Whittier, Alaska - Shrimping and Boating with a Baby
1 May 2024 Whittier Shrimping
Lora, Eveline, and I travelled to the town of Whittier for our first boat outing of the year. Lora took a day off from work and suggested we go set up our shrimp pots and do some exploring of Prince William sound. We recently ate our last package of shrimp from the freezer and needed to replenish our supply.
The forecast in Whittier showed favorable winds which was great news. Our boat is small, so we must be smart when we take it out. The only other weather obstacle was rain and cold, which is normally not a problem for Lora and I. However, we now have four-month-old baby Eveline with us which changes things. When we first arrived in Whittier it was pouring rain and 40 degrees. Eveline was already fussy from being off her usual routine – and dealing with cold rain in an open skiff made me worry. I prepped and organized the boat while Lora breastfed Eveline in the warm truck. I didn’t mind the delay because it gave the rain a chance to clear up. I have learned having a kid is an opportunity to practice being patient.
To my surprise the rain lightened by the time Eveline was done feeding and we began to launch the boat. In the past I dreaded backing the boat into the water because of how terrible I was at reversing a trailer. But with time and plenty of practice I am now confident in my abilities. Now the only problem to deal with in Whittier now were minor annoyances; chief among them were all the fees. A $22 fee to get through the tunnel, $25 fee to launch the boat, and a $15 fee to park for a few hours. Add a tank of gas to the mix and it begins to be an expensive trip. Having to break out my wallet this many times I began to wonder if all of this was worth it.
After a trouble-free launch the boat started without hesitation. It sat all winter, yet the motor ran smooth and quietly. We scooted out of the harbor and were soon on our way to our shrimping grounds. The ocean had a slight chop to it, but it made for a pleasant ride. The rain had turned into a light mist and my worries about baby Eveline dissipated. Lora did an excellent job making sure she was tucked away warm and snug in her car seat. She even managed to put her in an infant life vest and then wrapped her in a rain jacket. Eveline was certainly the warmest on board.
Once we arrived at our fishing spot, I took stock of all the gear needed to rig up our shrimp pots. I had to go through a mental checklist to try to remember where each rope went. Our trap setup is more complicated than most because we pull our pots with the buoy and motor which requires additional parts. There is no room on our boat for a fancy pot puller. Soon I had everything figured out and I began to bait the pots. I filled the bait chambers with pellets doused with herring oil and as a bonus I tossed in two fleshy marten skulls from trapping this winter. I am hoping the sea lice and shrimp will eat them to the bone and I will be left with a clean specimen skull. Before throwing the pots in the water I asked Lora what the depth finder read, “530 feet!” she replied “Perfect” I said as I tossed the pots and began feeding the rope over the gunnel.
Our shrimp pots were set and now we had time for a little exploration of the nearby cove. Lora wanted to feed Evie again and stop for lunch, so we went looking for a calm place to beach the boat. On the way we passed by a large mooring raft where there are always sea lions piled on top of one another. We passed within 200 yards of the pile of animals when suddenly one lunged into the sea and performed a series of leaping dives toward our boat roaring each time it surfaced. It was clearly heading towards us and if we had stuck around there was a possibility it would have come after our boat. I veered the boat away from its course and headed further up the cove. Lora and I looked at each other in disbelief about what had happened. We agreed that it was bizarre how aggressively that animal was pursuing our little boat.
After outrunning the angry sea lion, we found a small cove to moor in. It had three freshwater streams that could be seen pouring out from the valley ahead. The three streams converged on the beach and drained into the cove where we anchored. The water had a hazy appearance where freshwater mixed with salt water. The shoreline was covered in a short kelp-like seaweed called popweed that makes a crackling sound like bubble wrap when stepped on. The flanks of the cove were steep and cliffy. The slopes above were covered in mountain hemlock trees that were draped in a fine green moss. They stretched vertically into the sky marching upward towards the mountains until disappearing in cloud. Above the rim of the cove there was still a substantial amount of snow; at least 3 feet. But down on the beach there were signs of spring with fresh green grasses beginning to sprout. Bears are drawn to these fresh grasses as it is a reliable source of calories during the scarcity of spring; I’ve also heard the fiber and roughage helps them clear their 'bowel plug' from hibernation. I’m not sure which story is true, but I do know hunters pay close attention to areas like these when seeking coastal black bear.
