Into the fog to a higher place

Saturday, June 28, 2008: Cougar Bay off Tolmie Channel to Khutze Inlet—heaven


Into radar land

Awake to hot chai green tea and a heater and the most beautiful music: Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1; Liszt’s Lieber Straum highlights from Carmen; The chorus from Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, and more. Voices of angels. Human instruments finely tuned. Heavenly. Puts the soul at ease. Sets pain aside. A homemade muffin and tea morning until a noon start towards Russ’ place of choice. Bishop Hot Springs.

How did the early explorers do this without sun for sextant fixes so much of the time? Line of sight—dropping lead lines: The Greek mariner exploring for Spain, who discovered the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Spanish explorers Perez, Hezeta, Quadra, and others from California, going as far north as Alaska in 1775, making no landings. The Frenchman, LePerouse, anchored just south of Fairweather, west of Glacier Bay described Lituya Bay: “a most extraordinary basin of water, a depth that could not be fathomed, bordered by peaked mountains of excessive height, covered with snow.” British explorer Captain James Cook, visiting Nootka Sound and Resolution Cove, explored Prince William Sound and crossed through the Aleutian Chain in 1779. And the veritable Captain George Vancouver sailed with his dark mood through the strait, 200 years after Juan de Fuca, chartered Puget Sound and explored the waters to Queen Charlotte Sound. Later explorations took him to the southern end of the Alaska Pan Handle.

“Why are we doing this?” I asked Russ.

“I asked myself that, too, out in the summer wet and gray yesterday. “ Russ said. “Perhaps just to say I did it.”

“Perhaps for the raw, majestic, immense, and powerful beauty. For perspective. For the passage.” I said.

FOG!!! Big time. I’m scared!! Radar on. Into its center we go, hugging the port shoreline. Time evaporated.

This day has been a wonder—an awakening to the power of beauty. Through the fog—out of Cougar Bay, up Tomlie Channel a short way on the cusp of not seeing. Into Graham Channel where extravagant beauty unfolded. Ribbons of fog, bands, mists, blankets, totally encompassed. Radar! See through it. A fishing boat or two break through—miniature in a mighty expanse. Triple-tiered waterfalls, wet granite patches, rivers that run into the reaches.

All of this beauty makes you realize one’s significance, or insignificance, or what miniscule part we play in the greater scheme.

Pull into Khutze Inlet. HEAVEN unfolds. Snow mountains, an eagle in a treetop. A raven higher up. A stream running into the inlet. Waterfalls. God’s place.
Nearly 11:00 PM at night. Listen to the sound of the rushing stream, see the mist, the fog funneling through the inlet, the shadows, the reflection. This is perfection. A place mightier than my understanding.

So here it is I stop awhile to touch the deeper sense and to hold on to hope for humankind—to remember my kin long gone. There is no place greater in my memory: Grand Canyon, Machu Pichu, Okavango swamps.

This moment is for you Ian—to draw you to a higher place.