Petersburg and Cascade Creek
Petersburg is a bustling fishing town laced with Norwegian heritage. This theme is evident throughout the community with floral paintings on many of the buildings and a replica of a Viking ship next to the Sons of Norway Hall. We tied up here during breakfast and spent the sunny morning exploring by bus, foot, float plane, Zodiac, and helicopter. One group ventured into the past by visiting an ancient fishing site used by Tlingit Indians. Panoramic views of the Le Conte and Patterson Glaciers spread out beneath the flightseers who found tiny harbor seals hauled out on the floating ice within the fiord. Hikers traveled by Zodiac to nearby Kupreanof Island for a walk to a muskeg, a fascinating landscape dominated by sphagnum moss and twisted shore pines towering over miniature carnivorous sundew plants. As the hikers returned to the landing, a black bear appeared on the grassy shoreline, and everyone had a great look before it wandered out of sight.
The second outing of the day was to Cascade Creek in Thomas Bay. The trail winds back from seaweed-covered rocks into a luxuriant forest blanketed with ferns and mosses. Exposed roots and giant stair steps kept our attention as we picked our way, but the rewards made it well worthwhile. The tumbling waterfall in the photo cascades down in a crashing torrent near the trail and engulfs all those who pass in a heavy mist. Higher up, a bridge crosses the creek and provides spectacular vistas of a steep-walled chute of churning water as well as swirling eddies that drop away far below.
Back on the Sea Lion, the galley staff busily prepared our dinner of Dungeness crab from Petersburg along with tasty ribs and other delicacies. On flat-calm seas the ship pulled anchor and motored on towards the next day’s adventures in Tracy Arm.
Petersburg is a bustling fishing town laced with Norwegian heritage. This theme is evident throughout the community with floral paintings on many of the buildings and a replica of a Viking ship next to the Sons of Norway Hall. We tied up here during breakfast and spent the sunny morning exploring by bus, foot, float plane, Zodiac, and helicopter. One group ventured into the past by visiting an ancient fishing site used by Tlingit Indians. Panoramic views of the Le Conte and Patterson Glaciers spread out beneath the flightseers who found tiny harbor seals hauled out on the floating ice within the fiord. Hikers traveled by Zodiac to nearby Kupreanof Island for a walk to a muskeg, a fascinating landscape dominated by sphagnum moss and twisted shore pines towering over miniature carnivorous sundew plants. As the hikers returned to the landing, a black bear appeared on the grassy shoreline, and everyone had a great look before it wandered out of sight.
The second outing of the day was to Cascade Creek in Thomas Bay. The trail winds back from seaweed-covered rocks into a luxuriant forest blanketed with ferns and mosses. Exposed roots and giant stair steps kept our attention as we picked our way, but the rewards made it well worthwhile. The tumbling waterfall in the photo cascades down in a crashing torrent near the trail and engulfs all those who pass in a heavy mist. Higher up, a bridge crosses the creek and provides spectacular vistas of a steep-walled chute of churning water as well as swirling eddies that drop away far below.
Back on the Sea Lion, the galley staff busily prepared our dinner of Dungeness crab from Petersburg along with tasty ribs and other delicacies. On flat-calm seas the ship pulled anchor and motored on towards the next day’s adventures in Tracy Arm.
