Kayaking Through the Mist
Story by Nicole
On Thursday we did an all-day kayaking trip that included a hike to McGilvray Fort, which was built and abandoned after two years near the end of WWII. I have nothing but great things to say about this day trip. Our guide, JD, was not only helpful and fun to talk to but was also just a genuinely nice, sincere person. There were only seven of us, including JD, and everyone was fairly close in athletic ability, which was nice.
Kayaks awaiting passengers (Photo/Jason Rafal)
All suited up (Photo/Jason Rafal)
The scenery and weather were kind of amazing together (even JD thought so). Resurrection Bay is stunning just because that’s the way it is, but when we woke up to dense fog, we weren’t sure how much we would be able to see of it. As we prepared to set off, though, the majority of the fog lifted, save for strips that hugged the mountains across the bay and led them a dramatic and ethereal quality. It barely rained on us, which was shocking to everyone, and it was warm enough to make it a little hot while we were hiking.
Kayakers in the fog (Photo/Jason Rafal)
Yeah…it was crazy beautiful (Photo/Jason Rafal)
JD contemplates the shoreline (Photo/Jason Rafal)
On the way to the fort we stopped at a waterfall. Everyone we’ve talked to in town has been amazed by the amount of water in the waterfalls and streams–these small coastal waterfalls are mostly based on rainfall, so they quickly dry up when it begins to clear. It’s been an unusually rainy August, so we’ve been seeing small waterfalls everywhere. This particular waterfall was roaring.
The very large waterfall (Photo/Jason Rafal)
When we got to Caines Head State Recreation Area, we pulled the kayaks up on the rocky beach and began our hike. A fascinating thing about this area (that we noticed when we visited Exit Glacier) is that you can have a temperate rainforest right next to a glacier. You can be standing on a hillside of shale and looking at a glacier, then you can hike 50 feet to your left and find yourself in a dense, incredibly green, moss-covered forest. It’s quite remarkable. The hike up to the fort was very wet, and everything was covered in dense green moss.
Tromping through the mud (Photo/Jason Rafal)
Pretty mushrooms (Photo/Jason Rafal)
I am somewhat uninterested in the remnants of forts, but it was pretty cool to walk around in, if a little creepy. We also got to have lunch looking out at the amazing mountains across Resurrection Bay.
Some sort of weapons storage bunker (Photo/Jason Rafal)
The remnants of the dock (Photo/Jason Rafal)
When we got back to Seward, we walked around the town and took some sunset pictures. It was a very photogenic day.
Some of the day’s catch (Photo/Jason Rafal)
The beautiful view from our hotel (Photo/Jason Rafal)