Winds and seas thwarted an attempt to head into Cross Sound and the Pacific during the night, so Captain Graves found a calm anchorage in well-protected Idaho Inlet. We awoke to a light mist and breeze and went ashore by Zodiac as soon as breakfast was finished. We divided into a kayak group and hiking groups and spent the morning exploring this pristine glacial valley. The hikers went through a wonderfully rich meadow to a small river where salmon were swimming upstream near the end of their heroic journey back from the sea. Further along, while following a bear trail in the woods, most of the hikers came upon a tree used by a brown bear to mark its territory. There were footprints nearby and bear hair caught on the tree and everyone was about equally anxious to see a bear and not see a bear!!
Meanwhile, the kayakers explored the far end of the inlet from the water. A river emptied into shallow tidal channels creating habitat for many birds and also a haul-out for harbor seals. Many of us were able to get close to the seals that were taking advantage of the low tide to rest on the shallow sandbanks.
