The Petersburg Harbormaster assigned Shaman a slip in the South Harbor where she stayed with the Big Boys, the purse seiners, last year. These boats are larger than the ones in Ketchikan, and Shaman was excited. Imagine her disappointment when we headed toward her assigned berth, and there were….no boats! Well, very few. There was a salmon opening and anyone who had a boat in working order and could afford the fuel was gone. To Shaman’s delight, they returned the next day, complete with the noise of their pumps and the smell of rather old fish.
When one fishery closes and another opens, the skippers have to change to a net with a different size opening. We saw no advertisements for fitness centers in Petersburg.
These bins of fishhooks (about thirty inches across) are for one of the “long liners”. Does someone really bait each of those? Each boat has dozens of bins. How do they keep them from grabbing onto each other??? And who gets to store them back in the bins???
The fishing industry is not for sissies.
Petersburg, a town of about 3000, is “Alaska’s Little Norway” with very little Indian influence. Some of the expedition boats and small cruise boats stop here, but not the large cruise ships. The city gets about 40,00 tourists a year and has Great Ice Cream at Papa Bear’s Pizza! No wonder they come.
Hammer Slough at low tide.
Hammer Slough at low tide.
We liked the fence. The basket ball hoop adds a "sense of place". People live here.
Gardening in Petersburg.Doug’s question to me on our first day in Petersburg: Why are you using the magnifying glass to read?
For the last three weeks, I had been having difficulty reading. (No, not understanding the meaning…seeing the words on the page.) When I started having trouble deciphering the numbers on the chart plotter (giving me important information such as how much water is in a bay), we decided I should seek help. I called my optometrist on Bainbridge who was insistent that I get to an ophthalmologist SOON. Duh. He probably wonders why I even bothered to call.
Petersburg has a visiting ophthalmologist (from OREGON!) who had left two days earlier. Juneau has an ophthalmologist; it takes Shaman three days to get to Juneau. That would have been July 4th. Not too many appointments available.
For the last three weeks, I had been having difficulty reading. (No, not understanding the meaning…seeing the words on the page.) When I started having trouble deciphering the numbers on the chart plotter (giving me important information such as how much water is in a bay), we decided I should seek help. I called my optometrist on Bainbridge who was insistent that I get to an ophthalmologist SOON. Duh. He probably wonders why I even bothered to call.
Petersburg has a visiting ophthalmologist (from OREGON!) who had left two days earlier. Juneau has an ophthalmologist; it takes Shaman three days to get to Juneau. That would have been July 4th. Not too many appointments available.
A brief history to the Fernandes family’s encounters with ophthalmologists: Two years ago, Doug had an eye problem when we were on Molokai and had to fly to Honolulu for treatment. His problem was “time sensitive” and it took almost a year for his vision to return to normal. Delaying was not an option. Doug went to the Harbormaster’s office to extend our stay, and I started researching travel options and made reservations at an inn in downtown Juneau.
I made an appointment with the Juneau ophthalmologist for July 1st. Alaska Airlines could get me to Juneau in time for the appointment, but couldn’t get me back on Petersburg’s runway until after July 5th. What kind of an airline is THAT? Ah ha! Alaska Marine Highways could bring me “home” on July 3rd, arriving at 3:45 in the morning....in time for the parade on the 4th!
So, on Tuesday, we got a ride to the airport, and I left Doug and Shaman and headed for the big city. Before the plane climbed above the clouds, I could see Petersburg, Wrangell Narrows, and Fredrick Sound. Fredrick sound is HUGE. And we were going there in our little boat. I was very impressed and somewhat in awe of what we were undertaking. Yes, we had been in the same body of water last year, but I didn’t know IT WAS THAT BIG.
In Juneau, Dr. Preece (who was NOT 12, as are many of the health care professionals these days) made “ah ha” noises as he carefully studied my left eyeball; that did not decrease my anxiety The diagnosis was “Central Serous Retinopathy”. It might get worse before it gets better and there is no treatment for it, but it usually improves on its own. Next to giving me a shot or a pill to cure it, this was the best news I could have had.
The day after my eyeball appointment was sunny and warm and I was elated with my outlook (literally). Juneau has more miles of trails than miles of roads and many of the trails start from downtown. I went for a hike on the Preservation Mine trail along Gold Creek to Silver Bow Basin where Joe Juneau and Richard Harris found the ‘mother lode’ that started the gold rush 1880. I came around a bend in the trail and a cold blast of air from this old mineshaft hit me in the face. In addition to the miles of trails, the city has miles of tunnels. They are not an attraction.
