BOB made an appearance today. I know you've met BOB, even if you didn't know his name: Big Orange Ball. Perhaps in your part of the world he's so commonplace that you don't give him the respect he deserves, but I know I am not alone in saying "All hail BOB!" when he shows his face in Valdez. He's especially worshipped after a streak of weather like we've just had.
The weather forecast predicted that BOB would show up for at least part of today (how much depended on which forecast you read), and our friends the Swansons decided to take advantage of the nice weather to go for a sail in Port Valdez. They were sweet enough to invite Rowan and I to join them. (Thane would have been invited, too, but he's trying to get home after a week in Anchorage. With the road still closed, and likely to be for another week, he was lucky enough to get a spot for his truck on today's ferry from Whittier.)
We bundled up for a cold midday trip on the Segel Stuga. Some say it reached 40 today, but I think a thermometer had to be in the sun for it to record that. Regardless, it's always colder on the water, so I made sure to wear several layers.
As we motored out of the slip, a soft grinding sound accompanied us. A layer of fresh water on the ocean's surface had frozen, and the Segel Stuga's fiberglass hull broke through it as we moved. Small chunks of ice skittered across the larger sheet just inches from our hull; our movement was not enough to create more than a channel just our width.
As we got further out into the port, we found a small breeze, enough to tempt us into raising both the main and jib sails. That breeze didn't last long, but we did pick up a more sustained one on our way back to the harbor a couple of hours later. It was amusing to watch the Segel Stuga cruise along at 4 knots or so, and then suddenly drop to 2 knots or less when we hit a pan of ice. It was only about 1/2" thick, but it was enough. I know Mark and Emmie were glad it wasn't any thicker, and that there weren't any bergs than required avoidance maneuvers.
We headed out to Gold Creek, just a few miles from town. It was impossible to ignore the avalanches that had swept down the mountainside, not only removing the snow, but also stripping the vegetation. The smell of spring was in the air from the massive areas of newly-exposed fresh soil, an impression reinforced by the sound of waterfalls tumbling down. I wonder if there will be anything left of the trail to Gold Creek and Shoup Bay. I'll find out in the spring.
We saw several otters (the two little dots in the water to the right of the boat in the photo of Rowan and Henry above are actually an otter), numerous sea birds (my bird identification skills are lacking), and a few seals. On our way home, we swung by one of the buoys which marks a corner of the security zone around the Valdez Marine Terminal to say hello to the sea lions. Only one was in residence today, but that was enough to make the wildlife sightings list a little longer.
The forecast for the next couple of days is calling for more rain, but BOB's scheduled for another appearance mid-week. While we won't be able to sail out to greet him when he does come back, he'll be most welcome all the same. If we have to be trapped in Valdez by massive avalanches, at least we can enjoy living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
