Alaska Adventure

Paid to Fish!!!!!!

Mendenhall Glacier 

May-Sept 2012.

I took a job in southeast Alaska running a sport-fishing boat this summer out of Auke Bay (near Juneau).  I was a captain & fishing guide out of Shelter Island, taking a total of 288 fishermen & women to have the Alaska experience (4 at a time).  This was an adventure I have always dreamed of…on a remote, Alaskan island working for a fishing lodge.  The lodge is off-grid. Everything is run by a generator or by propane. The only way in or out of the island is by boat. The lodge has a fleet of 7 boats, four main fishing boats, a landing craft, a work boat (to do fuel and propane runs in town) and one back-up boat. We would pick guests up at the airport then take them to Shelter Island via our boats.

In Every Color

Water Taxi to our Boats

Auke Bay

Deep Fried Rockfish

My boat named Ho’Okipa (means hospitality in Hawaiian) is a 2010 North River cabin cruiser. It is a 20-minute ride from Auke Bay to our mooring buoys in front of the lodge.  The landing-craft would take guests ashore to the lodge where they would enjoy the next 5 days of fishing and gourmet meals.  On staff we had two chefs, four captain/guides, and two lodge assistants who operate the landing craft and workboats.

Catch of the Day

The fishing was abundant, the weather cold, rainy wet and set inclement records this summer!  My wardrobe consisted of 5 layers of clothing, long johns, raingear and Xtratuff boots.  I did get a handful of sporadic sunny days while I was there, but only one day of short sleeves!

Yes, it's Real!

Jumbo Shrimp

My daily schedule was up at 5:00am, fishing until 4:30pm, processing fish until 6:30pm, dinner, and bed very soon after. I had one day off every 11 days.  I learned a lot about stamina, Alaska fishing conditions, rough seas, seasick guests, and catching a lot of fish.

Sablefish "Black Cod"

The fishing was amazing! Fishing for black cod (sablefish) down 2,000 feet, we used electric reels.  Salmon, (King, Silver, Chum, Sockeye, Pink), Pacific Halibut, Rockfish, Crabbing and Shrimping were also a part of the experience. Thank goodness for pot pullers, as the shrimp were down 350+ feet! 

I feel truly blessed to have experienced Humpback whales bubble-feeding on the surface with as many as 15 at once, some breaching – almost a daily experience on our way to the fishing grounds.  Orca sightings, Dall’s porpoises, seals, and otters were occasional sightings and quite amazing as well.

Home to Anacortes

Tessie's First Snow

We left San Felipe March 19, 2012 for our new home, Anacortes, WA, leaving behind many cherished memories of our friends and times there during the winter. We passed through Oregon during a snowstorm that approached a white out. We weren't in the Baja anymore! Tessie had her first romp in the snow.  We were happy to get through Oregon and into the Evergreen State where the only snow we could see was on the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.

Sunny 1 faired very well during our absence and it was good to be back sleeping on the water again. Liz started her BeachWatchers class with Washington State University at the end of March and Kathy completed her instructor certification with the Recreational Power Boat Association (a branch of the American Sailing Association) and has been making many maritime connections.

Heart Lake, Anacortes

The parks here are simply amazing. Anacortes has the highest percentage of public parklands per capita than any city in the nation. One of the areas within the city are the Anacortes Community Forrest Lands, 2,800 acres of lakes and hiking trails, all within the city limits. Another beautiful area in the city is Mt. Erie. Then there are beautiful local state parks, such as Deception Pass and Bowman Bay, and county parks, all within 20 miles. Put on your hiking boots!

Marina Fire

Too Close for Comfort!

