Thursday, July 12

Thursday was another beautiful day so we stayed in the same area. In addition to an all-day kayak tour and a 3-hour paddle, there were two hikes (Level 2 and Level 4), skiff expeditions and a Polar Bear Plunge. I took the 3 hour kayak paddle in the morning and the Level 4 hike after lunch. The hike involved slogging through muskeg (spongy vegetation), clambering over and under logs, and climbing up a steep mountain stream, clinging to boulders and fallen logs. I made the mistake of grasping onto a spiny Devil's Club stem once, and was still doing minor surgery on my hand the next day to remove minuscule splinters from the spines. It was the most challenging hike I'd ever taken but it was correctly described and a wonderful experience.



Devils Club (Oplopanax horridus) from the ship's terrarium. Look but don't touch.

 

We were surprised at the variety of wildflowers. There was even a variety of orchid- the Alaska bog orchid, with tiny blossoms on a stalk. One variety, called Indian celery, looked like Queen Anne's Lace, but the blossoms were about twice the size of Queen Anne's lace.

A Polar Plunge was scheduled at 5 PM. About 15 or 20 people donned swimsuits and jumped into the water from the ship. The youngest passenger to try it was 8, and a 10-year old boy jumped in 3 times.

Ron noted that this young lady kept a firm hold on her bikini top as she descended.

The featured hors d'oeuvre Thursday night was oysters, purchased from a local couple who harvested them. They joined us on the ship Tuesday night to tell us about them. The captain was at the grill, cooking them for people who don't like them raw. (They were very good raw.) No need to worry about who was piloting the ship:  in addition to the captain, 4 other members of the 25-person crew were licensed ship pilots. 

This is the top deck of the ship; the apparatus in the background is a crane used to get skiffs and kayaks between the 2 decks.

Oysters coming up- any way you like them.