Humpback Lake Cabin

    The excitement was palpable as we prepared the night before our trip. Mark and Liz were up visiting us and we wanted to give them a true Alaskan experience. Ketchikan decided to demonstrate why it was known for being, “the rainiest city in North America” with a 7 day forecast of drizzly rain. 

Though, this was not lost on us as we marveled at the world’s 2nd largest rain forest in all its glory. Grey clouds rolling over lush tropical-looking densely forested mountains were accompanied by gushing waterfalls every 400 feet, were just some of the features of this waterlogged wonderment. Though the weather can be troublesome on occasion, as such when traveling. Our floatplane was delayed due to the inclement weather leaving us in a state of anticipation. 

Once it arrived Emily and I watched with satisfaction as Liz and Mark’s gittiness took hold while we loaded onto the special air/sea craft. Taking off from the water with iPhones recording every moment we were off towards Humpback Lake. The plan was to stay two nights on our own island, in our own cabin, on our own lake without a soul nearby. The only way in or out is via floatplane. 

The expressions of wonder continued as we weaved through the mountains and fjords above the clouds and over glistening inlets and coves. The further we flew the more majestic and magical the scenery became even as we threaded onto our lake. With ear-to-ear grins we disembarked to our chalet on the lake. It was better than we could have imagined. An A-framed two floor cabin situated on a 6 mile lake guarded by 4000’ glacier cut mountains streaked with cascading waterfalls (the most forceful of which, a 100-footer, was right next to our cabin!) was where we docked. No power, but an abundance of water features including; running water, hot tub, a motorboat, and a private dock awaited us. We eagerly transported our gear and stood on the deck waving goodbye to the floatplane as it took off leaving us in this garden of eden. No less than 1 hour into getting situated did Mark exclaim that he was hearing a goat nearby. He and I search around for the source, though it was the strangest goat I had ever heard... In fact, to me it sounded like, and sure enough was, a bear cub crying for its mother just behind our cabin!! Upon seeing this, and now understanding the inordinate amount of bear spray strewn all over the place , we both clambered for the girls and spray. But by the time we got them the cub had run off. This set us on alert for the remainder of the trip. The weather remained rainy with intermittent breaks throughout our stay. The forest was like a saturated sponge underfoot. We relaxed and read while listening to the waterfall and cooked kabobs that first night. The lake was so peaceful and calm with occasional fish snapping at surface bugs. 

The following day I awoke early as nature called and as I crept out of the cabin to water the flora I came upon the mother bear in the same location, under the waterfall, that we saw the cub! She was light brown and about 350-450lbs. I don’t know how she was alerted to me as she was upwind, standing next to a roaring waterfall, and I was being quiet not to wake the others but she spotted me and took off through the woods. It was a surreal experience for that split second when our eyes met. Later that day Mark pieced together some fishing poles and lures from cut up beer cans and we (may or may not have) set out to go fishing for trout which may have been biting with every cast! If we had illegally and without licenses caught trout then we may have caught 14 beautiful and delicious rainbow specimens that may have tasted spectacular on the grill or in our eggs the next morning...but we would never illegally fish without knowing it until hindsight.... The only main issue we endured was the hot tub, we could not figure out how to warm it faster than 10° a day. Emily and Mark stubbornly refused to forfeit such a delightful experience and made innumerable runs of pouring boiled water into the tub in an attempt to heat the 1000 gallon vat. Then made good progress if not slow. We feasted and drank that night toasting to the good life as the rain pattered against the roof. The next morning the rain continued but no plane. We were told that weather would be bad and we may get stuck for another day..

                                                    

Well, we got stuck for another day. But the weather was not bad. Rain continued to barrage us intermittently and the monolithic mountains loomed over the serine lake protecting us from the gail force winds of the inside passage. Blue skies did break through the monotone grey on occasion.  We finished our protein-rosh trout with beans and rice as we pondered our survivability if we were to be stranded here. The consensus was that we’d make a week easily but beyond that, and if our heating source was lost, would quickly devolve into a short episode of Naked and Afraid. 

That night we drank rum and cokes and, under the propane lamps, pondered life’s deep questions; ranking the five senses in order of importance, lottery purchases, and battles of the sexes. The last morning we finished off our food and packed for our departure.