 day 1
Welcome aboard! Meet Catalyst and her crew along Petersburg's busy working waterfront at noon. Stow your gear, explore your floating home, and help yourself to a hearty buffet lunch. After a group orientation and safety meeting on the foredeck, we begin our cruise north. Our first stop is a lovely anchorage called Scenery Cove in Thomas Bay. Tides permitting, we'll explore Baird Glacier's cobbled outwash. This evening, everyone is introduced to kayaking. Our five double kayaks are very stable for beginners, and three singles allow seasoned kayakers to exercise their skills.
 
 day 3
This morning we are awakened by the sounds of seabirds and marine mammals. A Stellar's sea lion haulout is close by, where hundreds of the vocal beasts spend their days. We will explore the Brothers by kayak and discover their incredible diversity of marine and shore life. By midday we enter the Kootznoowoo Wilderness of Admiralty Island. Here we kayak into an estuary and hike where spawning salmon support gorging brown bears.
 day 5
At Ford's Terror we will adventure aboard our kayaks, crossing salt-water rapids at slack tide, and paddle beneath the majestic 5,000-foot granite rock faces and the mists that shimmer down. Perhaps we'll step ashore for a picnic lunch before we paddle in awesome wonder back to the Catalyst. That evening might find us hiking the trail at the head, to discover pools of lilies shaped by the glaciers of the past before we relax and eat dinner to the music of waterfalls.
day 7
Time for one last early morning kayak trip before we leave Wood Spit. Brunch is served underway as we head north through Stephen's Passage. Fog and low clouds often striate the early morning water. Seabirds raft in the bays where mini icebergs escape with the tide. Humpback whales leap and feed and orcas knife through the brackish waters. The M/V Catalyst reaches Juneau-Alaska's state capital- about noon.
|
day 2
The aroma of fresh-baked scones wafting from the galley beckons you to breakfast. Soon we are underway, bound for the Brothers Islands in the heart of Frederick Sound. Along our route, we're likely to sight a pod of humpback or orca whales. Drifting with the engine shut down, we can watch them breach or feed, and listen to their sonorous calls with the hydrophone. Ashore we explore a temperate rainforest and enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner and campfire.
 day 4
The Catalyst is underway early this morning as we travel up Stephens Passage and turn into Endicott Arm. We wind our way back to Dawes Glacier, dodging icebergs and watching for whales, pupping harbor seals, mountain goats, moose and bear along the shores. At the face of the glacier we linger to witness the calving and rifle shot thunder of the bergs. Our evening's destination is the seldom-visited anchorage called Ford's Terror, where granite walls rise from the sea and waterfalls cascade in veils of spray. 
 day 6
A short cruise takes us to our last anchorage, Wood Spit at the mouth of Endicott Arm. This area features fascinating geology, Tlingit culure, and gold rush history. It's ideal for beachcombing, fishing, kayaking and viewing an Alaskan sunset. Tonight is the Captain's Ball and slideshow, a celebration of our experiences together.
and learn more about how you can join the adventures on Pacific Catalyst!
|
