Baranof Warm Springs Lay Day

With thick fog in the strait this morning and the forecast calling for more rough seas, captain Jordan made the call to take a lay day here and wait out the wind. It was a perfectly clear, blue sky, sunshine day in Baranof Bay. How wonderful it felt to sit up on deck with a cup of coffee and soak in the warm rays admiring the snowy peaks and waterfalls around the anchorage.

An afternoon hike with the crews of Arctic Star and Thea took us on a side trail away from the lake and into a muskeg bog. These are areas of poor drainage where trees don’t grow well. Other than a few stunted shore pine and juniper the area was open and dominated by mosses and grasses. Little ponds dotted the bog and water lilies grew on their surfaces. A closer look at the surrounding plant life revealed shooting star, marsh marigolds, and some wild Venus fly traps.

We continued on the trail, up a steep section to the top of a hill with a rocky outcrop where we had a fabulous 360 view. From here we could see out passed the mouth of the bay into the strait as well as back to the far side of the lake. The view was completely worth the effort of climbing to the top!

After dinner, we headed back to shore for a beach bonfire and s’mores. We were joined by some of the other visitors in the bay including a young family from California with a daughter the same age as Soleil. The kids and adults alike all had a great time roasting marshmallows, eating s’mores and chatting around the fire. All swimmers went in today, which means a dive off is in order to break the seven way tie and determine a winner.

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