Don't Throw Your Life Away - Battling Marine Debris from Alaska to Panama

[Voyager3]

When filling up a water bottle, I asked the lady at the dock what I should definitely try to see heading north to which she replied Telegraph Cove. And I like to take tips like that. I've also noticed that when a Canadian gives you directions, they're usually pretty good. Telegraph Cove is old, and built on stilts. The oldest building still on site dates back to the '40s, but was formed around the terminus of a telegraph line decades before. It's never had many occupants, but it's a popular destination now for things like fishing, whale watching, kayaking and just the history of it. There is also a lumber mill just outside the harbor part of town that had a role to play in WWII as well. Since there were so few people living there at the time, the mill was taken over for a time by airmen to ensure it kept turning out wood products fast enough for the war efford.

And on the way I pretended to be a train. I even made an "on rails" joke in instagram @traviswolcott that's my shameless plug for the day



























For this night I wanted to be in the forest again, and Vancouver Island is pretty good at that, too. This area called Marble River has a free campground and this lovely walk through a forest that for a few years at the turn of the last century was subjected to several hurricane force wind events that blew over much of the forest. This had a dramatic effect on the forest as a whole, clearing light out of the canopy, churning up the soil, just nature doing its own thing. And what a nice job it's done.











"And surely of all the smells in the world, the smell of many trees is the sweetest and most fortifying. The sea has a rude, pistolling sort of odour, that takes you in the nostrils like snuff, and carries with it a fine sentiment of open water and tall ships; but the smell of a forest, which comes nearest to this in tonic quality, surpasses it by many degrees in the quality of softness. Again, the smell of the sea has little variety, but the smell of a forest is infinitely changeful; it varies with the hour of the day not in strength merely but in character; and the different sort of trees, as you go from one zone of the wood to another, see to live among different kinds of atmosphere." - Robert Louis Stevenson

The ocean and the forest are both very dear to me. Perhaps that is why I enjoyed living in Oregon so much, and am getting more of the same as I head further north and west.

 

[Voyager3]

What a great trip and a great mission. Thank for you the awesome read, we do quite often in SD clean up when we are out on the beach and of course out on the trails as well. We do plan to take a trip up to AK and will definitely keep this in mind while by the waterways!

Thank you! I appreciate that. They all lead to the ocean. I've picked up a lot on trails too. Sometimes I can understand it. If you didn't realize you lost that corner of your granola bar wrapper, or you dropped your water bottle cap between some rocks or something. But I've found a large half full bag of chips in Joshua Tree. Did they think, "Oh bummer I was eating those. Too late now, I guess I'll leave it."?

 

[Voyager3]

Remember back when I mentioned the phrase “No Matter Where”? This is what I was going to show you. So what does it mean and where did I get it. I have no idea. I really don't know where I found it, it was in the last couple of years though, but I couldn't tell you if it was Colorado, Utah, Oregon....But it doesn't really matter does it? The point is I use it to keep certain parts of my story in mind. You can pair it with anything. Parts can fail no matter where. Jenson seems to be happy no matter where. Remember to breathe. Be kind. Good or bad, we have to have a clear understanding of current experiences no matter what they are. Feelings arise, and then they pass away.



Also, Jeep, if you're reading this yet, ^^^^^ maybe a print ad in an outdoors magazine? Eh? Just throwing it out there.

Back in Sayward I wrote under the headlight, the same thing I put on my DR650.



When I wrote it the first time a couple of the letters were too close together and I started feeling upset by it, surely at least I can write the message nicely and then remember to think about it. No. I just had to remind myself, this is why I'm doing it. This time, you can see towards the end I wiped some of it away with alcohol and wrote it over. Why? Because I was doing so well and getting to the end and was very carefully writing P, E, R, F, E, T............crap. I know, I know. This is the whole point of the exercise. Giggling, I grabbed a swab and some alcohol and did it over, now it looks different than the rest and it's wonderful. And spelled correctly. I'm nearly an English major after all, I can deal with poor sharpie on headlight bezel penmanship, but not misspelling “perfect”.

