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Adventure Associates of Wa, inc. PO Box 16304 • Seattle WA 98116 • 206-932-8352 www.AdventureAssociates.net [email protected]

**A Best Seller** – call or email with any questions or to request a booking. Northern Passages & Glacier Bay Small ship exploration of Alaska’s northern passages and Glacier Bay

Juneau to Sitka (or reverse) 7 Nights Dates: April – September 2019, 2020 Departs weekly on Saturdays Cost from: $2,995 Vessels : Wilderness Discoverer, Wilderness Explorer, Wilderness Adventurer

Day-By-Day Itinerary: Juneau to Sitka

DAY 1 Juneau, Alaska – Embarkation

There’s nothing like a hearty greeting from your crew and some bon voyage bubbly. With all souls settled in on board, you’re underway. From the bow, Southeast Alaska welcomes you with Coast Mountain views.

DAY 2 Captain’s Choice

Lynn Canal or Chatham Strait, your captain makes the call. Either choice, go with the flow. The water is fine. The guides help you gear up, and lead your adventure along the rocky outcroppings. By kayak or paddle board, take in the size of this wilderness. Bald eagles dot the tree tops. Harbor seals bob up and under. Pods of orcas—the largest in the dolphin family— skim along the water’s surface.

DAY 3 Glacier Bay National Park

What a privilege. At 3.3 million acres—this UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve is massive. At Bartlett Cove, a park ranger joins in on your day’s exploration and shares the park’s history. Orange-beaked puffins, guillemots, marbled murrelets are just a few possible sightings. Keep a tally—the list will grow. Arriving at South Marble Island, you can hear and smell ‘em before you see ‘em—it’s a haulout for sea lions. Perched above around the bend, watch for mountain goats, and lower along shore, foraging bears. Up bay, glacial silt turns the water a milky white. Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers—one holding steady, the other retreating. Lounging harbor seals laze on bits of bergs. And if time allows, tuck up in Tidal Inlet. End this very full day with your feet up for the sail into Icy Strait.

DAY 4 Icy Strait

Nearly to the Pacific Ocean, Icy Strait is remote and wild. The plan? Whales and marine mammals. Spouts and fin slaps are certain giveaways. More rollicking sea lions and birds. But don’t forget to look straight down. Porpoises and dolphins may hitch a ride on the bow wave. And don’t worry about missing any wildlife; it’s a favorite mission of the crew to point out any creatures they spot. Make a break for it and head for a quiet pocket along the rugged coastline. A different sort of wild than the open strait, muskeg leads to forest bushwhacks. Skiff the shore and down along kelp- threaded channels.

DAY 5 Chichagof Island / Peril Strait

Kick off the morn with on-deck yoga stretches (your guides love it when you join them). Meander through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then stop. It’s a prime time to lower the kayaks and skiffs. Camera in hand, set off on land and sea explorations. Closer inspection by skiff, moss-dripping trees run right down to the water. Any bears in there? With one of the world’s largest populations of bears, it’s possible. Go searching for giant trees and tidal pools. Hiking in the Tongass, it won’t take long to find them. Your eagle-eyed guides lead the pack—and pull up the rear. Later, wend along a twisting channel known for dramatic currents. Peril Strait runs 50 miles to Salisbury Sound.

DAY 6 Sergius Narrows / Neva Strait

There’s an eerie, enigmatic feeling in these woods. Morning fog catches like cotton balls on trees. The aptly named narrows squeezes to only 300 feet wide in one spot and a shallow 24 feet deep. The shorelines are close and it’s good territory for play. Skiff ashore and hike into the backcountry. Otters back float working to crack snacks resting on their bellies. Opening at Hoonah Sound, the squeeze is back on. Wind into Neva Strait. Watch the scenery change in the late fading light—from the hot tub of course.

DAY 7 Krestof & Nakwasina Sounds

There aren’t many straight lines along Baranof Island. Its western side is spattered with remote, uninhabited islands. These features mean endless opportunities for adventure. Secluded coves. Tree-covered islets. Drop anchor, pick your modus operandi, and get going. Kayak, paddle board, or skiff—you’re on the level with curious sea lions and possibly whales. Rocky intertidal zones make good beach combing. Turn a stone or two to see what’s underneath. There are no groomed trails here—get out on a guided hike John Muir would approve of. Toast your voyage with a festive Farewell Dinner and a “photo journal” of your trip. A gift to you, from your expedition team.

DAY 8 Sitka, Alaska – Disembarkation

Cruise into Sitka this morning over breakfast. Farewell new friends! Disembark and transfer to the airport or your hotel stay or land tour. Route Map

**A Best Seller** – call or email with any questions or to request a booking.

PORTS AND PLACES

The places you visit play a starring role throughout every journey. While this list isn’t exhaustive of every nook-and-cranny you’ll explore along the way, we’ve included descriptions of key ports and places to help you get to know the wilderness areas, landmark locations, notable regions, and coastal towns relevant to this itinerary

Chichagof Island

Chichagof Island is the 5th largest island in the United States and one of the ABC islands of Alaska. It sits at the northern end of the Alexander Archipelago.

Separated from Baranof Island by the Peril Strait to the north, Chichagof Island has the largest population of bears per square mile of any place on earth and is protected by the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness area.

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

Glacier Bay Park and Preserve is reportedly the most sought after park to visit in the United States and it is no wonder. Where else will you find a 25 mile-long river of ice still carving the land just as it has for the past several thousand years? When Captain Cook and George Vancouver sailed by in 1879, they saw a 20-mile wide glacier where today the entrance of the park lies, as well the wilderness lodge and park headquarters.

