Jeff Angerman stands at the till of Angerman's, an apparel and gear store on Front Street which has been in the family since 1972. He is looking ahead to a busier summer this year. "There are days there are multiple ships ... it's going to be a welcome change to have visitors."
Tyla and Jimmy Nelson stand on the balcony of a decommissioned Forest Service cabin Jimmy bought at auction in 2018, then transported down the Stikine River piece by piece. The couple finished rebuilding the cabin in 2020 for family use, later deciding to use it as a rental. Bookings look good for this summer, they said.
The anticipated return of visitors means that Wrangell business owners are readying themselves for customers to reserve lodging, stop into their shops and book tours on the waters of the Inside Passage and the Stikine River.
Of the more than dozen bed and breakfasts and other rentals in town, one is in its second life.
Tyla Nelson and Jimmy Nelson live at 2.9 Mile. Tyla works at the post office and Jimmy works for the Forest Service.
Jimmy bought the decommissioned Binkley Slough Forest Service cabin on Farm Island at federal auction in 2018. Starting that summer with the help of his son Ian, 11 at the time, he brought the cabin down the Stikine piece-by-piece in a boat. The stipulations of the auction gave them about a year to get the pieces out. The Nelsons started putting it back together on their property in 2019.
"We finished it May of 2020," Tyla said March 15. "My parents came down and stayed for my brother's graduation."
But the cabin didn't see much use after that.
"We thought it would be for family, but it was sitting empty," Jimmy said. "We thought, 'Let's make a little bit of money and pay the property taxes.'"
They loaded up pictures on Airbnb in June 2020 and "we had an inquiry almost immediately," Tyla said.
The couple bought two sets of linens and began their foray into the lodging business.
For starting out in the middle of a pandemic, the number of bookings they received surprised the Nelsons.
"June, July, August - it was a lot," Jimmy said.
The couple has since achieved "superhost" status on the booking website. Airbnb takes into account visitor ratings and feedback, and gives the listing a "badge" for doing a really good job. Their cabin, which goes for $150 a night, carries a 5-star rating with 13 reviews. It has internet service, a full kitchen with a convection stovetop, walk-in shower, sitting area, double bed and pull-out sofa bed.
Compared to 2021, the Nelsons said they're seeing even more bookings for 2022.
"(It's) definitely starting earlier this year compared to last year," Jimmy said.
They've listened to what people who have stayed with them had to say, and updated some appliances, with plans to add a washer and dryer. The Nelsons also compiled a booklet with the story of the cabin.
"People were really interested in hearing the whole process," Tyla said.
Jeff Angerman is the owner of Angerman's, a clothing and gear store on Front Street which has been in the family since 1972. He also owns Stikine River Gifts & Apparel next door. Angerman and his wife, Dawn Angerman, purchased the business from his uncle Dick Angerman and his wife Barbara in 1998 - in "an Angerman-to-Angerman deal," he said.
A robust cruise ship calendar means Angerman anticipates his employee work schedules, including his, will revolve around when visitors are likely to be in town.
"There are days there are multiple ships," he said. "I don't think you can compare anything to 2020. It's going to be a welcome change to have visitors."
Angerman said his staffing is adequate but he plans in May to hire a cousin as a seasonal worker to help.
The first cruise ship in Wrangell is scheduled for May 12.
The challenge has been keeping product in stock. Shipping delays mean the arrival of a few out-of-season items, like winter boots that he ordered in the fall just arrived.
These days, he said, "you take what you can get."
Prices are up, fuel costs are up, but "we're going to work our way through it," Angerman said.
Zach Taylor is the owner and operator of Muddy Water Adventures. He also manages the school bus company and is head driver.
This year, he has a brand-new boat coming in - a 38-foot-long, high-speed, 21-passenger aluminum catamaran with a cabin and a top deck for passengers to view scenery and wildlife. There is also a galley and bathroom.
In addition to visitors, Taylor plans to offer his catamaran for water taxi service starting the second week of May - with plans to offer service year-round.
"I don't mean to knock the ferry, but there is definitely a need," he said.
Taylor said he's going to offer runs to Petersburg via Banana Point at the southern end of Mitkof Island, closest to Wrangell.
"For our weather in the winter it will be fantastic," he said. "Everyone is used to beating around in a flat-bottom."
Taylor said while the catamaran is getting built at BRIX Marine in Port Angeles, Washington, he's getting his jet boat ready by sharpening the impeller blades.
Instead of an outboard propeller, an impeller is like a vacuum cleaner that sucks up the water and squirts it out to provide power. "A lot of the guys have them sharpened to make sure they are top notch for the season," he said.
"I'm hoping with COVID winding down, we'll have a more normal year," Taylor said. "I am happy to take locals out, if people want to go, or take family in town. I would love their patronage," he said.
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