On the evening of April 10, 2012 a boat only four slips away and across the dock caught on fire! We rushed outside to see a 29' powerboat completely engulfed in flames, fiberglass popping and noxious smoke billowing into the air. Our neighbor Dan (only 2 boats away from the fire) was yelling, "Fire!" You could feel the intense heat. Kathy grabbed our water hoses from the deck and headed over to the fire where we hooked up a third hose. Dan and Kathy kept 2 water hoses on the fire, while Liz (Tessie in one hand) kept a hose on the boats next to the burning boat and Dan's boat. Dan ended up untying the boat next to the flames and sending it floating across the fairway to awaiting liveaboards who secured the boat away from harm. Liz continued to water down Dan's boat while Kathy and Dan kept water on the burning boat, fully aware of the gas fuel tanks on board. As the fired burned fast and hot, we could hear 'whooshing' sounds and imagined it to be exploding aerosol cans. We later learned the guy had handguns and ammo onboard! We all literally dodged many bullets that night!

Aftermath Taken From the Bow of Sunny 1

The fire department arrived and eventually evacuated us to the parking lot, just in time for the gas tanks to explode! 150 gallons of gasoline in the water! During all of this, the fire burned through the lines of a burning boat on the other side of the initial burning boat and drifted across the fairway (on fire!) to the adjacent dock where a group of liveaboards wielded their garden hoses to keep the fire from spreading to boats on their dock. Liveaboards rock! The fire claimed four boats, two sinking in the night, and destroyed the dock.  The Washington State Department of Ecology arrived that night and began absorbing the gasoline. Unfortunately, being that gas shouldn't be contained because it is so volatile, much of the fuel was allowed to dissipate with the rains and currents. We are so grateful that it was dead calm that night. Any wind would have spread the fire quickly from boat to boat. They determined the cause of the fire to be a West Marine dehumidifier plugged in the V berth of the boat.

See Tessie and Liz on TV! http://www.kirotv.com/videos/news/boats-destroyed-damaged-in-anacortes-fire/vGtYD/

Spring is Springing

According to the locals, this spring and last have been colder and wetter than usual for this area. We have days of sunny between more days of overcast and rain. Anacortes and the San Juan Islands average only 20 inches of rain annually and are generally warmer than other areas of the state, such as Seattle. Bring on the sun, please!

Liz completed a Marine Naturalist certification program through The Whale Museum at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. The course culminated with time on the water with the resident Orcas. Our class also had the honor of receiving the bones of Sooke, a young Orca from L Pod who mysteriously died off the coast of Oregon. For more information on Sooke http://www.whalemuseum.org/programs/stranding%20network/Sooke.html

Sooke's Teeth

The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor will be expanding to exhibit Sooke's skeleton, which will highlight the modern dangers these endangered species mammals face in our world. 

We really love Anacortes and invite you all to visit. It is a small town (population 17,000) located between the farmlands of the fertile Skagit River basin and the beautiful San Juan and Gulf Islands. The population of the entire county is only 116,000, yet is close to the population center of Bellingham and 1 1/2 hours from British Columbia. See ya soon - your bunk awaits!

Wrapping up the 2011/2012 Baja Season

Baja 250

Pit Crew: Meg, Lynda, Sharron, Lisbeth, Linda & Liz

We ended our Baja season with a bang! SCORE'S Baja 250 took place on March 11th in the San Felipe desert. The course passed only seven miles from our Baja home and what a party it was! The local entry was Team Snarlin' Cholla, led by George Jackson, the local reptile expert and an all-around nice guy. We joined our friends Linda, Lisbeth, Sharron, Lynda, Meg, Nancy and Katie (whose husband/dad rode shotgun) at a pit stop 8 miles out in the desert. A delicious shrimp taco lunch prepared by Lisbeth and Sharron was enjoyed by all. Some legs of the race allowed the vehicles to travel over 120 mph across the desert floor! The dirt road course at our location was a twisted series of moguls and turns that proved very entertaining for us spectators and an exercise in foul words for the drivers as they careened their rigs through flying rocks, dirt, and dust.

While the 250 was an exciting event, it was also disturbing to experience the transformation of the beautiful desert to a landscape of Tecate cans, trampled brush, and destroyed habitat. Truckload after truckload of young men and families arrived at 'our' spot with their nightclub sized speakers and ice chests full of beer. More than one truck got stuck in the sand and, at times, they pulled each other across the racetrack! There were no protective barriers anywhere to keep people away from danger. One tradition is to try to touch the car as it passes. Supposed to be good luck! At least one person dies each year from this or other unfortunate incidents.

