What’s in a name? It’s a bit ironic that this morning’s pre-breakfast cruise through a secluded inlet was called Scenery Cove. There hasn’t been a moment since we started this trip that hasn’t been scenic! Yesterday’s trip to Dawes Glacier, last night’s sunset encounter with a humpback whale, a fabulous full moon in pastel skies, and this morning’s sunrise without a hint of a cloud. But if someone decided it should be named Scenery Cove, then so be it, and a scenic cove it was! The clarity of the air was stunning.
The morning hike found us at Cascade Creek, a torrent of water that flows through the forest and into the sea. It was our first excursion into the temperate rain forest of Southeast Alaska. The lush greenery, the sound of gushing water, and the sunlight through the trees made for a magical mix! You could almost expect to see an elf or hobbit nearby. Some strolled, some took photo forays, and quite a number of us hiked uphill to a great bridge that spanned the chasm, and some went beyond. It was lovely to get a chance to stretch our legs and go exploring!
The next name of note comes from a Norwegian fisherman named Peter who came to Alaska and found two important items in close proximity—salmon and ice. Both come naturally to our afternoon location. There are five species of Pacific salmon here and one tidewater glacier nearby (Le Conte) that dispenses large qualities of ice—perfect for packing the fish. So Peter Buschmann decided to setup shop and thus began the town of Petersburg. It’s a hardworking fishing community as evidenced by the many boats in the harbor and we wasted no time in getting out there. Bikes, hikes, dock walks, photo classes, and for some a trip to the muskeg—the Algonquin name for a bog, or what the Scandinavians call a bog blanket. By any name, it’s a fascinating world of tiny plants, including one that eats bugs!
And then, there was flightseeing. The host of a popular NPR radio program in Minnesota—Garrison Keillor—visited Alaska a few years ago. Like many of us on board, he decided to take a flightseeing trip to see where glaciers begin their journeys to the sea. Normally talkative, he was unusually quiet during the flight. Afterwards the pilot asked if there was a problem. Garrison said, he loved the flight, but “ran out of adjectives in the foothills.”
Sometimes, words just can’t do justice. Today, was one of those days!
