Monday, 23 May: I got to ride along on a Misty!

Today Dan told me that he had an empty seat on a Misty Fjords National Monument tour. They had just 4 passengers and there would be room for me if I wanted to go. IF I WANTED TO GO???? Of course I did!!

Also, I was lucky enough to sit in the co-pilot's seat (helps to know the pilot). Here's Dan (all business) just after we took off. It was kind of a misty day, but good ceilings and visibility. I was in the plane with my seat belt on before the rest of the passengers got in.

So we're off. There were three ships in at port that day. Here are two of them. The air was smooth, no bumps. I knew that this was going to be a good tour. Dan started the CD that had some interesting information about the area we were flying through.

The tour takes us over the Tongass Narrows, around Mountain Point and over the Carroll Inlet, crossing the east side of Revilla. Then cross the Behm Canal. Actually, the Behm Canal is not a canal at all. It is a glacier-formed channel. From there we enter Rudyard Bay.

This is a picture of Rudyard Bay. We will then bank to the right and see "The Wall" on the left. The Wall is over three thousand feet tall and a sheer granite wall scrubbed out by glaciers.

Dan gets pretty close to the Wall, or, at least it looks that way. It is so big we are dwarfed in comparison. I once saw another airplane in the Misty's and boy did it look little next to those massive granite walls.

Coming to "The Wall"

Up close and personal

This is a picture of Big Goat Falls. The falls are two thousand feet high and come out of Big Goat Lake. I don't know if you can see this or not, but the lake is still frozen. Some of the fresh water lakes in the Misty Fjords are still frozen even into the month of June. By later in July they are all thawed and ready to re-freeze by late September.

One of Dan's and my favorite lakes is Nooya Lake. Here is a picture of the lake looking down from the head of the lake. The head is still frozen, but the mouth of the lake is open. I have been to the Misty's twice before and landed once at Bailey Falls and the second time we landed here on Nooya. When we had landed on Nooya it was mid August. It was the most breath taking spot. So very quiet and ethereal. It just left a lump in my throat. You really can see the hand of God here in the Misty's.

Looking from the head to the mouth of Nooya

Were are going to land at the Amphitheater this trip. Notice the other plane landing before us. At this time of the year it is one of the best places to land. We had a very nice landing - very smooth. The other passengers seemed to enjoy it as well. Whenever we land at the Misty's, the pilot always asks if everyone wants to get out onto the floats. Almost everyone does. Only two of our passengers were game for it, plus Dan and me. I don't know how deep the water is in the Amphitheater, but I know that in Rudyard Bay it can be up to 1,000 feet deep. I would imagine that it is pretty darn deep here as well. It was very quiet there. And it smelled good too, all the damp spruce and cedar trees. The water was a light green-aqua in color. And, with no wind, it was very peaceful. But, after what seemed like too short of time, our pilot said we had to get back into the plane and be on our way.

The Amphitheater from on the floats

Back in the airplane and ready to go

 

 

New Eddie Stone Rock is in the Behm Canal. Eddie Stone is the core of a volcano that the glaciers scrubbed the outside of the rock away and we are left with the core. Dan says that the rock is over 200 feet high. There is an eagle's nest in the top of the trees that grow on the rock. We could see the bald eagle's white head, but I'm not so sure it shows up on this picture.The way back to Ketchikan takes us almost back the way we came. After Eddie Stone Rock we go over Ella Creek (where I saw a black bear), Ella Lake, then rejoin our path back to KTN, over Fish Creek.

Back over the Carroll Inlet, around Mountain Point and up the Tongass Narrows. As we were approaching Taquan's base we came upon  the Coral Princess just leaving port on it's way up to Juneau. I can't imagine what the passenger's on the ship were thinking when they see an airplane flying low right next to them, in preparation for landing, and then actually see the plane land on the water right next to them. I'll bet it was awesome!

Here's Dan just after we touched the dock, securing the plane so us passengers can get out and take our pictures with that awesome pilot!