8-Day Alaska Cruise ~ Juneau to Petersburg
Alaska Small Ship Cruise
The Inside Passage of Alaska is almost unbelievable and the best way for you to take in endless wilderness is on a cruise aboard the David B. We’ll take you through channels and into coves and anchorages that are far off the beaten path. You’ll be able to experience the magic of Alaska with its solitude and wilderness. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in the quiet of nature, where you can take the time to watch whales feed, bears forage and birds soar. A cruise on the David B is unscripted and it’s a vacation that you’ll wish will never end.
Day 1
Juneau to Taku Harbor
You’ll board the David B at noon in Juneau at the Intermediate Vessel Float in downtown. Once your luggage is stowed and after a brief orientation, Captain Jeffrey will start up the David B’s antique Washington Iron Works engine and soon you’ll will be cruising down Gastineau Channel heading for Taku Harbor.
Once the anchor is down, you’ll have a chance to go ashore and explore the remains of an abandoned cannery. Much of the machinery has been altered to make a renegade outdoor sculpture garden. Taku is also home to black bears that often come to the beach to feed.
Day 2
Taku Harbor to Fords Terror
We’ll get an early start and work our way down Stephens Passage to the Tracy Arm/Fords Terror Wilderness. This is an unspoiled part of the Tongass National Forest with two deep water fjords. We’ll enter the wilderness at the mouth of Endicott Arm where we’ll watch for humpback whales and see our first icebergs.
On our way to our anchorage at Fords Terror you’ll marvel at the enormous sapphire-colored icebergs that float silently in the deep cold waters of Endicott Arm. Our anchorage for the night is a deep cove next to breathtakingly steep cliffs laced in thin cascading waterfalls.
Day 3
Fords Terror – Dawes Glacier – Wood Spit
Early in the morning we’ll raise anchor and begin to slowly pick our way through icebergs that have calved off of Dawes Glacier. We’ll spend an hour or longer watching this magnificent river of ice as icebergs break off its face into Endicott Arm. In the evening we’ll anchor twenty-five miles away at Wood Spit. Once the anchor is down and all is quiet, we’ll listen for the breath of humpback whales that come into the adjoining Holkham Bay.
Day 4
Wood Spit to Gambier Bay
In the morning we’ll take a walk along Wood Spit — the ancient end-point for Dawes Glacier. Once we’ve pushed through the low shrubs and Devil’s Club that lines the edge of the woods, the forest opens up into a cathedral of tall trees dripping with mosses and lichens. The animal trails that crisscross the forest floor lead us to the other side of the spit. After our walk, we’ll raise anchor and get underway for Pybus Bay.
Day 5
Wood Spit to Pybus Bay
Pybus Bay is located at Admiralty Island which is home to the largest concentration of coastal grizzly bears, also known as brown bears. When we arrive, we’ll scan the beach for bears, and if the coast is clear, we’ll head to shore to look for foot prints and other signs of the bears that helped Admiralty Island earn is name – Kootznoowoo –Fortress of the Bear.
Day 6
Pybus Bay to Baranof Hot Springs
Baranof Warms Springs is unbelievably beautiful with an enormous waterfall roaring at the head of the bay. The soaking pools are even more unbelievable. To get to them it’s a short walk on a combination of boardwalk and mud trail, but once you’re there you’ll find hot springs that hug the very edge of a roaring waterfall.
Day 7
Baranof Warm Springs to Farragut Bay
Before we leave Baranof Warm Springs there will be plenty of time to kayak. If the timing works out, you can paddle through a narrow cut at slack water to explore a hidden lagoon where you might just find a brown bear foraging in a meadow.
In the evening we’ll anchor in Farragut Bay, but first we’ll pass through Frederick Sound and watch humpback whales as they feed on large concentrations of herring and other small fish.
Day 8
Farragut Bay to Petersburg
It’s the last day and we’ll raise anchor early in the morning. Breakfast will be underway and you’ll be treated to Christine’s hand-made croissants and pain au chocolat. You might feel a little sadness that the trip’s ending, but as we cruise into Wrangell Narrows and soon after, Petersburg, we’ll make one last stop at a buoy crowded with sea lions pushing, shoving, growling, and lying on top of one another. They’re sure to put a smile on your face and mark the perfect way to end an amazing adventure
Our 8-Day Juneau to Petersburg trips stop in many of the same places. Every cruise we do is a little different so itineraries will vary.