Cascade Creek/Petersburg

Cascade means falling water and that is certainly what was happening along Cascade Creek during our morning walk/hike. Fed by the almost continuous rain that had fallen during the past two days, the creek was a white water torrent. Near the large waterfall, spray blew across the trail like a hurricane coming onshore. Further upstream, the creek bed was filled nearly to the brim. The long hikers learned that a couple of miles on a genuine Alaskan fisherman’s trail can feel like twice as much after all of the roots, rocks and other impediments are negotiated. This was a strenuous hike but the ambiance of the primeval forest made the effort well worthwhile. While we were on the beach an added bonus for the morning hikers was a distant view of the tall dorsal fin of a male Orca plying the waters of Thomas Bay.

Returning to the National Geographic Sea Bird, we discovered that a special guest had arrived by Zodiac. Fred Sharpe is director of the Alaska Whale Foundation and one of the world’s foremost researchers on the behavior of humpback whales. He presented a fascinating talk that included some amazing “critter-cam” footage taken underwater in the midst of a cooperative feeding event involving a dozen or more whales.

Our afternoon was spent in Petersburg, which is one of the last remaining non-commercialized fishing villages in Alaska. It was settled by Norwegians whose heritage continues to this day, exemplified by a magnificent Sons of Norway Hall located at the entrance to the town from the harbor. In Petersburg, we engaged in a variety of activities, ranging from flight seeing by helicopter and floatplane, to bicycle riding, to hiking through an intriguing bog environment.

Dinner was an all-you-can-eat feast of crab, ribs and slaw—followed by a really interesting after-dinner presentation by John and Sara on the splash cam footage of invertebrates that populate the docks of Petersburg.