The night sky continued to shower down upon Southeast Alaska, as the sun rose on a grey-on-grey day with shades of dark green. National Geographic Sea Lion was making her way down Fredrick Sound heading toward our morning anchorage at the Colp Lake forest trail. Colp Lake is located on the northeast side of Kupreanof Island, reminding us of the nickname for Southeast Alaska, the “land of a thousand islands.” Our day would be spent cruising in and around many, many islands that make up the Alexander Archipelago, a broader name given to the geography that makes up Southeast Alaska. The rain, a critical part of the coastal temperate rainforest that covers these islands, fell softly throughout the day. It filled the rivers, ran through the forests, and over and through our bog walk...all showing the richness and the beauty of a land diverse in plant ecosystems, animals, and people who share it all! Without the rain none of this would exist. So, we embraced our day of walks, Zodiac rides and exploration all done in this day of steady soft rain.
Early this morning a strong group of hearty souls adventured out into the weather, and walked the shores, the inner edge of the forest, and the Colp Lake trail. A black bear day bed was found under a tree, huge cockle shells were on the beach, and in the forest enormous and gorgeous Amanita muscaria mushrooms standing proudly to announce that fall has arrived. Trails were wet, muddy, and the trees and shrubs were dripping with rain, all a reminder of the environment we were exploring--a temperate coastal rainforest.
Returning to the warm and dry National Geographic Sea Lion was a blessing complimented with dry clothes, a warm cup of tea, and a chance relax before lunch and our afternoon destination of Petersburg. Located on Mitkof Island, this community of fishermen's founders journeyed here from Norway, eventually giving it the name of Little Norway. This small community was founded over 100 years ago by Norwegian anglers, who turned this remote corner of the world into one of the most successful fishing communities in North America, processing over 100 million pounds of fish and shellfish annually.
National Geographic Sea Lion entered the fishing harbor just before lunch and slowly pulled up to the guest dock with easy access to downtown and all the fishing fleet in the inner harbor.
As the rain continued to softly blanket the day, several options were available: a dock walk around the different fishing boats, time to wander the four blocks that make up downtown Petersburg, and bog walks back on Kupreanof Island. Again, an intrepid group made their way, first via Zodiac, then through the forest into the muskeg, a new environment with very unusual plants. Bog cranberries were ripe, round leaf sundews and many other adaptive plants all were soaked in the day of rain, yet still fighting the good fight. This is life in yet another ecosystem found in the rainforests of Alaska.
Once back on board, with all our rain gear hung to dry, everyone joined together in the forward lounge for recap and a relaxing evening before the weekly Dungeness crab feast! The day had been about water, the bounty of the sea, the rain from the sky, and yet another closer look at this place called the Northwest Coast, truly a land of abundance.
