What a day it was in Glacier Bay National Park! Waking up at the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier, we are delighted by the sight and sound of this exquisite tidewater glacier. Harbor seals dot the bergy bits of ice around our vessel. Dramatic rocky cliffs of igneous and metamorphic rock tower above us, capped by peaks of white. From upper bay to lower, we are treated with a landscape that has undergone an ecological makeover, 250 years in the making. By the time we reach Bartlett Cove, we see a lush rainforest engulfing a rustic lodge and ranger station. Sea otters, sea lions, and sea birds are familiar companions, and we are treated to a coastline briming with coastal brown bears, and a tawny wolf.
5/18/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Lake Eva and Chatham Strait
We enjoyed a beautiful morning exploring the Sitka spruce and hemlock trees dominating the forest along the Lake Eva trail on Chichagof Island; then in the later part of the day we cruised Chatham Strait. Stunning scenery abounded with the lush green understory of mosses, lichens, berry bushes, deer ferns, skunk cabbage, aspen, and Devil’s club, just to name a few. Under the dotted canopy of the trees, we identified signs of recent bear activity, red squirrel caches, and the flitting dance of birds through the understory. The screeches of a soaring bald eagle and the sounds of the songbirds echoed throughout the forest, as the flowing water of the salmon stream gurgled into the brackish lagoon leading to the sea. Our cruise through Chatham Strait had calm winds and seas; we enjoyed expansive views of snow-capped mountains, and intimate tree-lined coastlines with kelp wafting in the shallower waters. It was a great place for all to reflect on the many sights, sounds, smells, and experiences we’ve had over the past 13 days of this Treasures of the Inside Passage expedition from Seattle to Sitka.