Soon after disembarking Lora took the opportunity to feed Evie who had been bundled and sleeping peacefully. Lora put a camping pad down on the rocky shore and nestled in with the baby. Despite the overcast gray weather, the beach had a warmth to it. Perhaps it was more a matter of perspective as being on the boat was always cold. As Evie fed, I fixed lora and I a small meal - leftover Japanese style salmon wrapped in some wheat tortillas. After making sure my wife was taken care of, I left her to finish feeding Evie while I explored the cove. I was surprised at how pristine nature was here. Not a single piece of litter or trash to be seen on the shoreline and I looked hard. It is hard to imagine this place was near the site of one of the worst oil spills in history.
I hiked up the steep cliffy banks and up into the hemlock forest. Out across the water I could hear the lazy groans of the aggressive sea lions. I turned my attention back to the forest where there was still a lot of snow but large patches of it had melted exposing the forest floor. The ground in these melted patches was surprisingly green. It looked like last summer’s growth was preserved under the snow; except the foliage was smooshed and flattened from the weight above. Small ferns and bright green mosses just waiting for the warmth to pick up where they left off.
I continued through the forest and post holed through the soft snow eventually making my way to a game trail that led back to the beach where Lora and Eveline were. Instead of going back to them I walked further up the cove to where the three streams were pouring out from the valley onto the beach. I had my waders on, so I hiked up a short section of stream and to my surprise it had a bedrock bottom which piqued my inner gold prospector’s curiosity. I knew that there were hard rock gold mining operations in Prince William sound long ago; so, I thought maybe there was a small amount of placer gold to be found? I knew it was wishful thinking, but maybe next time we take a break here I will bring a gold pan.
Lora had finished feeding Evie and we began to hike around the cove together. I took her up to the streams and Lora held Evie out at arm’s length showing her the various parts of nature she has probably never seen - I know Evie won’t remember any of this but perhaps trips like these will instill a foundation for an appreciation of the natural world. As we hiked back to the boat, we took some photos together and began to pack up. As we did, I noticed one of the cliffs had bands of quartz in it which again set off my prospectors’ curiosity. I took a small sample of the quartz and even convinced myself there might be a small seam of gold along the edge of the milky white rock; maybe someday I’ll crush up it up and pan it to see what’s in it.
We loaded up on the boat and shoved off from shore. The weather had improved considerably. The rain and wind had stopped and there were even hints of blue sky though the clouds. I opened the throttle on our Yamaha outboard and let the motor rev high; for some reason I thought this might be good for it after sitting all winter. As we jetted toward Whittier I wanted to make one final stop to the waterfall near the harbor. Last year I took my friend Nathan to this same spot, and we saw a mountain goat on the steep cliffs overlooking the ocean. I was hoping for a similar sight today. As we approached the waterfall, I spotted one almost immediately and shouted, 'Goat!' Lora saw it right away and I dug for my camera and telephoto lens. As I was snapping photos Lora spotted another two not far from this one. Before long we had counted 7 mountain goats!
The whole scene was beautiful and hard to describe in words. There were Impossibly steep cliffs rising straight out of the ocean with the water free-falling from the peaks above. Flocks of seabirds were perched in the cliffs above and their calls were deafening. The goats looked grizzled and weather-beaten after a long winter. They walked slowly precariously and nibbled on grasses as they navigated the steep terrain. They did not look stressed by our presence below.
I have a great appreciation for the mountain goat after harvesting one last year. I feel inextricably linked to the animal. The hunt was one of the hardest things I had ever done and seeing the animals up close like this brought back clear memories. I slowly began turning the boat back towards the harbor. Suddenly I no longer felt annoyed by all the fees I had to pay to be here. In fact, it felt incredibly worth it and I am looking forward to my families next trip out.