Tuesday | May 24th
July 1, 2011 by admin
Filed under InnerSea Discoveries
Wrangell - I love this town! It feels like a western town. Doesn’t have any ticky-tacky tourist shops.
Totems and amazing vocal display of a raven communicating amongst two other ravens on either side of the bay. An eagle right above our heads, song sparrow flitting amongs the emerging vegetation. The cow parsnip is only about 1.5 feet high, in a month it will be 4 feet. The Nolan Center has an incredible bookstore. How many times have I said that Alaska has the best natural and cultural history books than anyplace in the world. The photography is practically second to none.
I met a native of Wrangell, David McHolland, he was born and raised here he sets trap lines for Marten and River Otter and occasionally Wolverine and Wolves. Found out that the Grassy Headlands at the mouth of the Stikine River is a prime stopover on the Pacific flyway for 10,000 Snow Geese, 5,000 Sandhill Crane and has a spring time population of 2,000-5,000 Bald Eagles.
Over 100 glaciers feed into the Stikine river which make the water have it's muddy tone.
At 3:18p.m. while still going upriver to see the Shakes glacier bergs in a frozen lake (spotted a Mountain Goat), I announce to the jolly crowd: “42 minutes until ‘all aboard’ back at the ship”. We eventually make it back exactly an
hour later. We then cruise by many islands that I have not seen before…experience another dinner on deck with fabulous scenery and engaging conversation with fellow crew members.
Loved when I heard Randall say: “Another rough day at the office!” to me when we were clearly feeling good and perhaps a tad bit of guilty pleasure about being off of the ship enjoying the scenery with all of the good passenger guests on this excellent shore excursion.
