Towering granite domes and walls rising out of the sea. Messages in the form of pictographs from ancient First Nation peoples on some of those same walls. Hundreds of waterfalls careening thousands of feet. Rock fish caught with almost every cast. Not another boat sighted for days. This is what we found in Roscoe Inlet.At the recommendation of Gary and Sharon Robinson, a couple who follow our blog and also are from Fort Collins (they’re retired Colorado State University professors in electrical engineering and pathology, respectively), we ventured up Roscoe. We met them in Shearwater. Gary was ready to catch our dock lines as we arrived, excited to say “hello” and let us know he follows us online. We were pleased to meet him, too. (Actually, Kim almost jumped off Sundown and hug Gary because she was so happy to encounter someone from home. She thought better of it, though, sparing us all an awkward moment.)
Roscoe Inlet is truly an amazing spot. Gary said it resembled Yosemite National Park; I was a little skeptical. As we wound our way deeper into the channel and turned corner after corner, the scenery got better and better, and my skepticism vanished. We went from Yosemite landscapes into the realm of the Lord of the Rings. The things I wanted to share with Kim in Prince William Sound (PWS) was the awesome snow capped peaks, waterfalls, eagles, whales and solitude. True wilderness. Here in British Columbia (BC) we have encountered all of these things. In PWS, the cliffs were not so spectacular as here, but there were glaciers. There are glaciers here in BC, too, we just haven’t gotten to them yet. In PWS there was a sense of true wilderness. (Well, in 1980 there was wilderness and I imagine PWS is still relatively wild.) Anchored at the head of Roscoe Inlet, we were so deep into the wilderness and remote, we didn’t have VHF reception.
The Valdez oil spill occurred after I was in PWS. Even still, environmental impact was evident, unfortunately. For example, I learned to start fires in the rain using creosote timber washed ashore from docks. We encounter the same leftovers from logging and fishing here in BC. It’s astonishing the amount of garbage left behind by those industries. And the pictographs of the First Nation people that lived in this inlet that we think are so magical are just graffiti of another era.
Had we gone onto Alaska or even out to Haida Gwai, we would have missed spending time in this otherwordly place.
SO happy for you that you followed your gut! It looks a little bit of what I consider paradise! And Kim, I follow your blog ALL the time – anxious to hear of the new adventure. So if you wanted a connection from home, I’m sending you one!!!!! You’re still loved even if you’re far away, chasing your dream! And those of us who love you will still be here in good ole’ Colorado when you come back! Miss you!
Thanks, Karen! Every day is an adventure! I hope you’re well!
Fantastic!!! Those photos probably just touch the magnificence of the place. The ‘pictographs’ are hypnotizing to ones’ sense of time. Idea: could you put your GPS location in your posts so we ‘armchair adventurers’ could find you easily? It’s such a joy that you can share these travels with us. Peace and be safe.-Mark
Mark,
It is quite the cruising grounds. Kim found a way to imbed map links to posts so we will try to do that in the future.
Clay
Darn WP erased my comment. Fantastic post!! Incredible ‘pictographs’ are hypnotizing to ones’ sense of time. Idea: could you include your GPS numbers so we ‘armchair adventurers’ can easily locate you? Stay safe in that amazing place.-Mark
Yes, we’ll try to include coordinates. Clay is supposed to be working to add a map of where we are so you can follow us that way. I’ll crack the whip!
I agree – send coordinates! I’m only an Armchair Adventurist at this point.
BTW: Your comment about the energy industry leaving all the garbage about is not exclusive to Alaska. I can see it everywhere they’ve been up here in Wyoming. The gas industry leaves the least amount of refuse.