Drier, firmer ground is very prevalent in our trip areas so we end up with a balance of easy and more challenging hiking. The only trails we encounter are animal trails, and many hikes involve stream crossings, which can numb the toes, but are usually below knee level. The peaks we climb are walkups with ascents from 2,000 to 4,000 feet in a day. Graced with an astonishing abundance of wildlife, it is a complex landscape of ocean, forest, mountain and glacier. There is a mixture of cliffs, caves, arches, beaches, forests, islands, hidden passageways and vast mountains.
Tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into the sea.
Hanging glaciers create hundreds of waterfalls. In the myriad passageways thousands of seabirds and marine mammals raise their young. Thick forests of spruce, alder, berry patches, and ferns edge the shore. Because of the dense vegetation hiking can be difficult or almost impossible except along beaches. With our kayaks we have the freedom to explore and gain access to the most beautiful areas.