July 6 and 7. Out of Echo Bay about 8am after pulling up yet another empty crab trap. I am beginning to get tired of feeding fat star fish. After a smooth 3 hour motor we pulled into Warm Springs Bay. It was busy and there was no room for us to tie up at the public wharf. We went off to an adjacent bay within a bay, that was recommended in one of our cruising books. It was a bit deeper than I would like, to anchor but still felt good having deployed most of my chain and knowing that the winds were going to be mild. We had the bay to ourselves for the first night. There was four boats there for our last night. It is the busiest time of the year. After anchoring on the first day, and after having lunch; I put the motor on the dingy and we motored back to the public dock and easily found space to tie up between a couple of bigger boats. The village of Warm Springs Bay has about 20 cabins and is classified as a borough of the city of Sitka even though it is about 20 miles away with no connecting road. The cabins which look to be mostly recreational, are all connected together with sturdy boardwalks. A narrow gage gas powered snow blower, sits nearby the boardwalk on standby. There is no city electricity or treated water system. Solar panels are everywhere and at one time there was a small hydro electrical plant at the base of the river falls. It is still there and you could hear water running but could see no wires exiting? There is a small bath house just off the dock that uses piped down hot spring water to heat three separated tubs. It is maintained by volunteer locals, is free to use but does have a donation box to help with maintenance costs. The hot water is piped in from the hot springs about a kilometer up the hill and there is also a river sourced cold water tap at each tub to help temper the water temperature in each tub. There is room in each tub for two people. Tested true. A short walk beyond the actual hot springs source, near the river is a trail to a crystal clear Baranof Lake. A cold crystal clear lake. Tiz an intriguing place and we could easily have spend several weeks there. But……other fish to fry. Onward southward. I did take the dingy out fishing at the entrance to the Bay where I saw lots of salmon jumping the day before. I was quite rough but I did about an hour of trolling before turning to come “home”. I forgot to bring a net and my jigging lure. I guess I really wasn’t meant to catch anything? Lotsa pasta, rice and vegies on the boat.