Over the past 200 years, this wall of ice has retreated an astonishing 65 miles north, splintering into a vast number of tributaries spaced throughout the entire park. Each glacier has its own name and character; our captain will decide which to visit for the day depending on ice conditions and wildlife sightings.

Visiting Glacier Bay Park is also like visiting a wildlife park. Here bears, goats, moose, whales, sea otters, and all the creatures of the water and forest flourish, completely protected from man. A National Park Ranger joins us for our entire journey to explain the park's geology, glaciology, wildlife, and its deep roots in Tlingit culture.

Juneau, Alaska

Surrounded by the rich, green Tongass National Forest, and located on beautiful Gastineau Channel, Juneau is an important port and a popular tourist destination. Unique because it is the only state capital in the United States that is inaccessible by road, Juneau sits at sea level below the steep mountains that are home to the Juneau Icefield and the Mendenhall Glacier. Its temperate climate produces remarkable scenery with miles of hiking trails through woods and alpine meadows providing a glimpse of just how rugged the rainforest of Southeast Alaska is.

The Auke tribe of Tlingit Indians were the first settlers in the Juneau area. They lived there peacefully enjoying the abundance of food and natural resources until the gold rush began. First named Rockwell and then Harrisburg, Juneau was finally named after gold prospector Joseph Juneau. In 1880, he and his partner, Richard Harris, discovered gold nearby, and the city quickly developed into a gold rush town.

During the lucrative 60 years of gold mining in the area Juneau was home to three of the world's largest gold mines: The Alaska Juneau mine, the Alaska Gastineau mine, and the Treadwell mine. These three mines produced $158 million worth of gold making Juneau one of the world's major gold mining areas until the 1940s when costs outstripped the value of the gold. However, since 2005 the gold mining industry has been experiencing a resurgence.

Officially designated the capital of the Territory of Alaska in 1900, it did not function as the capital until the government offices were moved there from Sitka in 1906. In 1959 Juneau became the official state capital when Alaska was admitted to the United States. Today, its approximately 31,000 citizens live within a 3,255 square mile boundary, an amount of land that makes Juneau's city limits the largest state capital in the United States (and the only state capital that borders a foreign city.)

Along with its delightful small town ambiance, Juneau has a number of art galleries, boutiques, historical sites, and museums. In town you can visit the Alaska State Museum, the House of Wickersham, the Patsy Ann Statue, the 5-stories-tall totem pole outside the Capital Building, the Juneau- Douglas City Museum, the Alaska-Juneau gold mine or the salmon hatchery.

One of the most popular attractions in the area is Mendenhall Glacier, located only 13 miles outside the city. Although it’s receding, it is an amazing work of nature. Other attractions include the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge (providing a look at Alaska’s salt marshes and the migratory waterfowl protected there); the Juneau Icefield; the Mt. Roberts Tram (rises 1,800 feet and presents sweeping views of downtown Juneau and Gastineau Channel.) There are more than 205 trails within and surrounding Juneau. They range from fairly flat hikes accessible to wheelchairs and stroller to medium hikes up and down forest trails to strenuous uphill paths for serious hikers.

Peril Strait

Peril Strait is located in the Alexander Archipelago between Chichagof Island to the north and Baranof Island and Catherine Island to the south. Surrounded by mountains, glaciers, fjords, and narrow inlets and coves, Peril Strait is full of wildlife and beautiful scenery.

Sergius Narrows

This narrow waterway is the southern portion of Peril Straits. It provides an approximately 30-mile-long waterway shortcut to Sitka, Alaska, between Baranof and Chichagof islands. Sergius Narrows is a very narrow, zigzag course approximately 300 feet wide, with the tide rushing through at up to 9 to 10 miles per hour. Ships must pass through during “slack tide,” meaning that time when the water is most still between high and/or low tides. Sergius Narrows leads to Kakul Narrows, Salisbury Sound, and the Pacific, narrowing again to lead through Neva and Olga Straits to Sitka Sound and again to the outer west coast of the Pacific and the community of Sitka, Alaska. The exciting passage through Sergius Narrows offers a stunning view of remote, serene forested islands, great opportunity to view many bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer along its shores, and sometimes sea otter floating in and around the shallow kelp beds and rocky shorelines.

Sitka, Alaska

The city and borough of Sitka are situated on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago and was originally settled by the native Tlingit people. Old Sitka was founded in 1799 by Alexandr Baranov, then governor of Russian America, when he arrived and set up a colonial trading company chartered by Tsar Paul I. Tlingit warriors however, opposed the settlement and conflict resulted in the deaths of four hundred Russian inhabitants and the enslavement of the rest. Only a few managed to escape. Baranof returned in 1804 for the Battle of Sitka, the last armed conflict between Europeans and Alaska Natives. Following their victory, the Russians established a permanent settlement. Sitka was the site of the ceremony in which the Russian flag was lowered and the U.S. flag was raised after Alaska was purchased by the U.S. in 1867, an event re-enacted every October 18 (Alaska Day). There are 24 building and sites in Sitka that appear on the National Register of Historic Places, many reflecting their deep Russian and Tlingit heritage. Gold mining and fish canning paved the way for the town's initial growth, but it wasn't until WW II when the Navy constructed an air base in the area that Sitka came into its own. Today, Sitka is the 4th largest city in Alaska.

Icy Strait

Icy Strait is a body of water in Southeast Alaska that is located between Chichagof Island and the mainland, and extends 40 miles northwest from Chatham Strait to Glacier Bay and Cross Sound. Icy Strait’s nutrient-rich waters are abundant with marine mammals, sea birds and the scenery is spectacular.

**A Best Seller** – call or email with any questions or to request a booking.