Alaska with the Family Day 2: Robert and Crowe Islands

 Welcome to the rainforest. Even though we had blue skies and calm conditions, there is still something magical about venturing into the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska. On day 2 of our UnCruise family adventure Catalina and I embarked on an all-day kayak and bushwhack adventure. Susie and Fisher embarked on a 'bushwhack light' adventure. And Heidi and Dela joined for a low-tide, shoreline tidepool exploration.

The islands of Robert and Crowe are located just off the mainland at the Northeastern corner of Fredrick Sound. I've had some pretty incredible encounters with humpback whales here in the past, but you never know what animals you might encounter. We saw some far off whales from the boat, but were treated with closer encounters with eagles, harbor seals, stellar sea lions, belted kingfishers, and even a couple of black bears.

Even without the wildlife, the adventure would have been worth it. The water conditions were flat and calm, perfect for kayaking. We could see right down below the water. Plus it was low tide in the morning, so all of the sea stars, barnacles, and limpets were on full display. A bald eagle was eating something on the rocky shoreline, most likely the remains of a fish that it had been working on for awhile.

We stopped on the back of Robert Island for a little exploration and a picnic lunch. Catalina and her new friend Dylan figured out how to turn the beached kayak into a teeter totter. This game somehow morphed into riding a bucking bronco... probably because I was in the back trying to shake them off. We also found an eagle skeleton just inside the forest, with a banana slug close by.

Our next stop was a bushwhack on the mainland, after kayaking up a salmon stream until it became too shallow. We walked through a meadow with grass that was taller than Catalina. Entering the forest made moving easier for the little kids, and we quickly stumbled on an old log cabin with a sign above it reading "Hooligan Hollow."

We had a few more stream crossings during our bushwhack, and ended up back at our kayaks for a relaxing paddle back. Just after getting into the kayaks, Fisher and Susie popped out of the woods on the opposite side of the river. It was such a fun experience to be out with Catalina, and have an impromptu meeting with my son and mother in law in the wilds of Alaska. We said 'hi', and 'bye', as they continued their bushwhack.

Ironically enough, it was shortly after this meeting, and right down the coast that I spotted the bears. And they were moving in the same direction as Fisher and Susie's bushwhacking group! But all was good, and the bears even made an appearance for another group later in the afternoon.

It was a beautiful day for exploring Alaska with the family. We finished the night with an evening bonfire on the beach just down the way at Steamboat Cove. Just an amazing day all around. 

A ode to Abbey Road as we cross a quintessential Alaskan salmon stream

These kayaking conditions will do nicely

Heidi hamming it up on the shoreline of nearby Walpole Island

I call this a 'dry snorkel', when the tide is out and you can see everything without even getting wet. Here Catalina holds a big ochre sea star

Indian Paintbrush up close

Catalina about to get a surprise splash from behind from her new found friend, Dylan

This was our lunch picnic spot and where Catalina and Dylan figured out how to use the kayaks as teeter totters

Brandon getting down with the girls

Elements of a real bushwhack were handled with ease by the younger generation

Big step for a little girl

This was the real beginning of the bonding between these two

Catalina crossing a river in true Alaskan bushwhacking style

"I saw a bear that was 'this' big"

Deedee and Fisher in the tall grass of Alaska

Portrait of a future world explorer? Off to a good start with an Alaskan expedition before age 4