Roadie: Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan

Canopy of Tongass National Forest. (6/30/2019)

Following Downtown Ketchikan, we headed on a guided tour of a trail in the Tongass National Forest, known by the U.S. Forest Service as the "crown jewel". The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States. Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna. The Tongass is managed by the United States Forest Service. (Wikipedia)

The hike we went on focused on the scenery of Tongass National Forest Park as part of an eco tour from Ketchikan. The entire excursion consisted of the hiking tour, a visit to the Raptor Rehabilitation Center and a conversation with a native American artist who still makes totem poles in the traditional manner. We were part of a small group of just 10 people (four of whom were part of our party) which meant we were afforded plenty of time to ask questions of our guide.

Popular among bears, the fruit of the Rubus Spectabilis is popularly referred to
as a “salmonberry” due to its resemblance to salmon eggs. (6/30/2019)

(6/30/2019)

Naturally felled trees would have of other seedlings taking root
on them resulting in a beautiful mix of seedlings coming from a
single stump. (6/30/2019)

Fungus among us. (6/30/2019)

At the base of some trees were small "caves" in which bears would
briefly hide from the elements. Contrary to what is depicted in
movies, bears like small enclosed spaces in which they can snuggle. (6/30/2019)

(6/30/2019)

Devil's club (Echinopanax horridum) is a large understory shrub common in
arboreal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. The flowers are produced
in dense umbels, each flower small, with five greenish-white petals.
The matured fruit will be red (Wikipedia). The leaves are used by bears coming out
of hibernation as a diuretic. (6/30/2019)

Devil's club is covered with brittle yellow spines that break off easily if the
plants are handled or disturbed thus its common name. (6/30/2019)

Pine cones. (6/30/2019)

Yellow salmonberry. (6/30/2019)

Lichen the wide array of Alaskan lichen. (6/30/2019)

Snapped this pic of Mystery Bird after hearing it call a number of times;
as Alaska's only bird with ear tufts, going to guess it's a Great Horned Owl. (6/30/2019)

Bear Sign One: Scat used to mark territory. (6/30/2019)

Bear Sign Two: claws marks on tree to communicate size to other
bear thereby also marking territory. (6/30/2019)

Bear sign three: trampled trails among high grass from forest to creek. (6/30/2019)