Southeast Alaska is clothed in a temperate rain forest. Abundant precipitation and long summer days fuel the verdant forest community. Western hemlock, Sitka spruce, devil's club, Alaska yellow cedar, and endless species of mosses, lichens, ferns and wildflowers carpet the earth. Rocks and branches are covered in green. No suitable platform escapes a cover of vegetation.

Again today, we have missed the rain. The bright orb in the sky has created dramatic lighting for the scenery, as we hiked through the muskeg (bog) on the far side of Wrangell Narrows from the fishing community of Petersburg. Flying over the Stikine Ice Field and LeConte Glacier, or landing on the Patterson Glacier, our mouths opened wide but the words were inadequate to describe the beauty.

Exploring Thomas Bay by foot and kayak, we enjoyed the serenity of wilderness, and the satisfaction of the physical exertion to access it. Cascade Creek, plunging into the ocean, provided fun currents for kayakers, and visual delights for hikers.

After a dinner of fresh Dungeness crab, purchased this afternoon in Petersburg, Captain Duke took the Sea Lion into another intimate bay, Scenery Cove. Tired and more than satisfied after a full and fulfilling day, we enjoyed the peace and comfort of another day in the wilderness that is Southeast Alaska.