We entered the Misty Fjord National Monument at 05:45 this morning, and as the sun crested the horizon, we witnessed what John Muir referred to as “Little Yosemite.” A few goats grazed peacefully high up on the ledges to the north, and some of the most dramatic examples of columnar basalt, outside of the Columbia River Gorge, stretched skyward to the south.
The sun was fully up by the time we passed the Punch Bowl, and turned the corner into the peaceful little bay we know as God’s Pocket. The perfectly smooth surface of the water was broken occasionally by salmon, jumping for mystical reasons on their way back up the river.
The songbirds that often fill these forests with a joyful chorus were conspicuously quiet, but they are now done singing for the season, as they have established territories, found mates, and the work ahead of them, fledging their young before the season turns, requires little in the way of song.
We dropped our Zodiacs and kayaks and headed off on our explorations of this perfect little haven, each of us bringing back our unique stories of the day.
This evening, we will come together in an event we’re calling Art Night, a treat for all aboard with paper origami, painting, map tracing, and guitar in the lounge. It will be a fine ending to a wonderful expedition.