After the 'big boys' passed through (cooperate-sponsored vehicles with chase helicopters, etc.), the crowd moved on down the course and we enjoyed the remainder of the race with room to breathe. George ended up third in his class (he was leading but stopped to help someone in trouble) and we ended up having a great day and bumpy ride back to the Ranch in Meg's awesome Suzuki Samurai. Can't wait till next year - what's on the menu Lisbeth?

Casa de Fe

San Felipe’s local orphanage for girls is located 5 miles from us here at the Ranch. It was founded by an American couple, Bill and Carol Spradlin, and opened to their first girls in 2010. Currently, 8 girls ages 3 weeks to 10 years live there. The only assistance the Mexican government gives the home is a water subsidy – no monetary support is offered for these girls who have lost their families for various reasons. Casa de Fe is self-supporting through private donations and service organizations like the Rotary Club. A recent tragedy occurred for these kids when Carol Spradlin suffered a heart attack in town and died. Liz volunteered at the home and reports it is a loving, clean, and nurturing facility. Check out Casa de Fe San Felipe at www.sfcasadefe.com for more information.

Casa de Fe girls

Bahia Willard / Bahia San Luis Gonzaga

Camping at Papa Fernandez

Eleven bumpy miles beyond the end of Mexico Hwy 5 is Papa Fernandez at Puenta Willard. What a great little spot behind the sand dunes where they offer 9 palapas and something resembling outhouses. Again, camp was deserted and having the place to ourselves was simply terrific. No sign of camp dogs or coyotes the entire time. We stayed four nights and enjoyed a lot of fishing, reading, writing, campfires, and stars, stars, stars. We also had wind the first night and day but it all settled down to what would prove to be almost perfect weather. The restaurant at Papa’s is run by the Fernandez family and opens whenever you show up. The walls are covered with photos of Papa Fernandez with the likes of John Wayne and Baja legend Tony Reyes. Camping was only $5 a night! The doors were blown off the outhouses but who needs a door when you are the only ones there? What a view!

Grande Triggerfish!

Beach at Papa Fernandez

Anticipation

Birthday Fish for Tessie

Unlike Gonzaga Bay, the beach at Punta Willard is right on the Sea of Cortez and resembles the Northern California coast when the winds came and the surf picked up. There were tons of pelicans, herons, gulls, and Liz’s favorite bird, the Magnificent Frigate.

Kathy caught many Bullseye Pufferfish (Botete), Triggerfish, Spotted Sand Bass, Stingrays, and a Pacific Porgy. Liz caught some shuteye.

We picked up and drove over to Gonzaga Bay on Day 5, only a short 5 mile, 25 minute drive away. On our way, we stopped to visit the Federalies at the military checkpoint just outside of Gonzaga. Since we didn’t have any drugs, they let us continue on to our campsite at Rancho Grande on Gonzaga Bay.

Rancho Grande has 21 palapas right on the beach and a string of 21 outhouses (most with doors). The shore of the Bay is lined with these palapas, a string of houses, and Alfonsina’s hotel and restaurant. The fishing was slow (except for Botete and one sand bass) but the clamming made up for it. We enjoyed a beautiful, relaxing day.

Rancho Grande, Gonzaga Bay

Something that helped our trip be successful was to sleep in the back of the FourRunner and keep all of our gear in the tent. We discovered this after our first windy night at Papa’s. The wind will always pick up at night, guaranteed, gusting sometimes to 40 mph! After that sleepless night, we discovered the quiet and safety of the car (with an inflatable mattress, of course). We also discovered that Tessie doubled in size the minute we closed the doors…

Our last day at Gonzaga Bay began beautifully with fishing and coffee at the shore early in the morning. Then the winds started up and accelerated until we found ourselves in the middle of a sandstorm! We decided to call it a day. The local fisherman predicted the high winds would last a couple of days so packing up and leaving was a great idea.

Overall, our trip was thrilling, challenging, and a whole lot of Baja fun!

