The dense fog only heightened our sense of wonder as we made our way up the plank trail and into the woods at Ideal Cove. Thick moss, lichens, and fungus cover the trees and all of the land around us. This is a magic place in this atmosphere, and some of the kids in the group remarked that it looked like “where Shrek would live.” It does make one think of elves and hobbits, and even the eldest of us can't help but remember childhood times when we had a chance to play in woods and make believe we were saving damsels and protecting the less adventurous villagers. For me this place is one of my favorite hikes and I look forward to returning each week to explore anew. Now in mid-July many of the familiar wildflowers have past their bloom, but there are always new ones to replace them. Last week columbines and Dwarf Dogwood lined the pathway, this week it is the ripe blueberries and asters that catch our eye. It is nearing the end of our expedition and I ask the guests questions about the things we see and it turns into a game to see how much they have retained. Everyone passes, even if I have to give the occasional hint. The kids want to find Banana Slugs and the quest begins.
The breeding season has passed for the large slime covered slugs. Instead of wearing the bright colors that help give this slug its name, we only find brown slugs this time of year. I announced there would be a prize for the first slug found, and fortunately for me, it is one of the other naturalists ahead of us who finds the first one. This is not the only bounty this walk would offer us, as we pass a good crop of twin-flower (my favorite wildflower), and reach an area of bog that harbors sundew, an insectivorous plant that we turn into a flesh eating plant for the imagination of the kids to ponder.
The afternoon finds us in Petersburg, a small but very beautiful town here in Southeast Alaska. Here we had the option of a bog walk to discover more of some of the very special adaptations plants need to survive in a bog, or a walk along the dock to learn about the various types of fishing that takes place here. Our undersea specialist took an underwater video camera attached to a long pole to capture views of the abundant marine life living on the floats and pilings, and I led a photo specific walk to capture some of the unique views of this quaint Alaskan town. Still, with all of these options, some of our guests seemed to be happy to just explore the town on their own either by foot or by bicycle.
As I finish writing this report I can't help but think of the “all you can eat crab dinner” waiting in the dining hall. So, without further procrastination, I bid you good day as we head to our dinner happy with yet another exciting day in Southeast Alaska.
