Drop Kayak through Walker Cove in Misty Fjords National Monument, SE Alaska

Just incredible views on our 9.1 mile, epic paddle from the mouth of Walker Cove, up the fjord to where the Safari Explorer was anchored in the back.

East of Ketchikan, in Southeast Alaska, lies some of the most pristine and untouched wilderness in the Inside Passage. Dubbed with the title of National Monument, Misty Fjords is a true wilderness experience. It is known for 2,000ft cliffs rising straight from the water. The sheer rock faces are broken only where the Alaskan rainforest can gain a foothold. Sometimes it seems like trees are hanging on to sheer rock faces. The tide can rise 20ft, uncovering a vast intertidal system, also clinging to the exposed rock faces. While the glaciers that formed these giant fjords have since disappeared, the misty mountains remain, beckoning the avid explorer...or in this case, our expedition guest.

My plan was to have our kayaking group dropped off at the mouth of Walker Cove, one of these majestic fjords in the park. It measured out to about a 7 mile kayak from the head of the bay to the back, where the Safari Explorer would be anchored. After checking the tides, it looked like it would be rising from a 0.2ft low, to a 17.2ft high. This would mean we would get a helpful push from the incoming tide as we kayak into the fjord. What I didn't expect was the absolute best weather of the entire trip was coming our way.

A small group of intrepid kayakers joined me for this once in a lifetime adventure. The Safari Explorer dropped us just outside the bay, in sizeable waves. We were able to surf these waves right into the mouth of Walker Cove, and start our paddle down the fjord. Pretty soon, we had to stop in order to take a few layers off. The sun was beaming and the winds died down to nothing inside the fjord. We couldn't believe our luck.

We spend the next three and a half hours paddling under thousand foot cliffs, vertical rainforest, thousands of sea stars, and some of the most beautiful waterfalls ever. We explored every nook and cranny, and eventually made it back to the Safari Explorer, over 9 miles of paddling later. It was a day, and an adventure that none of us will ever forget. The photos don't do it justice.

Our skiff exploring the back of Walker Cove in Misty Fjords National Monument.

Dennis and Cynda kayaking in the back of Walker Cove.

In between massive cliffs, there was this cutout that had multiple waterfalls deep within.

This tree was hanging on to a sheer rock face.

Alexis paddling under a huge waterfall after taking a quick bath underneath.

Alan and Andrea kayaking under another waterfall.

We checked out every nook and cranny we could, even backing into this overhang.

Close up of blue mussels growing on the vertical rock.

View from under the overhang. What a beautiful, sunny, calm day to paddle Misty Fjords.

My kayak group for our 9.1 mile epic one-way kayak down Walker Cove.

Jill and Bruce heading towards one of the many waterfalls we kayaked past in Misty Fjords this morning.

This tree, leaning out over the water, made for a fun overhang to kayak under.

Look at these conditions! Just amazing.

Jill with her new pet, a tiny sunflower star.

This was a new species of sunflower star that I'll need to look up.

Bruce was trying out his new iPhone photography skills from our class last night.

Beautiful views paddling up Walker Cove.

Bruce and Jill, leading the charge on our epic paddle in Misty Fjords.

Waterfalls just poured out of the forest along the coast of Walker Cove.

Squeezing through the cut near the opening of Walker Cove into the Behm Canal.

There were so many ochre sea stars exposed by the low tide at the start of our paddle. The tide quickly came in but not before we saw thousands of them!

I took this photo from the bow of our ship as we approached Walker Cove, living up to the name of Misty Fjords.

We got started outside of Walker Cove, in the wavy Behm Canal. The waves quickly disappeared after we entered the fjord.