In Juneau, Dr. Preece (who was NOT 12, as are many of the health care professionals these days) made “ah ha” noises as he carefully studied my left eyeball; that did not decrease my anxiety The diagnosis was “Central Serous Retinopathy”. It might get worse before it gets better and there is no treatment for it, but it usually improves on its own. Next to giving me a shot or a pill to cure it, this was the best news I could have had.
The day after my eyeball appointment was sunny and warm and I was elated with my outlook (literally). Juneau has more miles of trails than miles of roads and many of the trails start from downtown. I went for a hike on the Preservation Mine trail along Gold Creek to Silver Bow Basin where Joe Juneau and Richard Harris found the ‘mother lode’ that started the gold rush 1880. I came around a bend in the trail and a cold blast of air from this old mineshaft hit me in the face. In addition to the miles of trails, the city has miles of tunnels. They are not an attraction.
I loved this sign; there was no guardrail on the trail. Doug and I find it disturbing that so many natural attraction have impressive devices to Keep People From Doing Something Stupid. We’re in Alaska. Your wife slipped off the cliff and is now your deceased wife? Didn’t she see the sign? Bummer.
Old mining machinery at the bottom of steep cliff
Not a cliff, but do take care. Those little dots on the left are a dog and his people. About two out of three people walking the trail had doggz with them. When I went up the trail, it was bear-scat-free. On my return trip, I passed a recent deposit. Did you see the bear? ‘Didn’t see the bear. Just as well. My bear bells were on the boat.
The snowfield near the end of the trail prevented me from going to the end. I’d been walking with a couple from B’ham who drive tour buses. They knew the way over the snowfield to the Silver Bow Mine. They were 22 years old. I was not.
Gardening in the Tongass National Forest
Gold Creek
Last tree standing after an avalanche. (Or maybe just a snow slide.) Juneau ‘s electric supply was wiped out in April by a huge avalanche 40 miles to the south. The city has been using diesel-powered generators; electric prices are sky high. All of the businesses have reduced lighting and signs reminding customers of why they can’t see anything. People have been drying their clothes outside and there are no clothespins available. One woman had a relative in the Lower 48 ship her hundreds of clothespins and has been giving them to the poor. Aren’t small towns are the best!?? The electric supply should be restored in late July. I don’t know when they’ll get clothespins back in stock.
At the end of the hike, I went to the Mining Museum. These cruise line passengers were panning for gold, and I waded across the creek to join them. The tour guides must have Sensed An Intruder. They collected all of the pans and herded their charges safely back on the buses. I didn’t have much better luck at the museum. The gentleman at the desk was a former miner from Arizona and this was his first day volunteering. I think he might have been more at home in the mines. ‘Not too forthcoming with information. Oh well. I never remember those details anyway.
On Thursday, I took the bus to the Mendenhall Glacier on my way to Auke Bay to catch the ferry. Doug and I came here last year. It hadn’t changed much, as far as I could see; still magnificant. I enjoyed the signs on the trails…
These signs were twenty feet apart.
Stone fence on Mendenhall Loop Highway. Use what is available
Waiting to board the Matanuska, I noticed bout 30 second and third graders, looking like they were going to camp. They were actually headed home to Petersburg from Bible camp in Juneau and though nothing of camping on the ferry. ‘The only way to travel in Southeast.
On-time in Petersburg at 3:45 (AM).While I was gone, El Buccanero docked directly behind Shaman in Petersburg. We last saw Brad and Darlene on our first Ketchikan visit. Doug had company when he wasn’t doing boat projects! They had gone north for a few days and came back to Petersburg to pick up a five-day-overnight-delivery cell phone to replace their dead phone.
We went to the 4th of July parade together.
Coast Guardsman from the local station
The Grand Marshall was the school bus supervisor who had driven school buses for 20 years. I think she should have been Queen.
The theme of the parade was Uncle Salmon Wants You! These dancing ladies from the cannery entertained us with a song about can-caning wild salmo
Lots of kids!!!
Leaving Petersburg on July 5ht, headed for Sitka five or six days away. Two or three of these seals slid off the buoy as we went by and swam after our boat, begging for fish. The fishermen spoil them.
