Petersburg
Entering Scenery Cove at the head of Thomas Bay we awoke to the ever-present mist and moisture of Alaska’s temperate rainforest. Amazed by the power of ice and its ability to carve the landscape we reveled in the surroundings and scenery of this fiord land.
Leaving the narrows of Scenery Cove we made our way to the Cascade Creek trailhead. Upon arriving at the beach we were quickly rewarded with views of the raging creek. The warming days of spring have blessed us with incredible waterfalls and this was no exception. High on the beach we discovered one of our most beautiful wildflowers in bloom, the shooting star. We split into groups and headed up the trail and were welcomed to the forest by evidence of moose. Looking at winter scat and prints, we realized we were not alone. From the overlook we began the steep ascent and the cooling mist was welcomed as we climbed the stairs wishing we had left a layer on the beach. We then crossed a bridge over a narrow gorge and stopped on the other side to look at skunk cabbage. A quintessential plant of the temperate north, we looked for pollinators attracted to the odors emitted by the spadix. Further up the trail we saw evidence of the Sitka black tailed deer and it’s nibbling of the cabbage. There were also prints in the mud close to the much larger moose tracks. Enjoying the elements of the forest: the mud, the moisture, the layers of the forest and challenges of the trail there was laughter amongst the mud filled, boot sucking holes and log crossings. Searching closely among the moss, naturalists found the diminutive member of the buttercup family and harbinger of spring, the fern leaf goldthread. The fern like leaves are evergreen and provide forage for the deer in an otherwise deciduous and tough winter environment. Further down the trail we found a tiny orchid as equally overlooked as the goldthread. The heart-leaved twayblade, like the skunk cabbage, produces an unpleasant odor that attracts flies and fungus gnats. Down by the mouth of the creek a small group saw the American Dipper diving into the raging water in search of aquatic insects. This songbird is a year-round resident and is an unusual bird in habit and habitat. Swimming underwater these birds use powerful beats of their wings, returning to their nests on cliff faces amongst the moss and ferns. Adapted for a semiaquatic life they have much larger oil glands than other songbirds and scales that close their nostrils when they’re underwater
Back on the boat, the ship pulled up anchor and we made our way to the picturesque fishing town of Petersburg. The history of this community dates back to stories of Tlingit hunters and fisherman. In 1890 Norwegian pioneer Peter Buschmann arrived and built a sawmill followed by a cannery. Using ice from local glaciers helped sustain what would become Petersburg Fisheries, eventually evolving into the much larger seafood processing corporation, Icicle Seafood’s, based in Seattle. Young girls dressed in traditional Norwegian wear adorned the doorway of the Sons of Norway Hall adding to the air of this Norwegian enclave.
Entering Scenery Cove at the head of Thomas Bay we awoke to the ever-present mist and moisture of Alaska’s temperate rainforest. Amazed by the power of ice and its ability to carve the landscape we reveled in the surroundings and scenery of this fiord land.
Leaving the narrows of Scenery Cove we made our way to the Cascade Creek trailhead. Upon arriving at the beach we were quickly rewarded with views of the raging creek. The warming days of spring have blessed us with incredible waterfalls and this was no exception. High on the beach we discovered one of our most beautiful wildflowers in bloom, the shooting star. We split into groups and headed up the trail and were welcomed to the forest by evidence of moose. Looking at winter scat and prints, we realized we were not alone. From the overlook we began the steep ascent and the cooling mist was welcomed as we climbed the stairs wishing we had left a layer on the beach. We then crossed a bridge over a narrow gorge and stopped on the other side to look at skunk cabbage. A quintessential plant of the temperate north, we looked for pollinators attracted to the odors emitted by the spadix. Further up the trail we saw evidence of the Sitka black tailed deer and it’s nibbling of the cabbage. There were also prints in the mud close to the much larger moose tracks. Enjoying the elements of the forest: the mud, the moisture, the layers of the forest and challenges of the trail there was laughter amongst the mud filled, boot sucking holes and log crossings. Searching closely among the moss, naturalists found the diminutive member of the buttercup family and harbinger of spring, the fern leaf goldthread. The fern like leaves are evergreen and provide forage for the deer in an otherwise deciduous and tough winter environment. Further down the trail we found a tiny orchid as equally overlooked as the goldthread. The heart-leaved twayblade, like the skunk cabbage, produces an unpleasant odor that attracts flies and fungus gnats. Down by the mouth of the creek a small group saw the American Dipper diving into the raging water in search of aquatic insects. This songbird is a year-round resident and is an unusual bird in habit and habitat. Swimming underwater these birds use powerful beats of their wings, returning to their nests on cliff faces amongst the moss and ferns. Adapted for a semiaquatic life they have much larger oil glands than other songbirds and scales that close their nostrils when they’re underwater
Back on the boat, the ship pulled up anchor and we made our way to the picturesque fishing town of Petersburg. The history of this community dates back to stories of Tlingit hunters and fisherman. In 1890 Norwegian pioneer Peter Buschmann arrived and built a sawmill followed by a cannery. Using ice from local glaciers helped sustain what would become Petersburg Fisheries, eventually evolving into the much larger seafood processing corporation, Icicle Seafood’s, based in Seattle. Young girls dressed in traditional Norwegian wear adorned the doorway of the Sons of Norway Hall adding to the air of this Norwegian enclave.
