Pavlof Harbor & Chatham Strait
“Oh for just one time, I would make a Northwest Passage”…the lyrics and the melody of the haunting Stan Rodgers folksong Northwest Passage have been dancing with me today as our passage through the islands and fiords of the Tongass National Forest comes to a poignant close. And what a grand passage it has been- a splendid voyage with many unexpected twists and turns.
We expected that the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska would be beautiful; but that we would experience fine weather each and every day- was quite unexpected. Glaciers, even calving glaciers, were expected, but to speed along towering fiord walls on a tiny Zodiac, dodging deep blue icebergs and gazing skyward at thousand foot waterfalls tumbling down the mountain, that was unexpected. Bears were expected, but watching huge coastal brown bears while they foraged with no cares as to our presence was not expected.
Wildflowers – expected. Standing in a vast meadow surrounded by snow-capped mountains, to celebrate the first chocolate lilies of the season; overcoming tremendous climatic constraints to produce their exquisite flowers- unexpected. Whales, yes they were expected. To spend our last afternoon hours observing the complex cooperative feeding behavior of sixteen forty-ton humpback whales lunging open-mouthed out of the dark ocean water, could never be expected.
We expected that our fellow travelers would be congenial and interesting. That at the end of the journey we would feel like a family, was most unexpected.
Thank you to new friends and family members, for opening your minds and hearts to the wild magic of spring in Southeast Alaska.
“Oh for just one time, I would make a Northwest Passage”…the lyrics and the melody of the haunting Stan Rodgers folksong Northwest Passage have been dancing with me today as our passage through the islands and fiords of the Tongass National Forest comes to a poignant close. And what a grand passage it has been- a splendid voyage with many unexpected twists and turns.
We expected that the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska would be beautiful; but that we would experience fine weather each and every day- was quite unexpected. Glaciers, even calving glaciers, were expected, but to speed along towering fiord walls on a tiny Zodiac, dodging deep blue icebergs and gazing skyward at thousand foot waterfalls tumbling down the mountain, that was unexpected. Bears were expected, but watching huge coastal brown bears while they foraged with no cares as to our presence was not expected.
Wildflowers – expected. Standing in a vast meadow surrounded by snow-capped mountains, to celebrate the first chocolate lilies of the season; overcoming tremendous climatic constraints to produce their exquisite flowers- unexpected. Whales, yes they were expected. To spend our last afternoon hours observing the complex cooperative feeding behavior of sixteen forty-ton humpback whales lunging open-mouthed out of the dark ocean water, could never be expected.
We expected that our fellow travelers would be congenial and interesting. That at the end of the journey we would feel like a family, was most unexpected.
Thank you to new friends and family members, for opening your minds and hearts to the wild magic of spring in Southeast Alaska.
