Above-average temperatures sweltered across Southeast Alaska today. Shorts, t-shirts and sunburns accompanied our ship from start to finish. Fantastic mist clung to the hillsides as we steamed into Scenery Cove; sunlight streamed from above the Coast Range and we had the rare good fortune to have perfectly blue skies. The Baird Glacier chilled us briefly during morning stretch class, but after breakfast temperatures steadily rose.
Morning operations took place at Cascade Creek, where frothy white water tumbled down a steep mountainside. Everyone hiked to the base of the falls, where we enjoyed glorious sunlight streaming through flying spray. Moderate hikers discovered the incredibly toxic rough-skinned newt and admired its flaming orange belly. Strenuous walkers plodded uphill, boots sucked off by deep mud as they crawled over and under logs.
We spent the afternoon in Petersburg, a small town founded on fishing with a flare for the Norwegian. Some folks strolled the dock, learning about commercial fishing amidst the active fleet. Others wandered uphill to see an Alaskan muskeg, complete with carnivorous plants and a plethora of berries. Flightseeing trips took to the skies, enjoying pristine views of a nearby glacier from a float plane. Cyclists rode bikes out of town, walkers explored the local shops, and the weather was so fair it was hard to believe we were in Alaska.
The evening began with our video chronicle preview and a crab feast. As the sun set, photo instructor Rich Reid gave a talk on time lapse photography.
