Chichagof Island
This morning we awoke in Basket Bay greeted by but another day without rain in the panhandle of Alaska. We opted to start our day by enjoying the bay by kayak or Zodiac. Exploring the interesting geologic features of the land we heard stories of the people (and their pets) that spent time here hundreds of years ago.
Bringing the densely forested coast to life we heard stories about an old Tlingit village destroyed by “an enraged pet beaver” with supposed signs of destruction obvious in the geographic features, which we searched for. Exploring up the grotto a steady flowing current pushed the bow of our small boats back towards Basket Bay as we admired steep walls and a natural bridge over Kook Creek. The morning was made complete back aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird when a few hearty souls braved cold Alaskan waters plunging from pontoons off the Zodiac. Spectators gathered on aft levels marveled at their sense of adventure, while content with high and dry. Brevity always seems to complement polar plunges and our 5 brave souls were not long for 44.7-degree water.
Moving south to Sitkoh Bay we entered Chatham Strait en route to trails, into temperate rainforest. Dropping the hook at the entrance of Sitkoh we explored the coastal forest of Florence Bay and were amazed by the huge strand of spruce trees hugging the beach. If only trees could talk they surely would paint the picture of this place that has experienced so much in the way and world of the Tlingit (and their seasonal summer fishing village) and the presence of the people who came to conquer salmon in 1900. Hiking along an old road we soon found scat and tracks of brown bear, followed by a perennial bear path, climaxing to the real deal and a coastal brown bear feeding in a meadow. What a different experience viewing bears from the bow and the safety of the mother ship to raw and close encounters from the forest edge.
This morning we awoke in Basket Bay greeted by but another day without rain in the panhandle of Alaska. We opted to start our day by enjoying the bay by kayak or Zodiac. Exploring the interesting geologic features of the land we heard stories of the people (and their pets) that spent time here hundreds of years ago.
Bringing the densely forested coast to life we heard stories about an old Tlingit village destroyed by “an enraged pet beaver” with supposed signs of destruction obvious in the geographic features, which we searched for. Exploring up the grotto a steady flowing current pushed the bow of our small boats back towards Basket Bay as we admired steep walls and a natural bridge over Kook Creek. The morning was made complete back aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird when a few hearty souls braved cold Alaskan waters plunging from pontoons off the Zodiac. Spectators gathered on aft levels marveled at their sense of adventure, while content with high and dry. Brevity always seems to complement polar plunges and our 5 brave souls were not long for 44.7-degree water.
Moving south to Sitkoh Bay we entered Chatham Strait en route to trails, into temperate rainforest. Dropping the hook at the entrance of Sitkoh we explored the coastal forest of Florence Bay and were amazed by the huge strand of spruce trees hugging the beach. If only trees could talk they surely would paint the picture of this place that has experienced so much in the way and world of the Tlingit (and their seasonal summer fishing village) and the presence of the people who came to conquer salmon in 1900. Hiking along an old road we soon found scat and tracks of brown bear, followed by a perennial bear path, climaxing to the real deal and a coastal brown bear feeding in a meadow. What a different experience viewing bears from the bow and the safety of the mother ship to raw and close encounters from the forest edge.