On the drive home to San Felipe we started spotting some of the racers coming into town for the Baja 250 to be held the weekend of March 10^th. Sand rails, dirt bikes, and trophy trucks! Stay tuned for more…

Is it just me or is the road getting smaller (Sand Storm)

Kilometer 117

Sunbathing at Kilometer 117

Doink Doink

The extension of Mexican Hwy 5 south of Puertecitos is a recently paved highway until 127 kilometers south of San Felipe. Then, the road suddenly ends only to continue onto a rocky, dirt trail. Just 10 kilometers short of the end of the paved road is Marker 117, a nice pullout at the Sea’s edge. Easy access to the shoreline makes this lookout a favorite stop for travelers going both north and south.

Fishing Report from Kathy:

This 2-hour drive was well worth it as I hooked on to several spotted sand bass and triggerfish. Triggerfish feed by blowing jets of water at their prey, dislodging them for consumption, and are one of the most common reef fish south of San Felipe.

Bullseye Pufferfish, or Botete as the locals call it:

After losing a few rigs, I tightened my drag to the tightest point, determined not to let the next one get away. Doink, doink, Fish on! At first glance out of the water, it looked like a spotted sand bass but the shape was not quite right. When almost to shore its belly started inflating. It had no dorsal fin and had a ‘beak’ for teeth. Little did I know at the time, this fish is highly poisonous and has deadly skin and internal organs. Gulls have died just two minutes after pecking one. I released quite a few of these pests.

Bullseye Pufferfish "Botete"

Puertecitos Hot Springs

It is a 60-mile drive down Mexico Hwy 5 from San Felipe to the small town of Puertecitos. To call it a ‘town’ is an exaggeration. Sitting around the edge of the small bay are lonely houses some would call shacks; others would call them a dream home on the bluff. There are only dirt roads, a small store, and a Pemex gas station. They have a stop sign, too.

Sharron, Meg, Kathy, Tessie at Puertecitos

Hot Pools

Look a little longer and you’ll find the beauty of the place – the quiet of a living ghost town; the simple life of a fisherman and his panga; a retired American or Canadian far from ‘home’ on purpose. Hidden along the outer rocky shore of Puertecitos is a gem of a place – natural hot springs that cool with the incoming tide. We visited the pools with our friends Sharron and Meg and what a treat it was. The water and wind were calm that day and hundreds of pelicans rested right before us on the rocks, satisfied from a good morning’s catch. We began by entering the pools closest to the water’s edge. As the tidewaters rose and cooled off the natural lava-formed pools, we moved up to the next pool. It was a lovely 2-½ hour visit. Tessie loved the pools, too, and dove right in and swam around. It was a thrill to be sitting along the rocks as the seawater led schools of small anchovies over our legs! We finished off a perfect day with a stop at the famous Cow Patty for a cold drink and traditional hot dog.

Sisters of the Desert Valentine’s Day Brunch

Lisbeth & Liz

Valentine's Fiesta

Lisbeth and Linda hosted this annual event held for years at Carol and Jan’s. Sixteen sisters were in attendance for pancakes, French toast, Meg’s special egg soufflé, and all the trimmin’s. Sharron played bartender and money was raised towards the college education of the young pups – Kaya (Sharron & Lynda’s border collie), Tessie (our girl), and Maddie (Lisbeth & Linda’s border collie). A good time was had by all!

Bahia Cristina

Fish on! We took a camping trip to Bahia Cristina, located just south of the town of Puertecitos. The camp has 6 palapas on the beach, which is a mix of sand and beautiful cobblestone rocks of green, purple, red, and gold. We had the place to ourselves, except for a resident coyote and heron.

Double Hook-up, Spotted Sand Bass!!

Camping the Baja peninsula has its challenges. The wind can come up in a split second and you are suddenly thrown into a grab-and-tie-down battle with the elements.

Uh Oh!

You struggle with the tarp to try and block the wind for a little respite, move the car around to the south side, the north side, the south side again. Not only is the wind unpredictable, it seems to come from all directions at once! During the calmer moments, we fished the rocky shore for a bonanza of spotted sand bass. We caught over 35 fish, keeping only enough for fish tacos and Tessie’s breakfast. She loves fish and she loves TO fish, joining Kathy in the water for every cast and retrieval.

