July 23- Glacier Bay Adventure - Day 5 - Rain Day

Today is a "free" day and I'm supposed to go sea kayaking in Bartlett Cove (where yesterday's glacier tour started) with man on the trip and his two grandsons. Pretty exciting until I wake up and here the heavy rains.

I really don't want to paddle in this consistent downpour (and its not letting up).

We are given the choice to opt out and we decide that it would be best.

So the morning is spent in the lodge. Sounds boring, but its a really beautiful lodge. Some read, others watched movies in the rec room, I worked on a puzzle and played ping pong with the guide.

Thankfully, the weather clears (i.e., it stops raining) and after lunch we set off on a two mile hike.

The afternoon clears up a bit to hike the Nagoonberry Trail (2.2 miles - Nature Conservancy property). The hike is not through a dense forest but a more open area (with trees around) The area is filled with wild strawberries (which the kids gobbled up), willow, purple asters, and goldenrod, and lots fireweed and lupine. 

We see a Green Orchid 

And Lady Tressis Orchid

Very pretty trail.

It starts to drizzle as we reach the beach.

There are 2 ravens to greet us - I scare them away before the rest of our group got there. (oops).

We didn't stay long because 1) it was raining harder 2) we had a pick-up time at 4pm.

We walk through fields of Fireweed on the way back.

I find a several slugs on the goldenrod.

It's a nice little hike.

We then head to the Gustavus library because yesterday while listening to a Ranger talk about Snow the humpback whale at Glacier National Park, she mentioned that the local library now has an Orca (aka Killer Whale) skeleton at the library - we had to stop.

The skeleton is of a juvenile (4yrs old) female orca found dead on Glacier Bay's Young Island in the summer 2005. Necropsy determined she died of pneumonia and malnutrition from injuries sustained after swallowing a halibut fish hook. Park staff decided to have her skeleton preserved. As in the case of Snow (the humpback whale), folks and students from the community had the opportunity to help. The whale was named "Keet'k" by Huna elders and on Valentine's Day 2014, she went on permanent display in the Gustavus Library. 

We are on the way back to the lodge and then detour to the airport where to lodge guests that plan on leaving today have their flights canceled due to weather (it's pouring again) -- not good flying conditions for small planes. Hope that doesn't happen to our flight tomorrow.

Good day.