It is already full daylight at six o’clock in the morning as we poke our bow into Red Bluff Bay. Tendrils of misty clouds rake the treetops. Waterfalls bound downhill, swollen with the snowmelt of warm summer days. The shoreline is reflected on the water’s surface as we slip quietly by. It’s an excellent way to wake up.
After breakfast, there is time for games, reading, conversation, or watching the ever-changing scenery as we navigate Chatham Strait. Young explorers get a visit to the bridge to learn about piloting the ship. Kim Heacox entertains us with a talk.
Our afternoon hike starts in the usual way for a hike in the rainforest of Southeast Alaska. We’re walking through tall trees, looking around at layers of green, marveling at the way moss covers nearly everything and turns rocks and fallen trees into gardens for other plants. We see some flowers blooming, and are just looking at a group of miniature-flowered orchids when the word comes down the line: bear!
There’s an overlook nearby, and there she is, a mom and cub, nicely placed, across a stream in a meadow. They are relaxed, grazing, glancing our way, without alarm or malice. Nothing really beats seeing a bear in the wild, except seeing two bears.
We have our fill of looking at bears and continue on our way. As it turns out, the rainforest isn’t done with gifts for us. We are standing on the bank of the river, looking at sockeye salmon swimming by in the calm water, when a fast swimming river otter streaks through them, right below us. At the lake, a beaver swims by, not far off, almost passing before it slaps its tail in alarm, or warning. There are eagles flying up and down the stream. Sapsucker nests, and kingfishers flying. We hear the longest and the shortest birdsongs in this part of the world, both at the same time.
The young explorers with us turn out to be experts at finding small things too. We are treated to such amazing sights as a worm that progresses by gathering its body into a ball then reaching straight up and leaning out to gain another inch. The camouflage of young salmon is no match for their finding skills; beetles, butterflies, worms, fungi, and tiny flowers yield themselves up.
With all there is to see we still manage to put some miles under our feet. After all the hiking and all the excitement, we adults are ready for a rest and dinner. And the kids? Maybe a movie and a birthday party!
