Paddling Spruce Island

[Philip]

I popped over to Spruce this evening after work and visited Monk's Lagoon/Icon Bay. I've been over there numerous times and it's always a treat. Uniquely coastal Alaskan, and it sports our very own local saint to boot. The history of the place is fascinating.

I started from the Ram Site at Ft Abercrombie, and from there it's about a 5.5 mile (1.25 hr) crossing to the beach in Icon Bay. I paddled in the southern entrance to Icon Bay, but even with the high tide, the swell made the way in a little dicey. Better to go in the north channel where it's deeper. I walked around the monastery, Father Gerasim Schmaltz's cell, St Herman Spring, and the church back in the woods. Everything is in tremendously good shape and the upkeep by the monks in Sunny Cove and other volunteers is laudable. It's a special place and worth a visit.

Behind the barrier islands and paddling north through Icon Bay:



The gateway leading to the tiny chapel on the south end of the beach:



The tiny chapel. The inside has beautiful scenes painted on all the walls, but it was too dark to take a picture.



One of Ed Opheim's creations?



An icon of St Herman with scenes from his life on the way into the forest:



Headed back to Father Gerasim Schmaltz's cell:



About half the icons have fallen off the trees, but some are in good shape:



The cell and another small chapel:



Father Gerasim and Father Kreta's plots:



The shrine at St Herman's spring where one of the miracles was said to have taken place. I sipped some of the water for good measure:



More icons still deeper in the forest on the way to the church:



Someone has built a nice bell ringing station outside the church along with a great deck:



Inside the church. The light was dim, but you get the idea:



Back on the beach the light was getting nice:



Out the north channel and around the barrier islands outside Icon Bay:





I swung past Monks Rock on my way home:

[Philip]

I just had a lovely weekend paddle around Spruce Island. It's really a very cool place, every bit of it. Classic forested Kodiak from one end to the other. Mountains, cliffs, beaches, tidal inlets, calm waters on the south and west side, and open to the Gulf on the north and east. Not a beginner's trip, but on a calm day accessible to many skill levels.

A map of my route (blue is paddling, green is hiking):



Leaving Fort Abercrombie:



The easterlies we had recently made for some nice wave action against the rocks and expanses of sea foam:







The ever-optimistic spruce tree:





Arriving at the Triplets in Marmot Bay after paddling through the Ouzinke Narrows and up the west side of Spruce Island:





After zig-zagging through the Triplets I landed at the isthmus below the north end of Spruce Island (with the Triplets in the background):



From there I portaged the short distance into Seldevoe Lagoon:



These trees probably died during the '64 earthquake and land subsidence:



Crossing Seldevoe Lagoon:



This is the inlet/outlet of Seldevoe Lagoon in Island Bay (the lagoon is on the right and Knee Bay is to the left/behind me). The 'plan' was to paddle this narrows, but you need to be there at a very specific stage of the tide (around 8', I think). Naturally that timing never happens for me, so I paddled to the east end of the lagoon and just portaged out the beach on that side.



The blue sky just beyond the trees is Island Bay:



I camped just behind the beach in the trees. The only bummer about the area is that the beaches catch all sorts of flotsam including lots of plastic mar-pol:



With plenty of daylight left, I decided to hike to the North Cape to watch the seiners. The forest on Spruce Island is pretty cool:



Looking down on Seldevoe Lagoon while ascending the north dome of Spruce Is:





It's mostly, but not all, dense forest:



Little puddle-ponds dot the forest:





A duck's nest hidden next to a puddle pond in the spruce trees and moss:



Looks cozy:



Five boats were taking turns making sets just west of North Cape:





The evening was beautiful as were the views of Marmot Bay and Afognak:





Shooting Stars blooming on the cliff tops:





Back in camp the light was fading. This is the view east from Island Bay with Mount Herman showing in the alpenglow:



Seldevoe Lagoon at sunset:



Two hours before high tide the flow had reversed and was flooding into Seldevoe Lagoon. At some point between my arrival and this time the water would have been calm and navigable by kayak:





The next morning wasn't too shabby either:





Since the day was glorious I stopped off in Icon Bay again to hike Mount Herman (behind the monastery):



I stashed my boat at the south end of the beach and stopped by the tiny chapel:





This time I had a camera with a flash. This is looking at the ceiling. The iconography in the chapel is simply incredible. The four scenes surrounding Jesus are from St Herman's life (the top one is cut off but shows him in the forest with a bear):



St Herman is often depicted standing on Monk's Rock with Spruce Island in the background:



I walked by the monastery on the north end of the beach to start my hike:



The trail back into the forest:



St Herman's spring:



The chapel in the forest:





Starting up Mt Herman (the peak is in the left background)



On the northeast ridge of Mt Herman looking down at Icon Bay and Monk's Lagoon:



Looking south towards the peak:



Looking northwest at Knee Bay and Island Bay with the North Cape to the right and the Triplets behind:





The new cross on the summit is impressive. It stands a good 30 feet tall:



The old cross:



Eagles cruised in the thermals below the peak:



Someone has built some impressive rock cairns marking the 'trail' down the south ridge of Mount Herman. Presumably it was the monks Father Andrew and Father Martyrius. To make a loop I descended that route and made my way back to Icon Bay via the forest at the base of the mountain.





Once back on the beach I took a half-hour nap and then paddled back to town. A great way to spend the weekend!

[brooks]

Incredible pics!

[Philip]

Adelia and I paddled over for the day and climbed Mount Herman. It was lovely.

Leaving Mill Bay:





Arriving at Icon Bay on Spruce Is:



Up Mt Herman we go:







We met a family of ptarmigan on top:

[patrick]

Great Pictures. It looks like I was hiking on Afognak at the same time you were up on Mount St Herman. Is that you we can see in this picture just to the right of Matt's head?

[Zack]

Paddled a storm-modified version of this route over the long 4th of July weekend. Abercrombie towards Ouzinkie through Narrow Strait, around the back to the lagoon-connected beach facing the Triplets. Wind heading out was strong enough for some decent wave/wind action on the way to Ouzinkie, though the boat wanted to weather-vane until I was out evenly out in the middle of the strait. Camped by the lagoon Fri/Sat night, hiked around the same route on Saturday that Phillip shows above. Lots of wildlife, including a fox, some amorous sea otters, curious seals, talkative squirrels and birds. Stumbled across a bear's food storage kit (nice 10" x 20" moss pillow covering bones and meat). Worried I found a sea star beset with wasting syndrome - submitting a photo to the scientists to verify that. Found a Lockheed-Martin radiosonde amongst the beach flotsam, mixed in with plastic slippers marked with Japanese lettering.

Had intended to do the loop depicted by Phillip above, but winds were so nasty I instead snuck home on the leeward side, retracing the route by which I had come. Even so, it was a long slog back in the teeth of the wind up through Narrow Strait to Abercrombie, with the weather so thick that often nothing was visible beyond the waves and fog.

A wonderful holiday! Thanks for the beta go to all who posted about this trip previously. I posted pictures here: gypsynowagon.blogspot.com/2015/07/my-country-tis-of-spruce-island.html

[Zack]

Paddled over to Icon Bay two weekends ago, toured the buildings with a knowledgeable friend but didn't do the hike. Paddled back over yesterday, solo, then hiked up to the crucifix. Was on a defined trail for portions of the hike, and otherwise was bushwhacking. Took a "shortcut" on the way down after the third cairn and then followed a creek when the brush became too thick.

Gorgeous weather, fantastic trip, thanks again for the detailed info!

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