When the second day brought rain, we discovered the only hole in the palapa roof was over our table. This made frying fish an exciting experience. If you’ve never fried fish in the rain, we don’t recommend it. We learned a lot on our first Baja camping trip that would prove useful later in the month. What a delightful place to camp and a good learning experience.

6^th Annual Cancer Walk

Liz, Sue, Nell, Judy, Kip

Ready to Roll!

We participated in San Felipe’s Cancer Walk for the first time on February 25^th. We walked in memory of Joyce Faletti (Liz’s mom), Susan Briant (Kathy’s mom), Andy Craig (Kathy’s dad), and Sharon Marcotte (our dear friend). There was an entry fee of $25 dollars with the option to fundraise. 100% of the money raised goes to support the cancer clinic in town. They are currently treating 34 women. The clinic’s primary focus is prevention. Their goal this year is to expand their services to include screening for prostrate cancer. The crowd was a mix of locals and ‘snow birds’. We felt very proud to be walking side-by-side with our new neighbors and friends. 

The Paella Festival

Mmmmmmmm!

Later the same day we wandered over to the Paella Festival held at the El Cortez Hotel. A dozen different restaurants from San Felipe to Mexicali offered their version of paella to the crowd, along with wine and tequila tasting. It was a fun time relaxing with friends, eating paella and ice cream, and listening to mariachi music. One thing we discovered is that if you all use the same required ingredients, your paella will all taste the same. Yummy leftovers for Tessie!

Liz sitting in with Mariachi band

Massani, Danna, Liz, Kathy

Adventures in the New Year

Cutlass Fish

Laguna Percebu

Northern Baja California is an extension of the Lower Colorado River Valley, a subdivision of the Sonoran Desert and is relatively shallow (averaging 65 ft ten miles offshore) with a tidal range of 15-23 ft. The bottom consists of mostly sediment from the Colorado River while shore habitats include mudflats, sand flats or bars, beach rock formations, salt marshes, and other rocky habitats. Located just 20.8 kilometers south of the town of San Felipe, this laguna is a wonderful day trip. During our 7-hour visit to Percebu, we walked across the laguna mudflats in the morning and waded through the laguna waters at chest high water at the end of the day! The laguna is a spawning ground to many species of fish, including the Cutlass fish, which normally lives south in depths of 500 feet but traveled into the laguna to spawn. The estuary beach was littered with dozens of these bizarre-looking fish. On our trip to the estuary last year, we discovered the skeletons of 50 or more pelicans high on the dunes but not one could be found on this trip.

Octopus in Tidepool

Baja Discovery

This lecture and low tide walk was Las Amiga’s’ 2^nd Annual fundraiser to benefit education beyond the sixth grade level for area youth. The lecture was held at El Dorado Ranch’s Pavilion and included presentations by: Dr. Roy Houston from the Loyola Marymount University who discussed the geography and geology of this area and the plants and animals of this unique marine environment; Kathy Keene, resident ornithologist who presented information on the local birds; George Jackson, local expert on snakes, tarantulas, and scorpions. It was fascinating to learn from Dr. Houston that the Sea of Cortez is home to a higher percentage of endemic species (only found here) than in other regions of the world.

Banded Brittle Star

The lecture was followed a week later by a thrilling low tide walk at Los Pulpos (The Octopus) at 48.5 kilometers south of San Felipe. This area hosts a prolific community of marine animals and plants. Dr. Roy’s enthusiasm was contagious as we all discovered everything from octopus and sea urchins to the 24-legged sea star and beautifully banded brittle star. What a wonderful day!

Town of San Felipe

It has been fun discovering all the merchants in town for our everyday needs. Our friend Meg has shown us where to locate everything from motor oil and pastries to block ice and the Mercado Hippon, the town’s biggest grocery store. Big thanks out to George Jackson for helping us find a replacement tire for Kathy’s Honda XR100 dirt bike. Should be back on the road by next Friday!

Tessie

Full Moon - Awooooo!

