Sitkoh Bay, Lake Eva trail & Chatham Strait
Southeast Alaska’s old- growth temperate coastal rainforest is enchanting. Huge Sitka spruce and western hemlocks drip with mosses and lichens while their twisted roots are buttressed against toppling down the slopes. Everything competes for the filtered green light gently drifting earthward through the high canopy. Uneven age trees, a complex and well-developed understory and downed timber in various states of decomposition are hallmarks of old growth and it takes at least 500 years to attain this climax state.
Below the trail we could see the cascade and outlet stream from Lake Eva. This very productive system on the north end of Baranof Island hosts four species of Pacific salmon (sockeye, coho, chum and pink) steelhead, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden. The fastest hikers spotted a pair of trumpeter swans up on the lake, and many of us had a moment of being scolded by a Douglas’s red squirrel. This spectacular hike was delightful for us all.
Views of humpback whales and Steller sea lions dotted the afternoon’s cruising, and one of our sharp-eyed guests spotted an eagle sitting on a nest with the mate standing guard nearby. The crowning touch to this afternoon of mists was our first sighting of a coastal brown bear! This young adult bear has recently emerged from his snowy den above tree line and was scouring the beach for something to eat. I bet he would have enjoyed the salmon mousse we were served during cocktail time...