And so when the right front wheel bearing started to make noise turning left under load, it's just another thing that has happened. It's not what I wanted, but it's what I got. It'll be alright for a while and I'll fix it when I can.

Was I finally finding trash? YES! In Port Alice, it was really just this black trash bag. Doesn't look too bad right? Uh oh, it's stuck. I'll have to dig it out, if it's down there, it's full of pebbles and really in there. Nothing a few minutes with a shovel can't handle and this is the extent of what's down there. Everything you see that isn't clean was underneath. I've done this before, spent a lot of energy dislodging a big sheet of plastic from a cove in Iceland. Definitely worth the effort.







How cool is this?



And because Port Alice apparently likes to party...



Searching the edges of town for something else to see, I stopped here because I saw another Bald Eagle fly into the trees somewhere. But this definitely struck a chord with me because, well, I think I actually could put a board like this to use if I had one on the Jeep. Maybe I will. Some kind of dry erase counter on the back window. This, if you've been following along has been the theme for quite some time. But this is exactly why The Swiss Family Robinson was boring. They always had it their way. They started their shipwreck story with everything they could possibly need, and then everything went very well.



Unfortunately, I stepped on a twig I didn't see and spooked the eagle before I could get a good look, but there will be more. There are so many up here I've lost count.
This was almost one of those days where nothing further happened, I mean, I was already rattling through every little town on Vancouver Island with that old clunking catalytic converter, the sputtering of the split open muffler, the slight grinding from the wheel bearing turning left. This Check Engine Light is nothing new, it comes and goes. Some open circuit Injector 1 message usually. I've replaced all of them, and most of the wiring to number 1. It just does that, but now it's pulsating. Brighter and dimmer. And so is everything else? Scan the dash and the voltmeter is pegged. Reset the incident board. I turned the Jeep off and back on again, but I'm sure somewhere there's a weird ground that made the alternator forget to rectify. Could be a bad ground somewhere.

 

[Voyager3]

One last look at Port Alice's beautiful little harbor...





...and we headed out to Port Hardy. We're nearing the top now. I haven't posted about food yet this time? Well here's a BBQ chicken quesadilla. Does it work as a concept....pretty much. It's what you'd expect, and the combination of all that and the salsa actually is pretty good.



Out the window I'm watching a Cessna floatplane getting ready to take off when something better arrives, touching down right by the docks is an old flying boat. The Cessna takes off, and the newcomer slips into the dock. I have to take a look. If you read my previous reports, I'm an aviation enthusiast as well. I never got my PPL because life changed both times I tried and kept that dream ever elusive.



I walked down the gangway. After salutations I asked, “So, is it a Goose?” The pilot said yes, and after just a moment or two said, “Do you want to have a look inside? Go have a seat up front while we unload.”

Well don't twist my arm now.









So this is a 1939 Grumman Goose, just out of paint 3 weeks ago, and yes, I got to see her take off again. I love a good radial. The puff of smoke on startup, the noise, the power. My dad got his seaplane endorsement in a Widgeon and said it was the most fun flying he's ever done. For me so far, the most fun was this in a Pitts S2-C.



Back to the car, but there's one piece of garbage that catches my eye. It's fish. Packaged fish, and seems like it's still sealed. I can smell it though, probably because it was bagged up on August 13th, 2015. It's been somewhere all the time until washing up here. That'll be dinner tonight.



Just kidding I threw it away. Don't eat fish in a bag washed up on a beach after 3 years adrift. Please.

Oh, and just in case you forgot how big those wind turbines are, here's a reminder. I haven't seen any on the island though. Curious.



In the afternoon I headed to another tiny village called Coal Harbour and chatted with a couple trying to get the wheel off their Mercedes RV to change it. It's a weird design and took them a while. I decided to spend all afternoon not going anywhere. Parked up in a day use area to stroll another beach, trying to keep Jenson from running too much while he's healing. And while I was there a nice older man came down to ask where I was from, where I was going, and where I was planning on staying tonight. When I said I didn't know where I was sleeping but I would find something he said, “Well you're not allowed here, but over there past that bush is my property and you're welcome to stay there.” Thank you very much. Don't mind if I do.

