Lake Eva / Peril Strait
Today we awoke to Alaska. On our final day of a fantastic trip we finally saw Alaska for what it is - a soft, damp, muffled paradise. We seemed to nestle into our morning anchorage in Hanus Bay (at the northern end of Baranof Island) as clouds hung low around the water’s edge and lightly veiled our approach to the trail head of Lake Eva. With a light drizzle in the air everything may have felt more “Alaskan” only because we have been spoiled with such fine weather for the last 5 days. But nothing seems to set the scene like low clouds, fine rain and temperate rain forest as we ventured into one of the finest examples of mature old growth on the trip. Navigating via a sinuous path that crossed over river mouths, under fallen logs and around massive Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees we took in the scene with the same peaceful air it imparted to us. Muffled under centuries worth of trees, years of moss and hours of rain, we all took in more than we uttered on this hike¯ likely using the solitude as a means to reflect on such a wonderful place.
Back at the edge of Hanus Bay we took advantage of the placid waters by setting off on one more round of Zodiac cruises before trip’s end. Within moments of hitting the water a lone harbor seal actually approached our Zodiac (a true rarity with these skittish animals) and swam within meters of our stern just below the water’s surface. In the calm, shallow, clear conditions we could see every whisker on its face as it took one close, inquisitive pass before fading into the surrounding liquid. A little further out into the bay we were also treated to a lone humpback show as a blow was spotted in the distance, luring us in with its lingering breath. Seemingly focused on feeding, with little predictable patterning other than its underwater duration, every 7 minutes on the dot this lone humpback would surface with a watery report. In some unpredictable direction the whale would surface for 4 to 5 more breaths and then grace us with one long, arching, fluke-exposing terminal dive. With the engines off there was nothing but the sound of water off a whale’s tail to break the silence.
The second half of our day has been dedicated to searching the narrow stretch of water dividing Baranof and Chichagof Islands for wildlife. Peril Strait is a winding, narrow waterway notorious for its tidal rips and strong currents, and it did indeed offer some wildlife viewing. Just north of the strait proper in Sitkoh Bay, we came across a sow and cub deep in the marshy vegetation along the shore. Offering a respectful distance to mother and cub, we watched as both meandered and grazed in the lush greenery that is so ubiquitous here. A greenery that will be hard to forget and is only possible with the wonderful liquid sunshine that brought this trip to an appropriate conclusion.
