Lake Eva And Basket Bay
I can't believe today was the last day on the Sea Lion. No doubt time flies when you are having a good time! For sure we were lucky. I just don’t remember being on a trip where five days out of seven were sunny and with blue skies.
Sunrise…another bright, clear, beautiful morning. The Sea Lion made its way to Hanus Bay on Baranof Island for our morning activities. The colorful fleet of kayaks was laid out on the beach, and right after breakfast, venturous kayakers and hikers were ready to go. Unfortunately the wind started to pick up, so that those who went kayaking only paddled for maybe a 100 yards, and then had to come back, fighting against the wind and waves. So in the end most of us went on a hike heading to a lake called Lake Eva. The Forest Service maintains this trail, but apparently the brown bears visit it more often than people do. This place is bear country!!! So, you can imagine, we wandered through the forest yelling YO BEAR, or YO "OSO" (bear in Spanish). The trail follows a nice, clear, fresh water river, to which different species of Pacific salmon come back every year to spawn. Just a few of these fish were seen, but we also saw a few jumping trout or steelheads. We stopped for birdwatching along the river, and to our delight, we spotted a pair of red breasted sapsuckers, a varied thrush, winter wrens and a few bald eagles gliding overhead.
Evidence of beaver presence was seen, patches of bark of several trees had been scraped off by the teeth of these intriguing animals, which are great home and dam builders. We also came upon a banana slug, and I am sure we all will remember some stories about the biology and interesting reproductive strategy of this remarkable species. After a good, vigorous and enjoyable hike we all came back to the ship for lunch. And believe it or not, this afternoon we even had some relaxing time for packing, reading and a siesta.
And for a wonderful finale of the trip, we visited a magical "grotto" in Basket Bay. One of the great things of traveling with Lindblad Expeditions is that with our inflatable boats, the Zodiacs, we can make it into narrow and hidden spots, rarely visited by other travelers. Fresh water, from up in the mountains, has carved a beautiful path through a block of limestone, part cave, part canyon. Plants have found their way into the steep-walled canyon, and managed to cover every inch of rock and driftwood with life. This place is quite unique and spectacular. And as if that scenic place weren't enough, there lived a pair of American dippers who displayed gracefully for us, their fishing and dipping for food in the water. I am sure everyone was enchanted by this moment.
I hope our paths cross again some day. It was very nice to travel with you all!
Hasta la vista!
I can't believe today was the last day on the Sea Lion. No doubt time flies when you are having a good time! For sure we were lucky. I just don’t remember being on a trip where five days out of seven were sunny and with blue skies.
Sunrise…another bright, clear, beautiful morning. The Sea Lion made its way to Hanus Bay on Baranof Island for our morning activities. The colorful fleet of kayaks was laid out on the beach, and right after breakfast, venturous kayakers and hikers were ready to go. Unfortunately the wind started to pick up, so that those who went kayaking only paddled for maybe a 100 yards, and then had to come back, fighting against the wind and waves. So in the end most of us went on a hike heading to a lake called Lake Eva. The Forest Service maintains this trail, but apparently the brown bears visit it more often than people do. This place is bear country!!! So, you can imagine, we wandered through the forest yelling YO BEAR, or YO "OSO" (bear in Spanish). The trail follows a nice, clear, fresh water river, to which different species of Pacific salmon come back every year to spawn. Just a few of these fish were seen, but we also saw a few jumping trout or steelheads. We stopped for birdwatching along the river, and to our delight, we spotted a pair of red breasted sapsuckers, a varied thrush, winter wrens and a few bald eagles gliding overhead.
Evidence of beaver presence was seen, patches of bark of several trees had been scraped off by the teeth of these intriguing animals, which are great home and dam builders. We also came upon a banana slug, and I am sure we all will remember some stories about the biology and interesting reproductive strategy of this remarkable species. After a good, vigorous and enjoyable hike we all came back to the ship for lunch. And believe it or not, this afternoon we even had some relaxing time for packing, reading and a siesta.
And for a wonderful finale of the trip, we visited a magical "grotto" in Basket Bay. One of the great things of traveling with Lindblad Expeditions is that with our inflatable boats, the Zodiacs, we can make it into narrow and hidden spots, rarely visited by other travelers. Fresh water, from up in the mountains, has carved a beautiful path through a block of limestone, part cave, part canyon. Plants have found their way into the steep-walled canyon, and managed to cover every inch of rock and driftwood with life. This place is quite unique and spectacular. And as if that scenic place weren't enough, there lived a pair of American dippers who displayed gracefully for us, their fishing and dipping for food in the water. I am sure everyone was enchanted by this moment.
I hope our paths cross again some day. It was very nice to travel with you all!
Hasta la vista!