 

[Voyager3]

An early morning to be in line for the ferry to Prince Rupert. Like at the gates at 4:30. I was waitlisted but the odds seemed pretty good I was going to get on. I wanted to stay by the coast as much as I can going north, plus this cuts out an extra 1000 miles of backwards and around. Cost wise, it's probably a wash because fuel is pricey up here, and it gets me back on track.



Driving down the lane to get lined up, the lights are going haywire, and it's sputtering down the lot. Breathe. I find the problem is a loose nut holding the ground cable to the battery. I really want to just enjoy this boat ride for a while.





And what a ride it was. Foggy in the morning, but this is a 16 hour trip. Plenty of time to watch the world go by. And I loved it. The islands around here aren't dramatic, in fact to me their similarity to each other and the persistent pacing of the trip accompanied by the thrum of the big engines made it feel almost as if this was the world and it was being rendered ahead of us, and dissolved behind. A world being uploaded just for us, brand new. Untouched naturally and accompanied by occasional announcements about points of interest as we sweep past. No tiny windows as on a plane, no diverted attention as when in a car. Just passing through the world.







Any Poutine fans here? Had to give it a try, filling yes, but maybe not going to replace pizza for me.





At some pont, somone drew a sailing boat on my driving car.





And as I watch the Inside Passage go by through the big picture window, there are a few humpback whale sightings, sea otters, eagles, and even a pod of Orcas. I take note of the water. This trip is becoming more and more about water and mind states. Water isn't blue. It's clear. But the weather changes. The environment changes, and these effects can be seen on the water. When it's stormy, it's silvery or gray. When it's winding through a forest, it's green. When the sun is rising and setting, who knows. At sunset today I had the boat throwing a wake and some of it turned light purple. Hell, I even saw it yellow the other day because it was next to a painted concrete barrier and I could have sworn the “drinking water” I was getting from a spigot was in fact tainted. Changed my perspective, and what do you know, it's clear again.



Can you tell in this one the leading edge of the wake was actually lavender? It's faint in a photo, but it was there.









When water is given a mission, like reaching the ocean as is generally the case for even the tiniest of streams, it alternately charges headlong or meanders languidly towards that goal. If it is stationary, it is played upon by winds and tides. But water is water. The mind is essentially clear and calm before we go and disturb it. Outside circumstances like terrain can make it speed up or slow down. Mind states like anger, doubt, lust, fear, torpor, all come and go like the weather. It seems to be always changing, but your mind, if it can be recognized as having a resting state, is tranquil like the water.

Cleaning up the environment, is at its core, pretty straightforward. See trash, pick it up. Every piece matters, no matter where. Then try not to throw more in it. If you catch yourself doing it, stop, recognize it, and fix it. And maybe, just maybe, treating the world with such respect will encourage you to do the same for yourself.

Now are you sitting down?

And how's this for a bizarre twist. At the stop halfway through this voyage when I again had service, I received a phone call from Oregon. Who could this be? It's Bike Newport. The store I got my Trek Marlin 6 from. They say they got a call from a man in Seattle who bought a bike whose serial number matches one they sold me. Was I missing one?

You bet I was.

So I got put in touch with the man, who said he purchased it a couple days ago but the sale didn't feel good. Something about it was weird. He bought it anyway, but as part of his recovery he really wants to always do the right thing. He noticed the sticker of the shop in Newport and called them. I am so grateful for someone with the vision and integrity to see that if there's a chance this bike did in fact come to him by nefarious means, the right thing to do was to find out. The friend I was visiting in Seattle is in contact with him about getting it to his place to store until I find out how to get it back. Shipping while I'm up this far is silly, but maybe when I come through Ohio a couple months from now? Unless one of you fine folks happens to be headed north with an extra space on the rack But until I figure that part out, at least the injustice has been corrected. I'm astounded, and will be thinking of something to do for this man to thank him.

How crazy is that?

