The Kells and Clark Expedition

RED COVE LAKE
The Kells and Clark Expedition
Jun 26 2010
Sand Point, Popof Island. Alaska.

The hike began on a High hill,
A sense of a trail was felt.
We descend with disagreement on the best way down.Circling around the Hill and back onto ourselves- several times,
We end up placing our faith in a thin bison trail,
My first hoof prints - evidence they do exist.
Then there is bison poop and I know they are here.

Our purpose- however, is not to find the bison,
But to get to the Blow Hole down on the Beach of Red Cove.
Deeper down in the Alder filled Ravine glistens Red Cove Lake -
A magnificent belly of beauty.
I ask if it has trout - my Captain Clark says yes,
Kells is not sure.

We fight our way through face smacking branches,
Trip and stumble along our virgin trail,
Still close on the bison trail, which we tend veer off here and there-
And just when I think we might have fluked the right track there is
Sudden conference and we change direction.
This turns begin to fall into a into a familiar wrong decision pattern.
But we brave on with determination - through the near impenetrable thicket of alders.
A thicket so dense, that I frequently loose sight of Kells and Clark - though they are only fifteen feet away.
When I am lost for a second, I stop and listen for the rustle, then continue in that vague direction.
I cannot see anything but branches, leaves and a tangle of roots, my legs and boots.

That lovely lake scene now seems like a mirage.....
We falter, fall and brace out way through the dense death trap called brush!
'Bison Brush Track' is what is fast becoming our intended Beach & Blow Hole hike.
The magnificent clear sky gives me a sense of hope as dodge and duck branches whipping at my arms and face..

We trudge along and finally find the waters edge of the Lake.
We are on the opposite side to our destined shore.
I elect to wade along the shore, to avoid going back into the alders.
Knee and then thigh deep the cool water is invigorating.
Not far along my little wade, I am greeted with a creek cutting right through our path.

A primitive but creative log bridge system is assembled part way across the creek,
I bravely attempt to crawl along it with the intention to evaluate the connecting log some distance
And wedged into the edge.
However, the log wobble increases, and I finally fall into the creek.
I see from this vantage, of hip high water, that it is easier to wade across the stream..
With the water girth high, I drag the sleeping log off the shore and try to mend the two log bridge system -
It is a desperate effort, which fails to instill confidence in anybody to shimmy across.

Captain Laura has left this dodgy scene and like a true leader finds a thigh high spot to cross further down stream.
We answer her calls and follow the creek up, and then wade cross to join her among more alders and boot deep bog.

Now on the other side of the creek, and closer to our goal, we pause with fleeting contentment that at least we made it to the lake shore.
Rest causes reality to seep into our deluded minds and we surrender our mission for today,
Embracing our embers of energy our compass heads us back into the bush whacking madness.

Of course, we must not go the way we came.....We need to find the trail!
We boldly fall back into our blinded hike.
This time back up the other side of this hellish ravine.
Lost and laughing we weave through sections at a time and rest at clearings.

Some hours later we see the last stretch with a meek but purposeful path - no
Less inviting than the past lethal trails.
The ascension from the hellish ravine claims Captain Clark's I-Pod and jacket.

We don’t' dare go back!
Standing back on the hill - the Lake still beckons us and we nod farewell.

Dianna Fornasier

And then the view from the top..always a welcome sight and breathtaking experience....we made it...another adventure under our belt.

Maybe I'll head back to retrace our steps and retrieve the jacket and ipod, but today, the alders seem to have closed in and swallowed it once and for all!!

Then, to top it off..the midnight sunset was spectacular and seemed to be the icing on the day!!