Miss Tessie is having a blast with all the  open space to explore and discover. She loves visiting Linda and Lizbeth’s dogs down the road and watches for Linda to pass by in the morning so she can say hello. Tessie loves their newest puppy Maddie, an  8-week old border collie. When Tessie’s not running around the property jumping cactus and ocotillo, she has her nose stuck in some hole. We suspect this led to her trouble. Her right eye socket swelled up like a small orange. After prodding it with tweezers proved unfruitful, we iced it and gave her some Benadryl. It could have been a spider, a fire ant or a scorpion. She was back to normal the very next day.

Sand Dollar Beach

Located at kilometer 26 is a wide, empty sandy beach where, you guessed it, one can find lots of sand dollars. Kathy caught a stingray. She also hooked onto something that broke her line! Tessie loves the beach and played in the water from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. The dirt/sandy road in (approx. 2 miles from the highway) had some soft spots, giving us the opportunity to use 4-wheel drive in and out! How exciting! We all had a great day doing the things we love to do – Kathy fishing, Tessie playing in the water (and rolling in the sand), and Lizzie writing and beachcombing.

El Balcon Luncheon

Our friends Lizbeth and Linda organized a special mole’ lunch at one of San Felipe’s nicest downtown restaurants, the El Balcon. The menu included three different mole’ chicken enchiladas – one pumpkin, one chocolate, and one peanut. The meal also included a white bean soup and the most delicious dessert – guava paste and cheese rolled in a pastry shell, bathed in chocolate sauce, and topped with pink bougainvillea flower petals. The presentation was beautiful and service generous. It was a special treat relaxing with old and new friends on a sunny winter afternoon.

Barrel Cactus

San Felipe Desert Rail Trip

Sand Rail Pit Stop

Ride on! We had an exhilarating trip out into the desert with our friends and neighbors Linda and Lizbeth on their 1968 ‘Barney’ sand rail. Also on the trip were our friends Sharron and Lynda on their rail with their friends from British Columbia, Jean and Pauline. Traveling to the valley at the foot of the Picacho Del Diablo, Sierra de San Pedro Martir’s highest peak at 10,147 feet, was an introduction to many unfamiliar desert plants, such as the barrel cactus. We visited the fossil beds and discovered many fossils of shells and marine worms. Sharing a picnic lunch with friends out in the desert was a lot of fun. Next trip, the waterfalls!

Gonzaga Bay
Mexican Highway 5 has been extended south along the west coast of the Sea of Cortez to only 1 hour north of the jewel that is Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. The remaining 11 miles is a rugged dirt road (the San Felipe Trail) that takes you through valleys and washes and a remote military checkpoint. The four-hour trip planted us on the back door of Alfonsina’s, a charming 2-story hotel and restaurant in the heart of Gonzaga Bay. With 10 people and 11 dogs in four cars, we put our teeth back in and headed inside for a specially prepared buffet of fish and shrimp tacos. We also checked out the Rancho Grande store for memorabilia and future provisioning possibilities. We are anxious to return for a camping trip. Keep you posted!

Beach at Gonzaga Bay

Catch of the Day - Triggerfish

Sharron, Liz & Meg

Yoga at Roni and Dave’s

We started doing yoga at the most beautiful straw bale solar home we’ve seen in the Baja. Roni, our dear friend and gracious yoga instructor, and her husband Dave (our Knight in Shining Armor) host our sessions in the courtyard of their amazing straw bale home.

Roni & Dave's Straw Bale Solar Home

Cantu Cove

Beautiful Cantu Cove

Spent the afternoon visiting our friends from the Bay Area, Christine and Rainie, at their solar casita on the bluff overlooking Cantu Cove. The girls got some fishin’ in and we got to meet the sweet beach dogs that live there. What a gem of a private spot located in San Felipe but a world away.

Christine & Kathy Fishing 

There are lots of festivities and adventures planned for February. Spring promises a spectacular display of desert wildflowers due to the abundance of rain we’ve had here since December. Seems we discover a new flower every walk we take. The three of us are having a blast and miss you all. Really wish you were here. . .