Early this morning the National Geographic Sea Lion continued her southerly journey through Frederick Sound, towards our morning destination of Thomas Bay and a hike at Cascade Creek. We were being followed by a change in weather, and as the morning progressed our sunny weather was being diffused by increasing cloud cover.
Just after breakfast, Zodiacs were ready to ferry our group ashore where we were instantly surrounded by the sound of a fast tumbling river and a roaring waterfall as a backdrop! A long, moderate and shorter set of hikes set out immediately heading in the direction of the roar of the falls. The rich soil of the area aided in creating an abundant beach ecosystem bursting with flowers, grasses and sedges! Nurse logs were everywhere sprouting miniature Sitka spruce and Western hemlock trees no more than an inch tall nestled in a myriad of lichens and mosses. As we paused and leaned in closer and closer we found British soldiers staring back at us, while just underneath them was a sizable patch of fairy barf...mosses fighting their way in and around everything. In a temperate coastal rain forest nothing is left unused. Every fallen tree becomes a new home for the next generation of growth, each member of the ecosystem vying for space to colonize, get established, reproduce and continue its life.
Making our way further down the trail we passed two enormous trees. Like sentinels forming a gate, one a western hemlock, one a Sitka spruce, we now found ourselves entering a new area dominated not by the sea and sun but by mists, a roaring river and an enormous fifty foot tall water fall.
Our short hike remained the longest at the falls. We were a small group and especially gifted with the presence of a friend who wishes like everyone to experience it all! Except he depends on his senses far more than most...he navigates this world without sight. Robert requested a spot near a lookout so that he could just be close to the sound and spray from the falls. At one point, he asked this writer/naturalist, “Sharon can you feel what this waterfall does to the ground?” Robert was aware of the strong vibrations of the ever-changing pattern of huge amounts of falling water as it hit the base at the bottom of the waterfall. We all paused, were very quiet, closed our eyes and allowed all of our senses to be present and experience this place as Robert was doing. We noticed the different levels of sound, we felt the warmth of the sun as it poured through the trees, we felt the mist on our faces and took one of those rare moments to stand in someone else’s shoes and be inspired.
All too soon it was time to return to the waiting National Geographic Sea Lion and continue our days activities, heading back into Frederick Sound towards our afternoon destination of Petersburg, SE Alaska. During lunch our ship made her way into the main port of a well-known fishing community built into a natural harbor on Mitkof Island. At the turn of the 20th century, this small community was settled by Peter Bushmen. A Norwegian moving north via Seattle Washington, Mr. Bushmen saw the potential of the area due to its proximity to the abundant fishing and the ice from near-by glaciers and established a community that today is one of the best known working fishing towns in Alaska. Today approximately 3,000 people call this community home and continue the main economy of fishing, packing and canning all associated with the resources provided by the seas of SE Alaska.
The weather had caught up to us upon arrival in Petersburg. We were now seeing the gray on gray with shades of dark green so typical of the Pacific Northwest Coast! Though, nothing stopped the bike rides, walking around town and a complete compliment of fight seeing! As the last floatplane landed in the harbor the National Geographic Sea Lion prepared to depart, continuing her voyage heading towards tomorrow’s destination, exploring a land of a thousand islands.
