Cascade Creek and Petersburg, Alaska
The Sea Bird entered Thomas Bay just after 7:00am this morning. A veil of mist clung to the trees and hung in the air as our ship cruised slowly and quietly into the bay. Our destination this morning would be Cascade Creek and a hike to a large waterfall with an ascending set of wooden stairs leading up into old growth forest. As our Zodiacs arrived ashore we could already hear the roar of the thirty-foot waterfall just a short distance from our landing sight. During the last two days here in Southeast Alaska a large summer squall had drenched the land. Every blade of grass, every flower, even the needles of the Sitka spruce were decorated with thousands of prisms created by raindrops. The leaves of Devil’s club hung with the weight of rain as if a great sadness had overcome them. Flower petals on many of the flowers of the forest floor were waterlogged, and had individual water drops hanging from their tips. It was the quintessential picture of what a temperate rainforest is best known for, a rain-soaked though beautiful landscape.
Undaunted by weather, we put on our raingear and once on shore began a walk through this grey on grey with shades of dark green landscape. Cascade creek was at least three feet larger on either side and three feet deeper due to the rain of the last 36 hours. Making our way along a small boardwalk we arrived at the base of the waterfall and remained transfixed by the beauty, and the sound of huge quantities of powerfully moving water.
Once our walks at Cascade Creed were complete Zodiacs were brought to our landing beach and very shortly we were back aboard the Sea Bird. Changing into warm clothes we adjourned to the lounge for a reading by Kim Heacox. Through Kim’s words we learned about “wearing a kayak” and what it means to travel by this ancient means of transportation into the wilds of Southeast Alaska.
As Kim was finishing his talk, our vessel was making her way towards the north entrance of Wrangell Narrows where the fishing town of Petersburg, Alaska is located. Peter Buschmann established a community at the turn of the last century in this protected entrance at the north end of Mitlok Island. With a population of nearly 4,000 people, this small Norwegian community is home to one of Southeast Alaska’s largest fishing fleets, processing nearly $22 million worth of seafood a year. As the Sea Bird approached the main harbor those of us on the bow watched many small fishing boats waiting their turn to tie up to one of the many processing plants engaged in full summer production along the harbors edge. As soon as lines were thrown and our vessel was secured we were free to explore Petersburg. The hardware store for boots, good coffee on the corner, canned salmon in special gift shops, a fabulous book store, all provided a chance to explore this Alaskan town, enjoy a conversation with a local, and for just a few hours see the world through the eyes of those who consider this season their favorite time of year. For them it is a time to rejoice in the beauty of the place and a time of celebration. The salmon have returned home, and all that feeds upon these glorious fish have come together to share in the gift of their sustenance: the animals, whales, birds, and the humans, both newly arrived and those peoples that have called this rugged coastline their home for thousands of years.
The Sea Bird entered Thomas Bay just after 7:00am this morning. A veil of mist clung to the trees and hung in the air as our ship cruised slowly and quietly into the bay. Our destination this morning would be Cascade Creek and a hike to a large waterfall with an ascending set of wooden stairs leading up into old growth forest. As our Zodiacs arrived ashore we could already hear the roar of the thirty-foot waterfall just a short distance from our landing sight. During the last two days here in Southeast Alaska a large summer squall had drenched the land. Every blade of grass, every flower, even the needles of the Sitka spruce were decorated with thousands of prisms created by raindrops. The leaves of Devil’s club hung with the weight of rain as if a great sadness had overcome them. Flower petals on many of the flowers of the forest floor were waterlogged, and had individual water drops hanging from their tips. It was the quintessential picture of what a temperate rainforest is best known for, a rain-soaked though beautiful landscape.
Undaunted by weather, we put on our raingear and once on shore began a walk through this grey on grey with shades of dark green landscape. Cascade creek was at least three feet larger on either side and three feet deeper due to the rain of the last 36 hours. Making our way along a small boardwalk we arrived at the base of the waterfall and remained transfixed by the beauty, and the sound of huge quantities of powerfully moving water.
Once our walks at Cascade Creed were complete Zodiacs were brought to our landing beach and very shortly we were back aboard the Sea Bird. Changing into warm clothes we adjourned to the lounge for a reading by Kim Heacox. Through Kim’s words we learned about “wearing a kayak” and what it means to travel by this ancient means of transportation into the wilds of Southeast Alaska.
As Kim was finishing his talk, our vessel was making her way towards the north entrance of Wrangell Narrows where the fishing town of Petersburg, Alaska is located. Peter Buschmann established a community at the turn of the last century in this protected entrance at the north end of Mitlok Island. With a population of nearly 4,000 people, this small Norwegian community is home to one of Southeast Alaska’s largest fishing fleets, processing nearly $22 million worth of seafood a year. As the Sea Bird approached the main harbor those of us on the bow watched many small fishing boats waiting their turn to tie up to one of the many processing plants engaged in full summer production along the harbors edge. As soon as lines were thrown and our vessel was secured we were free to explore Petersburg. The hardware store for boots, good coffee on the corner, canned salmon in special gift shops, a fabulous book store, all provided a chance to explore this Alaskan town, enjoy a conversation with a local, and for just a few hours see the world through the eyes of those who consider this season their favorite time of year. For them it is a time to rejoice in the beauty of the place and a time of celebration. The salmon have returned home, and all that feeds upon these glorious fish have come together to share in the gift of their sustenance: the animals, whales, birds, and the humans, both newly arrived and those peoples that have called this rugged coastline their home for thousands of years.
