Day 26 ICY STRAIT POINT “Remote Wildlife and Brown Bear Search”

Once again, the loveliest of clear mild weather. An ever so slightly cool breeze caressed the outside open space aft on Deck 9 where food can be brought out from the adjacent Lido Buffet. And again, forested hills, not quite so dramatic as those throughout yesterday and last night, rise from a narrow coast line which will be accessed by tender. Apparently, I am joining a hunt for brown bears in the wild later today.But for the moment, enjoying the views from the ship is my idea of the afterlife!Views from my stateroom.Al fresco breakfast.After a leisurely breakfast, it was time already to make my way to the tender boarding area for the short trip to the island on which the “privately owned tourist destination” of Icy Strait is located, a short walk from the village of Hoonah, on Chichagof Island. It receives visits from cruise ships and provides activities for visiting tourists including the world’s longest zip wire.My choice of activity was a walk in the trees in pursuit of wildlife and hopefully, brown bears. This involved a short bus ride to the start of the trail. We drove past the attractive but remote village of Hoonah.Amy our tour guide filled the journey with well presented commentary and her guidance made for a worthwhile and enjoyable trip. A well prepared trail through unspoiled woods lead to three observation points overlooking a river and an expanse of land, woods and hills opposite. The walk was most pleasant and only feasible on a tour. However, perhaps because it was early afternoon, there was little wildlife, and absolutely no bears! There was a rumour that previous tours had also seen very little. I returned to the ship perfectly content.(above) Views from the “The Remote Wildlife and Brown Bear Search.”Despite the lack of animals, I think some of the above photographs illustrate the beauty of this remote land.Unfortunately, I still had issues with a previous tour which I felt needed sharing with somebody from the Tour Sales Office. I await their reply with interest, and for some reason, apprehension despite my complaint being “understandable” We’ll see!Thanks for reading.David.