Lake Eva & Chatham Strait
Our adventures this morning were at the lovely Lake Eva Trail and Bay. Kayakers relaxed with peaceful paddle in the inner, tidally influenced cove. Hikers took to the trail to admire the largest of the large and the smallest of the small. In the large category we found some of the most impressive Sitka spruce and western hemlock that we have seen yet. Dwarfing us in their height and diameter, these trees have grown along this salmon stream for decades and some of them over a century. It is the generations of salmon themselves, providing nutrients from the ocean to the river, forest, and animals, that are in part responsible for the large trees we admired today.
The small things were just as beautiful and not to be hurried by or ignored. Many wildflowers were in bloom in the meadows on the forest edges. Paintbrush, chocolate lily, American bistort, buttercup and shooting stars with their reds, pinks, yellows and white and brown created a colorful indulgence for the eyes. In the forest we found other colors more prevalent. Lichens and mosses coat the landscape with nearly every shade and texture of green. Of all the common names listed in our plant field guide, the lichens win the award for creativity and descriptiveness. A sampling of these from the area include: lettuce lung, freckle pelt, laundered rag, devil’s matchstick and the very recognizable old man’s beard. We found another beauty that had a lime green background with tiny, round, orange fruiting bodies on it. Its real name will have to wait for another time, but if we were to name it, perhaps the name would be orange elfin doorknob.
This afternoon we had time to explore and absorb more of this stunning Alaska scenery. In the early afternoon we admired the waterfalls and mountains of Takatz Inlet. Immediately before dinner we snuck into Gut Bay. The narrow entrance (and name) hide the beautiful peaks, rocky shorelines and sweeping forests held within. As usual, we found bald eagles escorting us everywhere we went. Although we realize that the bald eagle population is thriving (and common) in Southeast Alaska, we will never tire of seeing these glorious birds.
Our adventures this morning were at the lovely Lake Eva Trail and Bay. Kayakers relaxed with peaceful paddle in the inner, tidally influenced cove. Hikers took to the trail to admire the largest of the large and the smallest of the small. In the large category we found some of the most impressive Sitka spruce and western hemlock that we have seen yet. Dwarfing us in their height and diameter, these trees have grown along this salmon stream for decades and some of them over a century. It is the generations of salmon themselves, providing nutrients from the ocean to the river, forest, and animals, that are in part responsible for the large trees we admired today.
The small things were just as beautiful and not to be hurried by or ignored. Many wildflowers were in bloom in the meadows on the forest edges. Paintbrush, chocolate lily, American bistort, buttercup and shooting stars with their reds, pinks, yellows and white and brown created a colorful indulgence for the eyes. In the forest we found other colors more prevalent. Lichens and mosses coat the landscape with nearly every shade and texture of green. Of all the common names listed in our plant field guide, the lichens win the award for creativity and descriptiveness. A sampling of these from the area include: lettuce lung, freckle pelt, laundered rag, devil’s matchstick and the very recognizable old man’s beard. We found another beauty that had a lime green background with tiny, round, orange fruiting bodies on it. Its real name will have to wait for another time, but if we were to name it, perhaps the name would be orange elfin doorknob.
This afternoon we had time to explore and absorb more of this stunning Alaska scenery. In the early afternoon we admired the waterfalls and mountains of Takatz Inlet. Immediately before dinner we snuck into Gut Bay. The narrow entrance (and name) hide the beautiful peaks, rocky shorelines and sweeping forests held within. As usual, we found bald eagles escorting us everywhere we went. Although we realize that the bald eagle population is thriving (and common) in Southeast Alaska, we will never tire of seeing these glorious birds.