Another note about this trip. Before leaving Newport I shipped home 50 pounds of books back to Florida. In Astoria I shipped 25 pounds of some of my older books. Really just mostly the ones I've read. Some of my favorites like The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle, and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. And for me, old is before about 1935, dating back to 1877 with my best smelling book, From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne. I have managed to keep one of my Wolfpack boxes packed with the rest in the Jeep. Not exactly packing light or what might call the essentials, but I love my books, and this is my trip.



On the ferry to Prince Rupert I devoured An Inland Voyage by RLS as the Inside Passage drifted by outside. I figured a story about a voyage by boat would be fitting. Every now and then some Humpback Whales made an appearance, and even a school of Orcas. Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, and a good old book. Not a bad way to spend a day, and this is why I've brought so many to look forward to along the way. An early two volume printing of The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling, a couple Lowell Thomas books like With Lawrence in Arabia and more. So, not only is this a good place to be if you like travel, beach cleanups, mishaps, mindfulness, food and the occasional airplane, add books in there as well. Still on the lookout for as early a copy as I can of Eothen by A.W. Kinglake. It's been a couple years searching, but it takes me to many old bookstores where, inevitably, I find other treasures. I seem to be curating a small collection of early travel and adventure stories. If you know a great bookstore somewhere along the way up north to Alaska, or back across Canada, or even down in Central America when the time comes, I'm listening.

 

[haven]

“I've spent the last 6 months living almost entirely in the past or the future.”

“Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect”

I am enjoying this thread, sort of a “Zen and the art of beach maintenance” travelogue. You deserve a wider audience!

 

[Riversdad]

Your good deeds are coming back to you with the bike. Keep up the good work, really like your story.

 

[Voyager3]

“I've spent the last 6 months living almost entirely in the past or the future.”

“Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect”

I am enjoying this thread, sort of a “Zen and the art of beach maintenance” travelogue. You deserve a wider audience!

Thank you for saying so, I'd be haply to have a wider audience. If you write it, they will come

Your good deeds are coming back to you with the bike. Keep up the good work, really like your story.

Thanks, seems that way. But begs the question, what did I do to deserve it stolen in the first place? I'm not thinking about karmic energies, I'm just going to keep up the work and the story. Thank you for following along!

 

[Neuner]

Saw the cable cut from the thieves and startled me because I use something similar. Made me investigate and come to find out, they're one of the easiest to hack and not recommended by anyone that I found. All suggested large chain like the OnGuard Mastiff Chain with Separate U-Lock which is what I'm thinking about changing to. Said cutters and hacksaw were pointless against and the cordless grinder, a thieves tool of choice, ran out of juice before it could get through. Hope this helps.

 

[Voyager3]

Saw the cable cut from the thieves and startled me because I use something similar. Made me investigate and come to find out, they're one of the easiest to hack and not recommended by anyone that I found. All suggested large chain like the OnGuard Mastiff Chain with Separate U-Lock which is what I'm thinking about changing to. Said cutters and hacksaw were pointless against and the cordless grinder, a thieves tool of choice, ran out of juice before it could get through. Hope this helps.

Yeah, and some of the U bolt style locks have anti-theft guarantees, it seems. Live and learn. I used to use that style at college in Boulder, but this cable was what was recommended by the shop considering where i was going to be travelling. I'm not convinced anymore. So when i do get it back, I'll be switching.

 

[dwh]

That car started out as a Lincoln Continental Mark IV.

"Nothing is perfet" was perfet asit was.

 

[JohninDetroit]

Good for you. I fill my trout net every time I hit the river on a fly fishing trip. Unfortunately, often its not enough room.

 

[OverlandMitsu]

Continuously an awesome read! Cannot wait for more updates!

 

[Voyager3]

That car started out as a Lincoln Continental Mark IV.

"Nothing is perfet" was perfet asit was.

Well then, we wouldn't want that now, would we?

Good for you. I fill my trout net every time I hit the river on a fly fishing trip. Unfortunately, often its not enough room.

We do what we can, I'd love to catch a trout bigger than 6" on this trip too, speaking of fishing

Continuously an awesome read! Cannot wait for more updates!

