Inner Reaches Eastern Coves

• Destination: InnerSea Discoveries
• Duration: 8 days/7 nights
• Price: $1,795
• Available: January 31, 2012 — January 31, 2012

Explore the back passages and narrow waterways of the most remote areas of Southeast Alaska’s
Inside Passage. Navigating the waters and wilderness by small ships enables us to reach rarely
seen areas where explosive scenery and pristine beauty are around every turn. How you choose to explore it further – by kayak, by skiff or by foot – is entirely up to you.

Itinerary Highlights

• Wildlife and Whale Watching
• Provocative Naturalist Led Presentations and Discussions
• Guided Kayaking and Wilderness Hiking at Various Lengths and Activity Levels
• Inflatable Skiff Excursions
• Hiking the Baird Glacier, Cascade Creek, Taylor Lake, Three Lakes Loop, Wolverine Creek and Lake McDonald Trails
• Sea Kayaking in Windham Bay
• Kayak in the ice-rich waters of LeConte Bay
• Paddle Boarding and Snorkeling
• Beachcombing
• Visit Wrangell’s Chief Shakes Tribal House
• Bottom Fishing from the Ship, Kayak or Skiff
• Kayaks are available during each day for unguided touring at your leisure. Inflatable boat tours around anchorages are available each day. Additional activities include snorkeling and "polar bear club" swims

Optional Activities

• LeConte Glacier Floatplane Tour $200 per person
• Anan Creek Bear Observatory by River Boat $235 per person
• Anan Creek Bear & Wildlife by Floatplane $350 per person
• Stikine River Boat Tour $235 per person
• Yes Bay Half Day Fishing $275 per person
• Yes Bay Hiking & Fly Fishing $200 per person
• Yes Bay Floatplane Flightseeing $225 per person
• Wilderness Kayaking, Hiking and Overnight Camping $150 per person

Daily Itinerary

• Day 1: Embark on your adventure in Juneau
  Welcome aboard! After meeting your crew and getting acquainted with your ship’s features as we set sail for Tracy Arm.
  
  
• Day 2: Tracy Arm Wilderness/Frederick Sound
  At the end of Tracy Arm, a winding fjord with sheer granite walls, cascaing waterfalls, and some of the largest floating icebergs in all of Alaska, sits the twin Sawyer Glaciers-North Sawyer and South Sawyer. The fjord is home to brown bear and black bear, deer, wolves, harbor seals, rare seabirds, and mountain goats. Later today we move into Frederick Sound-summer feeding grounds for the largest concentration of humpback whales.
  
  
• Day 3: Thomas Bay, Baird Glacier & Cascade Creek
  Thomas Bay is known for glaciers, gold and quartz deposits, and an array of wildlife. Take on the exposed terminal moraine of the Baird Glacier Trail, until you reach the top of the glacier itself. Enjoy a long guided kayak excursion from Scenery Cove to Cascade Creek and then treat yourself to a short trek on one of the several scenic Cascade Creek trails. Or take a quiet day spent onboard, putting your feet up, getting a massage and staring at the gorgeous scenery. Dinner includes a reading from “The Strangest Story Ever Told,” a story about Thomas Bay and native bigfoot-like creatures call Kushtaka.
  
  
• Day 4: LeConte Bay, Stikine River and Ideal Cove
  Wake to the sounds of “bergy bits” and brash ice as they gently roll past the hull of the ship as you ease through the ice-rich waters of LeConte Bay, home to the Northern hemisphere’s most southerly tidewater glacier. Soar above the stunning mile-wide LeConte Glacier in an optional floatplane excursion. Shake off sleep with a yoga class. Then rove through the ice-encrusted waters by kayak or skiff. A treasure trove of adventure and natural beauty is sure to please - whether you choose a kayak, a skiff excursion, hiking at Ideal Cove, or an optional guided overnight trip via kayaking, hiking and camping ashore. After dinner, don’t miss the sights as we turn toward Wrangell via the Wrangell Narrows, and are guided by over 30 bright red and green navigation lights, locally known as Christmas Tree Lane.
  
  
• Day 5: Wrangell, Chief Shakes Tribal House
  Today, it is all about native culture, wildlife and wonder. Rise early to go after abundant King Salmon just waiting to be hooked. Brush up on your Tlingit culture at Chief Shakes Tribal House for native storytelling and visit Kiksetti Totem Park on Front Street to view recently carved totem poles and hear their unique story. Bear lovers may choose to travel by river boat to view the brown and black bears fishing for salmon at Anan Creek (optional). End the day with a soak in the hot tub or maybe a DVD as the vessel cruises toward Yes Bay on the northern end of Behm Canal.
• Day 6: Yes Bay
  It is tough to say “no” in Yes Bay. Maybe that is why wildlife abounds in Yes Bay and the surrounding Tongass National Forest – humpback whales, orca, porpoise, seals, sea lions, brown bears, black bears, mink, marten, eagles and otters. Say yes to a kayak tour up the bay and choose your wildlife-seeking hike: Wolverine Creek Trail and the scenic hike following the river to Lake McDonald – also a perfect spot to cast a fly for trout. After lunch, wile away the hours over a good book, take out a kayak for a leisurely paddle, enjoy a snorkeling excursion or indulge in the good fun of platform diving contests and swim races around the ship.
• Day 7: Misty Fjords National Monument
  Watch the sun rise over the steep and sometimes sheer walls of the Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness Area, a haven for ducks, brown and black bear, mountain goats, Sitka deer, mink, moose, river otters and other marine wildlife who ply the waters of Behm Canal and the inlets. Glide through Walker Cove by kayak (closein or long distance) and stop at shoreline beaches to stretch your legs. Or explore it all by skiff, soaking in the splendor of this largely forgotten corner of the world. Man the rope swing, race around the ship and show off with a platform dive, if you dare. This evening, you will be greeted with cocktails as you join the Captain in a farewell toast and reminisce about your Alaskan journey over a sumptuous Alaskan seafood and prime beef dinner. After dinner, share in conversation with all the new friends you’ve made on your journey and show your video footage on the lounge's flat screen TV's.
• Day 8: Ketchikan — Disembark
  A Bon Voyage breakfast ends our ship journey; however, there are many enticing ways to extend your journey. Transfer directly to the Ketchikan airport or begin your overnight stay or extended land tour.