Alaska Flotilla: Leg 1, Day 16 – Culpepper Lagoon to Bishop Bay Hot Springs
Waking up in Culpepper Lagoon is something hard getting used to, in a good way. The fog adds a surreal feeling to the tall cedars and firs that rise high with the fjord walls. A light rain complimented the scenery, adding an extra awe factor to the thousands of waterfalls cascading down bare rock and forested hills. It was a rare morning, one that lingers in memory decades from now when I tell my grandchildren how I fell in love with the Inside Passage. Good things never last long, and with a 0700 start, we were off through the narrow passage into Kynoch Inlet.
Once again, pacific white-sided dolphins greeted our bows and rode the wake for over twenty minutes granting everyone a wonderful photo opportunity. Victoria also stopped by Kynoch Falls to put Doug on the bow of the Grand Banks and into the powerful, misty falls for one of those “once in a life time” moments. A few extra photos of crews from Alaskan Dream and Patos near Kynoch before we set our compasses to Bishop Bay Hot Springs.
The hot springs lived up to its name, with a wet boardwalk along the world’s most extensive and beautiful temperate rainforests. The pools were steaming, beckoning a soothing dip into those natural, hot waters. Mike aboard Change of Latitude has been taking a swim in every location we have visited. He hails from Finland with his wife, Ulla, and he has yet to miss a day without a swim in the local waters. Without questioning, he was first in the hot springs, but only after his daily swim in the frigid waters of the bay.
Dinner was divine with Captain Brian’s Coq au Vin chicken, sautéed in a red wine reduction served over noodles and a salad provided by Mike and Ulla. I baked bread earlier yesterday and melted butter as they warmed in the oven after a fresh batch of cookies were made. I think I have been eating better on this cruise than of all my years of cooking for myself. Now, late in the evening, lights have dimmed in the cabins of our neighbors, marking the time for bed. Thanks to all for another amazing day with the Mother Goose Flotilla.
