Sailing SE Alaska

July 31, 2012   Tenakee Springs

     We stayed in Tenakee Springs today so we could contact home, update my blog and wait out the storm front dissipating today. After we got up, Kelsey and I bundled up our laptops (hers in a water proof bag and mine wrapped in grocery bags inside my backpack) as it’s raining heavily off and on today.
     As we walked down the thimble, huckle and salmon berry bush lined one-lane dirt road into town we could hear the ravens in the trees. I love the ravens here in Alaska (and miss them in Seattle from my days when I lived on Vancouver Island). Usually the first indication that they are around is their familiar “chock, chock, chock” call but they have many calls as they are skilled at mimicking all kinds of sounds. Indeed, as we walked down the lane, we heard two other calls but I can’t think of how to duplicate it in words. In Tlingit culture (and I believe much of NW Native American culture, it is raven who enables our world to be created).
     We entered the old quaint 1903 building that houses The Party Time bakery and cafe. I sat at the old counter that still it’s original bar stools and set up my laptop (they have wifi here) and ordered breakfast. The WiFi is slow but I was still relieved to get it and breakfast was delicious--2 huge sourdough pancakes with sausage patties. I updated my blog though downloading photos took forever (the speed was reminiscent of dial-up speeds).
     As I was leaving to head down to the library at the other end of town, I asked the owner of the bakery about the WiFi at the library, which I had heard was unreliable. Yes, it was, he agreed but you can still get it through the ethernet cable there. I’m thankful he told me that as indeed, there was no WiFi, but I disconnected the cable from the back of one of the two computers there and hooked up my laptop to it--yeah, I was able to continue updating my blog.
     Shortly, Kelsey showed up at the library too and we worked on our computers, then took a rainy walk back to Privateer. Lovely houses and cabins line the path through town but I didn’t have my camera with me--and would have felt a bit intrusive if I had. Occasionally we would hear the resident ravens and munch on the abundant huckleberries along the way. Thoroughly wet, Pete lit a fire when we got back.
     After dinner, it was time to plan for tomorrow. After looking at the tide and current times--it’s full moon time--so spring tides which means greater highs and lows, meaning stronger currents. Kelsey and I determined that we needed to leave on the flood--Damn, means leaving the dock by 6am. As we have over 40 miles to go tomorrow--it’s going to be a long transit day.