Petersburg
Low clouds enveloped the treetops and a light rain fell as we greeted the morning. Donning brightly colored raincoats and wearing our favorite rubber boots, we set out to explore the town of Petersburg. Just as bright as our raincoats are the perky pink flowers of the fireweed that we found skirting the edges of the high tide line. This ubiquitous Alaskan flower signals the progress of summer as its blossoms open from the bottom of the stalk to the top. Summer is a busy time for plants; flowers are put forth, seeds develop, and berries ripen. It is said that when the blooms of fireweed reach the top, summer, and the accompanying hard work of regeneration, is over for another season.
The fishermen of Petersburg were hard at work this morning as well. Cranes operated continuously, loading crab pots onto vessels moored along the wharf. The opening day of crab season in this area was only hours away. However it wasn’t crabs that put Petersburg on the map. Originally, it was halibut in combination with ice from nearby LeConte glacier, which provided the means to pack and preserve halibut for shipping by steamer to Seattle. Today, there are three seafood-processing plants as well as a reduction plant, which produces fishmeal from the scraps. In addition to halibut, the plants process salmon, crab, herring, prawns and Petersburg shrimp.
We did a little processing of crab ourselves this evening. Armed with vise-like crab cracking tools, we attacked plate after plate of steaming Dungeness crab. Shells flew with wild abandon as we satiated ourselves with this crustaceous delicacy. The dedication and hard work of the fishermen of Petersburg was well appreciated. Burp. Excuse me.
Low clouds enveloped the treetops and a light rain fell as we greeted the morning. Donning brightly colored raincoats and wearing our favorite rubber boots, we set out to explore the town of Petersburg. Just as bright as our raincoats are the perky pink flowers of the fireweed that we found skirting the edges of the high tide line. This ubiquitous Alaskan flower signals the progress of summer as its blossoms open from the bottom of the stalk to the top. Summer is a busy time for plants; flowers are put forth, seeds develop, and berries ripen. It is said that when the blooms of fireweed reach the top, summer, and the accompanying hard work of regeneration, is over for another season.
The fishermen of Petersburg were hard at work this morning as well. Cranes operated continuously, loading crab pots onto vessels moored along the wharf. The opening day of crab season in this area was only hours away. However it wasn’t crabs that put Petersburg on the map. Originally, it was halibut in combination with ice from nearby LeConte glacier, which provided the means to pack and preserve halibut for shipping by steamer to Seattle. Today, there are three seafood-processing plants as well as a reduction plant, which produces fishmeal from the scraps. In addition to halibut, the plants process salmon, crab, herring, prawns and Petersburg shrimp.
We did a little processing of crab ourselves this evening. Armed with vise-like crab cracking tools, we attacked plate after plate of steaming Dungeness crab. Shells flew with wild abandon as we satiated ourselves with this crustaceous delicacy. The dedication and hard work of the fishermen of Petersburg was well appreciated. Burp. Excuse me.
