The day dawned inauspiciously, gray and drizzly, breezy and chilly. We anchored in Ideal Cove, a lovely spot where we could see pieces of grounded ice from the LeConte glacier in the distance. Expedition landing craft zipped to shore to drop off hikers, where staff greeted them and offered a hand slopping through boot-sucking mud at an extremely low tide. Mussels and barnacles underfoot, we made our way up to the top of the beach, dropped our life jackets and headed off into the forest. A narrow boardwalk wound its way through the trees, branches dripped with water droplets, and brilliant orange berries graced the side of the path. Photographers crouched in the greenery, framing up shots while naturalists pointed out interesting vegetation and signs of wildlife. Before lunch, naturalist David Stephens gave a fascinating talk on the art of the northwest coast and everyone had a chance to see beautiful handmade native art pieces up close and personal.
For the afternoon we docked in the lovely town of Petersburg, a classic fishing town filled to bursting with a fishing fleet. Boats came and went from the dock, fish were unloaded, ice loaded, nets and gear cleaned and put in order. Photographers headed out with cameras in hand to shoot the bustle while others strolled the dock with a naturalist to learn about the life above and below the water. Others headed to a nearby island to walk up to a muskeg and enjoy a very different ecosystem with such exciting plants as the carnivorous sundew. Rain came and went, the sun made a brief appearance, and a good time was had by all.
