Red Bluff Bay is a long, narrow furrow cut deep into the crust of Baranof Island. The tiny passage from Chatham Strait into this fjord is passable only by small ships like the National Geographic Sea Bird. Once inside, towering rock faces protect the bay from winds, and the undisturbed waters create the illusion that our ship moves over a dark, glossy mirror reflecting the scenery from above.
Up on the bow, we strain our necks to see the tops of countless ribbons of water streaking down the smooth rock faces; waterfalls so thin that some appear to simply vanish into a misty veil long before they reach the valleys below. Other, more robust falls come roaring down to splash into the bay. The glaciers have done us a favor, cutting this fjord so deep and vertical that our captain can maneuver the ship within just a few meters of one such a waterfall, close enough that the mist fogs our camera lenses. Linda Burback, our photo instructor, is on deck making sure guests are capturing memorable images of their morning in Red Bluff Bay.
In the afternoon, increasing clouds and a chilly north wind meant we all bundled up for some long hikes and exploring around Lake Eva, just a few miles north of Red Bluff Bay. As the expedition landing craft were bring lowered, a brown bear made an appearance on the shore not far from our planned landing site. The scout party determined that the bear wasn’t a threat, and the operation continued. Before everyone was ashore, the bear ambled off into the forest.
At least half of us chose the “long hike” option, walking the full two miles to Lake Eva through classic Alaska forest and crossing the lake fed stream. Other guests took a more leisurely walk closer to the beach, and still others opted to cruise the shoreline by inflatable boat. As the afternoon operation was winding down the brown bear returned ensuring that those who may have missed him the first time had a nice long look at one of Alaska’s iconic animals.
