Thomas Bay, Southeast Alaska
For many people coming to Alaska can be absolutely overwhelming in scale. At more than twice the size of Texas it is the largest of our 50 states. There are 100,000 glaciers within the borders of Alaska. At 16.8 million acres (covering almost 80% of southeast Alaska) the Tongass National Forest is the largest National Forest in all of the United States.
People come to this part of Alaska from all over the world to witness the grandeur and immensity of the landscapes, the vastness of the fjords and the beauty of the inside passage. Charismatic mega-fauna like humpback whales, orca, brown and black bears, bald eagles and mountain goats draw out attention and are the stuff of legends here in southeast. The experience can be absolutely humbling, difficult to wrap your mind around. It is so easy to get caught up in the largeness of the place that often the little things can be overlooked.
Enter the ubiquitous rain. After all, we are in a temperate rain forest and everything is so green for a very good reason…rain, and lots of it. This morning we experienced true southeast Alaskan weather, a light but constant drizzle of water creeping into our very consciousness. For many people not used to so much liquid sunshine the rain has a tendency to make us look down, to close our eyes to the big picture. When you can’t see the magnificent vistas for the clouds, you have to think small, really small.
So we come to one of the most exciting discoveries of the day, one which could have easily been overlooked: a rough-skinned newt. Sometimes a change of perspective can bring an unlooked for and pleasantly unexpected opportunity. The lesson here is quite simple, but quite profound: being open and adaptable to difficult and challenging conditions may just yield something wonderful in return.
And so in every life (hopefully) a little rain must fall…
For many people coming to Alaska can be absolutely overwhelming in scale. At more than twice the size of Texas it is the largest of our 50 states. There are 100,000 glaciers within the borders of Alaska. At 16.8 million acres (covering almost 80% of southeast Alaska) the Tongass National Forest is the largest National Forest in all of the United States.
People come to this part of Alaska from all over the world to witness the grandeur and immensity of the landscapes, the vastness of the fjords and the beauty of the inside passage. Charismatic mega-fauna like humpback whales, orca, brown and black bears, bald eagles and mountain goats draw out attention and are the stuff of legends here in southeast. The experience can be absolutely humbling, difficult to wrap your mind around. It is so easy to get caught up in the largeness of the place that often the little things can be overlooked.
Enter the ubiquitous rain. After all, we are in a temperate rain forest and everything is so green for a very good reason…rain, and lots of it. This morning we experienced true southeast Alaskan weather, a light but constant drizzle of water creeping into our very consciousness. For many people not used to so much liquid sunshine the rain has a tendency to make us look down, to close our eyes to the big picture. When you can’t see the magnificent vistas for the clouds, you have to think small, really small.
So we come to one of the most exciting discoveries of the day, one which could have easily been overlooked: a rough-skinned newt. Sometimes a change of perspective can bring an unlooked for and pleasantly unexpected opportunity. The lesson here is quite simple, but quite profound: being open and adaptable to difficult and challenging conditions may just yield something wonderful in return.
And so in every life (hopefully) a little rain must fall…
