July 21, 2011 - Sunny Day - Harbors, Totems, and Ward Lake

The beautiful sunshine called me out. Juel was not ready to leave, but I could stay in no longer. So I went for a walk. Of course, I had already been checking on the weather from the deck...

 

 and also the close-up of the mountains on Gravina Island.

Juel wanted me to check at the Marina for prices and dates available for a trip to Glacier Bay and Skagway which she still hopes to take. (Note: Juel took this trip with another friend after I returned back to Wisconsin.)

At the Marine Ferry, Sabra is always ready to be most helpful.

We ate several times at The Landing. It was just two blocks from our apartment...much too handy. It is connected to the Best Western Motel.

Taken from the Tongass Highway, you can see the corner of our building. Right in the center of the picture is a little corner of a tan building. The window and door are to the apartment next door to us.

Here is a closer view...

I am fascinated by the number of these containers along the water. Since everything must either come in by air or water, these shipping areas are very busy places.

Hoadly Creek flows down the mountain, under the Tongass Highway, under a church and out to Tongass Narrows.

Here it is coming out from under the highway and going under the church.

Out it flows from the other side of the church and out to the Narrows.

The harbor, from ramp 4...

Starfish.

I thought these were starfish, but a young boy called them sunfish. Maybe it has to do with how many arms/legs? they have.

More sunfish and my self-portrait - shadow.

More sunfish...

Bull kelp with leaves attached. The pointed end should have some roots that would hold it down on the ocean bottom, then the leaves would float along the top. Otters especially love this kelp. They wrap themselves in the leaves to keep from floating away.

This is ramp 4 that I came down. I saw the starfish looking over the railing. These docks float and raise and lower with the tides. Notice the tracks at the end of the ramp...the angle of the ramps change with the changes in the docks.

Many of the businesses and homes along the water are on stilts like this.

Jellyfish

Float plane

More sea life growing on the docks.

 Colors pretty enough to be a puzzle.

 The ducks are for the tourists. I did not feel like a tourist while in Ketchikan. I felt like I belonged there...at least for the time I was there. I had no desire to go on these, the trolleys (esp. at $40).

 Midsummer and still snow on the mountains.


Juel came and picked me up in the car and we headed downtown.

 This is one of the larger stores along the waterfront. You can walk in one side and out the other...they even have signs up calling it a shortcut...LOL.

 Bigfoot was out. Apparently the photographer knew these people and he took time with them. So everyone around took advantage and got shots of their own.

 I ate lunch at this little place on the docks several times. He served a single piece of fish (cod or halibut) and fries for under $5. The fish was delicious and just the right amount for lunch. There was another little shack like this right next to this one. They were both always busy. This is right next to the ramps for berth 1 of the cruise ships...so they have a "gold mine" spot.

We decided to head north to Potlatch Park and Totem Bight.

 These are shots of the Taku, a Marine Ferry. It is the ferry that we rode on when we went to Juneau and on to Sitka.

 Another float plane.

Fireweed along the Tongass Narrows.

 ...and looking out at Totem Bight Historical Park beach.

 Potlatch Park Carving Center.

 Inside the clan house.

 Firepit inside the clan house.

 Totems in Potlatch Park.

 Inside the trading post at Potlatch Park they had lots of displays, including many stuffed animals. While this is likely the only way I would see a wolverine, it saddens me to see them this way.


Totem Bight Historical Park...

The trees are so majestic...

 and unusual. Many grow right on top of fallen ones. The fallen ones are called "nursery trees" as they provide nourishment for new growth sapling, mushrooms, and ferns.

 This is considered an ancient forest as many of the trees may be 500-1,000 years old.

Down on the beach...

 another driftwood creature.


Heading to Ward Lake...

We heard that loons had been sighted here on Ward Lake so we came to try and find them. Juel said we would not walk all around the lake...LOL...we walked around the entire lake again. I am not complaining as it is a beautiful walk through the rainforest.

 Juel scouting for loons.  We never did see any.

 We did enjoy the trees.

 These trees and roots are huge.

 I so love the rainforest. This walk is an easy one and so filled with beauty and peace.

This hanging moss is called "Grandfather's Beard."

 There are so many of these spaces in the trees. I keep thinking of the grandchildren and how much fun they would have playing here.

 Dew on the leaves.

 A duck in the reeds. At first Juel hoped it was a loon. 

 Notice the white in the center of the above picture. Below is a zoomed in picture of it.

 Two bees on this flower.

 For a minute we thought these might be loons...but no.

 They are ...


From watching the bears in the grasses at Herring Cove, it appears that this is an area frequented by the bears too.

Bear scat.

 This is looking at the area where we saw the mergansers...from across the lake. We took some of the pictures from that bridge.