Port Houghton

Today was rainy but we had adventures anyway. The morning was taken up with Zodiac cruising near the Brothers Islands. We were on the lookout for Steller's sea lions and a few curious humpback whales that had come close to shore. We also investigated the kelp that lines the beaches. The afternoon was spent hiking near a stream junction in Port Houghton. The stream was dark brown with tannin from the many western hemlock trees that line the streams. This acid is washed from the bark of the trees and makes the water almost opaque. The salmon are just starting to make their run in Southeast Alaska, so we saw many of them jumping and snapping at each other as they were heading up the streams. Our walk was along bear paths that usually ended at the banks of the stream. The understory of plants included wild strawberry and salmonberry, twisted stalk, and false lily of the valley. With the rain coming down the trunks of the trees and the darkness of the forest canopy, the mood was medieval.