Day 39 – Shag Cove to Elfin Cove

∞GORGEOUS DAY! Woke up to warm air temps and clear skies today in beautiful Shag Cove. It’s the final day of our permit here in Glacier Bay so we have to leave. It’s been an incredible week in this truly spectacular national treasure, absolutely stunning. Today we traveled out west almost to the open ocean to a place called Elfin Cove. It is a tiny seasonal town that only has 12 people that live there year ‘round. There are no roads to Elfin Cove, the only way to get there is by boat or seaplane. They boast a sturdy and nicely maintained elevated boardwalk that takes you throughout the entire development, although we stayed just in the center of their village. The boardwalk actually extends all the way into the inner bay at Elfin Cove to all the homes that line the shore. Since Elfin Cove is located at the mouth of the open ocean, the fishing there is really good. Thus there are 5 large fishing lodges located in Elfin Cove that operate May-September then shut down for the winter. The town has a long public float that is free and first come, first served. We arrived around noon and were able to get a terrific moorage facing out to the strait with a gorgeous mountain range and glacier as the backdrop. We are moored right behind the seaplane dock where all the action happens and planes came and went all day long, mostly lots of middle aged men coming and going, on their “guy” fishing trips. Over the course of the day we watched as the neighboring fishing lodge brought in halibut after halibut on the dock next to us. We talked to some other fishermen who showed us a picture of the 35lb king they had caught the day before. We wandered up to the town looking for the grocery store which was closed for the lunch hour. So having a half hour to kill, we went into the one and only bar and grill, shared an order of fish and chips along with some beers, and talked to the lady and her daughter that run the small place. They serve one menu item for breakfast in the morning, then at noon-8PM they have a small menu of burgers, pizza, fish & chips, chicken wings, etc., and from 8PM-11PM it becomes the only bar in town as well. The woman who ran the place had been living there for 45 years (she looked to be about 65-ish). She was from the “Outside” but had married a fisherman and moved to Elfin Cove where she ran the fuel dock for 22 years, then opened the restaurant 23 years ago. I am always fascinated how and why people end up in these sorts of remote locations. Anyway, it was a hot and muggy day all day long, 80 degrees and no wind so the sun was really intense.

∞Last night after dinner we went for a ride in the whaler into the inner cove of Elfin Cove where all the houses are located, then cruised to the outside of the harbors where we came upon a feeding frenzy by the eagles and sea lions. It was so exciting to watch the eagles diving in the water one by one, as if in rotation although if one came up empty taloned it simply attacked the other eagle and tried to steal his catch. Then the sea lions, who were giant by the way – way bigger than the average seal, were churning and writhing in the water as they fed on what must have been a bait ball hanging around, one of them even came right next to the boat, popped up and looked at us with his mouth open, then dove back down right under the surface beneath the whaler! Kind of made me a touch nervous! After we got back to the boat, John and Spencer went back up to the bar for Duck Farts and the rest of us retired to bed with our books.