spot along the Breakwall at the Safeway.  Tomorrow  Carol has her zip line experience (Yippee!) and Garry plans on doing some fishing, as the King Salmon  and  Steel head are suppose to be starting to run.. We think we will  spend the night at Ward Lake and take the 1 1/2 mile walk around that  lake tomorrow evening. On Wed there are Wed night sail boat races in the harbor, so we hope to return to our favorite (free) spot along the breakwall at Safeway again so we can watch them.

As we update this we are sitting in the laundromat by the Thomas Basin Marina. We have met a delightful couple who have a 39 foot sailboat. They live in Anchorage and are making their way back to their home port in Seward, Alaska after a 5 year cruise to the South pacific. So as I write this Garry is telling sea stories with them.  And yes, they would love to have us visit them in anchorage as they will be home before we get there and yes we can park in front of their house. So our adventures continue. Hopefully I will have some pictures from my Zipline through the Rainfrorest when we next update this. We are back with cell service but still no beaconing for the We Are Here site.