Thanks! The rest of BC was stunning, I even saw a wolf. If you like glaciers and lakes, you'll like what's coming

 

[Voyager3]

Boy did I get behind. I left you guys in Prince Rupert??! It'll take me some time to catch up, but let's get into it. It's raining in Valdez, and I can't see anything outside anyway.

Chapter Next

A couple things straight away. There are a lot of boats coming up again. This is in part an Overwater trip, not just an Overland trip, so don't be alarmed if I end up on a ferry without the Jeep. Spoiler alert, I take a ferry without the Jeep.

The other thing is, I'm going to talk a lot about wildlife sightings, but you really won't see any. I have always had huge respect for wildlife photographers. Landscapes just don't move as much. Also they're using better equipment than the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

So where were we, ah yes. Prince Rupert. We arrived in after 11 off the ferry from Vancouver Island and promptly found a seaplane port parking lot to bed down quickly. In the morning it was time for laundry and posting the last chapter before heading into upper BC by road and see more of the interior of western Canada. From Prince Rupert we headed inland through Terrace towards Kitwanga. I was starting to see signs for Alaska and it felt like the trip was really getting going.
















Pushing north I found a stream to swim in because it's been so hot. While I was there a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer came by to inform me that if I was interested in fishing, that this particular stream and all the ones south into a particular river were closed for salmon protection reasons. When I told him I was headed north he spent a long while explaining where all the best lakes were to visit. He was happy to help and chat about what to see along the way and interested in the trip. I was happy to have had the local knowledge later.

I did find myself in a position to visit Alaska very briefly before making it to Alaska. If you've been through Hyder, you understand. It's only accessible by road through BC and quite small. The drive into Stewart is amazing with big cliffs and waterfalls and smaller glaciers. It was on this road that I had my first real wildlife sightings. Shortly after turning on the road at the intersection I saw two black bears in the road heading across. Too quick to grab a phone and I didn't want to miss it, so I just watched and you'll just have to take my word for it. The sighting in the evening while finding somewhere to park up for the night was special.





I was driving back to a spot I remembered from about a half hour before and in front of me, what looked like a wolf trotted across the road ahead, I didn't get a chance to put binoculars on it or anything, I was still driving and he was into the bush. At least I got a glimpse right? Well I stopped because I was excited about seeing a wolf, even for a moment. When I pulled over I looked in the side view mirror and he (or she) walked very calmly back out into my lane and stood there. I shut off the engine and still he was there. Jenson I think hadn't seen him yet and was calm, which was great. I found my binoculars, but hadn't been able to find my phone for an hour anyway, but this moment would just be for me. I opened the door and stood next to the Jeep and trained my binos at him from a distance of maybe 30 yards and he just stared back. Didn't get nervous, or run. For a good 20 seconds or so I stared and he stared. A beautiful animal, and huge. When he was ready he just walked back across where he had come from and disappeared. I was beaming.

The next morning I headed into Hyder. There's a beautiful day use area around a stream, very pretty but no more bears. I have to be aware though because in the lower 48 there are about 1,000 brown bears. In Alaska alone, it's more like 35,000. At this point, I still hadn't seen one.







Hyder is the gateway to the Salmon Glacier which is actually back in BC somehow, is the 5th largest on the continent and a stunner. Ignoring the flies and the heat, I also picked up some post cards from the Bear Man up there peddling his books and DVD's of bear sightings. Someone was kind enough to grab this shot of the two of us up there, and I chose the one where he's snapping at flies.







He really does know how good he has it.



On the way back down I found a spot to explore a glacial river. The glacial runoff is very silty and frigid. Who would have guessed. But we waded across anyway and a couple times spooked salmon the size of Jenson. On the other side throwing sticks an immature bald eagle flew overhead and perched in a tree. OF course my binoculars were back in the Jeep and I would have to do the river again. It was worth it, we got very close on the other side from the eagle, noticed another in the same tree, and realized that we were putting bare foot prints in the beach alongside bear foot prints. Bears, wolf, eagles, glacier, tracks, fish, I mean, this is all great right?








How could it get better?