Ideal Cove & Petersburg
I am enamored with Southeast Alaska. Early morning dawned with a quiet gray blanket… calm, peaceful up on the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird with a cup of coffee in hand. Yes, I am in love with this place. The morning was filled with walks into the Tongass National Forest at Ideal Cove. I wondered how many shades of green could there possibly be? Alaska surely must hold the record. The Alaskan boardwalk wound around a stream, through the forest and into a muskeg by a small lake… and then an eagle soared above us… a perfect Alaskan morning! It really can’t get better than this.
Before lunch, Andy Sazbo from Alaska Whale Foundation came aboard and spoke about his research with humpback whales. Lunch was served and then we were off to explore Petersburg, a typical fishing town. Everyone is so friendly here. Fishing boats lined up along the dock, enticing those who chose the dock walk interpretative talk. All were there except the crabbing boats… perhaps catching the crab for our crab feast tonight! Flight seeing, photo walk, riding bikes and touring the town were some of the activities offered.
Across the waterway from Petersburg is another forest trail to a muskeg; this one has been recently renovated with two boards for the boardwalk! A Sitka black-tailed deer was grazing on miner’s cabbage as we entered the bog, watching us as she chewed. We learned that muskegs form when sphagnum moss soaks up rainwater, generates acid and removes nitrogen so the big trees and shrubs starve, leaving behind mostly moss and a few hardy shore pines. A few unique plants thrive in this deprived environment. For example, the sundew gets its nutrition by trapping and digesting tiny flies.
Our day ended like it began, on the bow of the ship cruising Frederick Sound looking for whales.
