Petersburg, Wrangell Narrows and Lake Harvey
Early this morning, Captain Graves cautiously steered the Sea Lion into Petersburg’s inner harbor, with a mere four feet of water under the keel. The extreme tides near the full moon are upon us, and the low tide this morning was an incredible minus 2.9 feet! Once we were secure at the dock, we ventured ashore and explored the picturesque fishing community of Petersburg, also known as Alaska’s “Little Norway”. Many of us chose to hike along the Petersburg Creek trail to a completely saturated muskeg. Along the way, we witnessed every shade of green imaginable, as well as the reds and yellows of early autumn. There were plump bunchberries and huckleberries alongside the red-topped “British soldier” lichen, under the thinning canopy of red-leaved blueberry bushes. Arriving at the muskeg, we watched a solitary Sitka black-tailed deer, browsing before winter’s arrival.
Back aboard the Sea Lion, we headed south in Wrangell Narrows. Out on deck to watch our transit through one of the narrowest navigable channels in Southeast Alaska, we were completely surprised by the appearance of four killer whales! We watched as they lunged and turned sharply, apparently hunting salmon. At one point, a large mass of pink viscera rose to the surface, and the gulls screamed for their portion. After nearly an hour with these whales, we reluctantly turned south towards our anchorage at Woewoedski Island.
Mid-afternoon, a large group of intrepid hikers ventured out in the rain, to set foot in this primeval Alaskan temperate rainforest one last time. The signs of our southward migration were everywhere. Crushing the delicate foliage of western red cedars released its clean, sharp scent, reminding many of the naturalists of home. Standing next to the creek rushing with the tannin-laden forest run-off, we looked up to marvel at green, misty light filtered through red alder leaves. Arriving at the lake, we took a moment to listen: to the rain, to the silence, to Alaska.
Early this morning, Captain Graves cautiously steered the Sea Lion into Petersburg’s inner harbor, with a mere four feet of water under the keel. The extreme tides near the full moon are upon us, and the low tide this morning was an incredible minus 2.9 feet! Once we were secure at the dock, we ventured ashore and explored the picturesque fishing community of Petersburg, also known as Alaska’s “Little Norway”. Many of us chose to hike along the Petersburg Creek trail to a completely saturated muskeg. Along the way, we witnessed every shade of green imaginable, as well as the reds and yellows of early autumn. There were plump bunchberries and huckleberries alongside the red-topped “British soldier” lichen, under the thinning canopy of red-leaved blueberry bushes. Arriving at the muskeg, we watched a solitary Sitka black-tailed deer, browsing before winter’s arrival.
Back aboard the Sea Lion, we headed south in Wrangell Narrows. Out on deck to watch our transit through one of the narrowest navigable channels in Southeast Alaska, we were completely surprised by the appearance of four killer whales! We watched as they lunged and turned sharply, apparently hunting salmon. At one point, a large mass of pink viscera rose to the surface, and the gulls screamed for their portion. After nearly an hour with these whales, we reluctantly turned south towards our anchorage at Woewoedski Island.
Mid-afternoon, a large group of intrepid hikers ventured out in the rain, to set foot in this primeval Alaskan temperate rainforest one last time. The signs of our southward migration were everywhere. Crushing the delicate foliage of western red cedars released its clean, sharp scent, reminding many of the naturalists of home. Standing next to the creek rushing with the tannin-laden forest run-off, we looked up to marvel at green, misty light filtered through red alder leaves. Arriving at the lake, we took a moment to listen: to the rain, to the silence, to Alaska.
