Cascade Creek and Petersburg
We entered Thomas Bay early this morning, to a misty sky and low-lying clouds. Slowly, with Baird Glacier in the distance, we made our way toward Scenery Cove, a stunningly beautiful place in which to awaken. Jade-colored water surrounded our little ship and we enjoyed views of a stream at the head of the cove, bringing great amounts of fresh water into the deep fjord.
Shortly after our wakeup announcement, while skirting around endless crab-pot floats, we repositioned the ship to our anchorage at Cascade Creek, just inside Ruth Island. Our intrepid party landed ashore to explore the lush rainforest, fed in part by a huge, rushing river. Queen’s cup, dwarf dogwood and numerous huckleberry bushes lined the boardwalk and the forest path, creating a multitude of green colors at our feet. The cascade, for which this trail is named, pours out of the Coast Mountains, dusting everything in its path with a misty spray. We ventured high into the forest on well-worn stairs, and many of us continued up into a section of the forest dominated by looming Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Climbing back down, it was impossible to ignore the lush understory all around us.
On toward Petersburg during lunch and a small-town-Alaska-Fourth of July celebration! Petersburg is a Norwegian town that has its origins in commercial fishing and processing. American Independence Day is equally important here and equally celebrated! Small events, such as a balloon toss, an egg toss, and even a rubber ducky race are annual traditions here. One of the highlights was the log-rolling contest in the small boat harbor, entered by several of our ship’s crew! It was a wonderful, festive day, complete with typical Southeast Alaskan weather!
Despite the moisture from the skies, many of our party opted to enjoy exploring the muskeg environment on the neighboring island, Kupreanof. This small, but important environment within the
Tongass National Forest is a wonder in and of itself. Dominated by sphagnum moss, muskeg contains wonderful examples of plants perfectly adapted for a highly acidic environment, such as bog rosemary, bog cranberry, and the insectivorous round-leaved sundew.
This evening, we were visited by representatives from the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and the Alaska Whale Foundation. Both shared a tremendous amount of information about the work they are doing in Southeast Alaska. We feasted on Dungeness crab, apple/pear crisp, and enjoyed hearing about these grass-roots organizations. As a final toast to the evening, we capped off this holiday with an incredible fireworks display by the city of Petersburg.
What an amazing Fourth of July! Our experiences have been vast and varied and we have been treated to tremendous small-town hospitality. Happy 4th of July, Petersburg!
