Mother Goose - July 27, 2010 - Leg 5, Day 7 - Wrangell

Today was a lay day in Wrangell. After the rainy beginning to our trip, we are really enjoying the sunny weather – it was hot by SE Alaska standards! Taking advantage of the morning low tide, Naturalist Emmelina led a group to see the ancient petroglyph carvings at Petroglyph Beach, a state historical site. No one knows for sure who carved these petroglyphs, possibly by early Stikine Tlingits about 1,000 years ago, but maybe even older as archaeological finds show that man was present here more than 8,000 years ago.

The crew of Mystic Eagle put out a crab pot and caught – a halibut! The crew of Arctic Star took advantage of the lovely day and went golfing at Muskeg Meadows, SE Alaska’s only regulation 9-hole golf course. Several people went kayaking, others visited the history museum in town. (Wrangell began as a Tlingit settlement, then became in turn a Russian fort, a British fort, then an American fort and town, and has experienced several gold rush booms and busts). In the afternoon, several members of the fleet, along with Emmelina, went on a jet boat river trip up the mighty Stikine River, the fastest flowing navigable river in North America, and one of the few remaining wild rivers. A full day indeed, but we are ready to be underway again and off to Meyers Chuck.