The previous two reviews of this lovely place are all about the zipline through the canopy. I did not do that -- but rather meandered slowly with a native guide and a small group of fellow tourists through the magnificent sodden rain forest itself.
If you love old-growth forests, ferns, moss, strange berries, sometimes even bears, or suddenly seeing silent eagles overhead -- you will really enjoy your hour in the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. How often do you get the chance to walk through a rain forest with someone who grew up there and knows everything about it? The forest smells so good, and the energy is so nourishing for the spirit!
This is part of the massive Tongass National Forest, which stretches from Juneau to Ketchikan. We saw all the different types of trees that grow in the rain forest, plus bear dens, nurse logs, fiddle ferns, wildflowers, and trees where bear cubs have left their scratch marks while learning to climb. Our guide said he sees bears in this forest most days.
Emerging from the forest we walked across a grassy marsh next to a salmon stream, beside foothills crammed with trees and low-lying clouds. Wild eagles were perched here and there, resting, or posing, or waiting for a salmon to wander by. One eagle did come and perch quite low near us so that we could all take pictures of him!
At the edge of the forest, a small refuge contains one eagle and one horned owl, saved after being injured by humans, who have become “education birds”, and we had plenty of time to enjoy them. In a nearby workshop we were treated to a visit with a master carver of totem poles, our guide’s father. He worked briefly on his current carving in red cedar, and explained the story of the carving and where it will be placed when finished in a month.
This little tour, relatively inexpensive and easy for people of all ages, was nourishing, thrilling and very informative. What a treat!
