Thomas Bay & Petersburg
We arose to white silky clouds: scarves in the evergreen Sitka spruces and western hemlocks, lining the mountain walls of Thomas Bay. The green sea was still as we rounded the corner into Scenery Cove, searching for wildlife. Two Bald Eagles fed in the salmon stream and a small group of Common Mergansers searched the coastline for small fish. Soon the smell of coffee, pastries and breakfast called us inside and the ship turned to reposition and anchor off Cascade Creek.
Most everyone came ashore to feel the mist and hear the roar of melting snow crashing to the sea in a huge waterfall. U. S. Forest Service trail crews have put in a boardwalk up to the waterfall and climbing beyond to a bridge over a gorge and the river rushing below. Here many hikers stayed and simply took in the beauty and power of mountains, water and gravity. As we descended through the forest in mid-morning, the sun began to filter through the trees, creating a rainbow in the heavy mist blowing off the cataract.
By the time we were all aboard the ship again we were experiencing one of the rare sunny days of this summer of 2008. During lunch the ship sailed for Petersburg where we disembarked for afternoon activities. Some ventured into town and around it on bicycles, others on foot. A few went for helicopter rides over the glacier, accompanied by a personable and knowledgeable pilot who showed them glaciers of the Sitkine Icefield up close, in all their beauty.
Others of us crossed the channel to hike along the boardwalk on the Petersburg Creek and bog trail. Slowly taking in the details and dabbling in a little photography we found the sunshine bringing out the big predators for the day: dragonflies and damselflies! The big zigzag darner was chilly enough to pick up and examine closely before releasing it to its life of eating mosquitoes and other insects. A spreadwing damselfly and juvenile black meadowhawk rested on the yellow-cedar boardwalk soaking up the heat. Exploring the open landscape we saw the insect-eating sundew plants as well as bog gentian and bog orchid still in bloom and the contorted shapes of shore pine and mountain hemlock struggling to live in the acid peat bog. As much as all the rest, we appreciated the bright warmth of the sun.
Back on the ship for cocktail hour and recap, Bruce Mate told us about how sea lions learn. He was followed by local fisherwoman Becky Knight who explained the world of the Petersburg fishing life. Finally our very own hotel manager Judie Blewett gave us a precap on how one eats dungeness crab, culminating in her impersonation of sea otter technique. We had a crab feast to end our day, immersed in the world of Southeast Alaska.
We arose to white silky clouds: scarves in the evergreen Sitka spruces and western hemlocks, lining the mountain walls of Thomas Bay. The green sea was still as we rounded the corner into Scenery Cove, searching for wildlife. Two Bald Eagles fed in the salmon stream and a small group of Common Mergansers searched the coastline for small fish. Soon the smell of coffee, pastries and breakfast called us inside and the ship turned to reposition and anchor off Cascade Creek.
Most everyone came ashore to feel the mist and hear the roar of melting snow crashing to the sea in a huge waterfall. U. S. Forest Service trail crews have put in a boardwalk up to the waterfall and climbing beyond to a bridge over a gorge and the river rushing below. Here many hikers stayed and simply took in the beauty and power of mountains, water and gravity. As we descended through the forest in mid-morning, the sun began to filter through the trees, creating a rainbow in the heavy mist blowing off the cataract.
By the time we were all aboard the ship again we were experiencing one of the rare sunny days of this summer of 2008. During lunch the ship sailed for Petersburg where we disembarked for afternoon activities. Some ventured into town and around it on bicycles, others on foot. A few went for helicopter rides over the glacier, accompanied by a personable and knowledgeable pilot who showed them glaciers of the Sitkine Icefield up close, in all their beauty.
Others of us crossed the channel to hike along the boardwalk on the Petersburg Creek and bog trail. Slowly taking in the details and dabbling in a little photography we found the sunshine bringing out the big predators for the day: dragonflies and damselflies! The big zigzag darner was chilly enough to pick up and examine closely before releasing it to its life of eating mosquitoes and other insects. A spreadwing damselfly and juvenile black meadowhawk rested on the yellow-cedar boardwalk soaking up the heat. Exploring the open landscape we saw the insect-eating sundew plants as well as bog gentian and bog orchid still in bloom and the contorted shapes of shore pine and mountain hemlock struggling to live in the acid peat bog. As much as all the rest, we appreciated the bright warmth of the sun.
Back on the ship for cocktail hour and recap, Bruce Mate told us about how sea lions learn. He was followed by local fisherwoman Becky Knight who explained the world of the Petersburg fishing life. Finally our very own hotel manager Judie Blewett gave us a precap on how one eats dungeness crab, culminating in her impersonation of sea otter technique. We had a crab feast to end our day, immersed in the world of Southeast Alaska.
