Ideal Cove & Petersburg
A visit from a humpback whale began this warm, sunny day. We had a low tide landing at Ideal Cove and slipped our way up through the mud to the forest edge. The well maintained boardwalk offered us wonderful access to the shores of two out of the three lakes nestled in the woods here. Spring must have come earlier to this area as the skunk cabbages were already thigh high, and wildflowers were everywhere. Marsh marigold, Alaskan and wood violet, dwarf dogwood, rosy twisted stalk, and multitudes of pink shooting stars were scattered along the path.
Those who made it up to the muskeg saw the first spikes of this year’s bog orchids. We were also lucky enough to find examples of the round leafed sundew. This plant has adapted to the low nutrient soil of the muskeg by becoming insectivorous. They are able to capture and digest insects, mostly small flies.
The afternoon was spent in Petersburg on the north end of Mitkof Island. We started off the afternoon with a dock walk around the many fishing boats. Crab, salmon, and halibut are their biggest industry. Petersburg has a long fishing heritage with the first cannery opening operations in 1900. A wonderful monument to ‘Those lost at sea’ can be observed on the walk towards town. While some guests explored the muskeg of Kupreanof Island, others explored the town by bicycle or foot. The locals were obviously proud of the town’s ancestry as Norwegian artistry was displayed on many of the storefronts. It was a well-rounded day, with exploration of both the local trails and the local culture. We finished off the evening with an amazing all-you-can-eat feast of locally bought King Crab.
A visit from a humpback whale began this warm, sunny day. We had a low tide landing at Ideal Cove and slipped our way up through the mud to the forest edge. The well maintained boardwalk offered us wonderful access to the shores of two out of the three lakes nestled in the woods here. Spring must have come earlier to this area as the skunk cabbages were already thigh high, and wildflowers were everywhere. Marsh marigold, Alaskan and wood violet, dwarf dogwood, rosy twisted stalk, and multitudes of pink shooting stars were scattered along the path.
Those who made it up to the muskeg saw the first spikes of this year’s bog orchids. We were also lucky enough to find examples of the round leafed sundew. This plant has adapted to the low nutrient soil of the muskeg by becoming insectivorous. They are able to capture and digest insects, mostly small flies.
The afternoon was spent in Petersburg on the north end of Mitkof Island. We started off the afternoon with a dock walk around the many fishing boats. Crab, salmon, and halibut are their biggest industry. Petersburg has a long fishing heritage with the first cannery opening operations in 1900. A wonderful monument to ‘Those lost at sea’ can be observed on the walk towards town. While some guests explored the muskeg of Kupreanof Island, others explored the town by bicycle or foot. The locals were obviously proud of the town’s ancestry as Norwegian artistry was displayed on many of the storefronts. It was a well-rounded day, with exploration of both the local trails and the local culture. We finished off the evening with an amazing all-you-can-eat feast of locally bought King Crab.
