The fireweed is in bloom in Glacier Bay National Park, as it is throughout Alaska. Masses of bright pink flowers brighten the hillsides and shorelines. Blooming from the bottom up, this inflorescence serves as an Alaskan calendar and indicates the progression of the season. When the topmost flowers blossom and wane, local residents know that change is imminent.
The largest bulls have left the bachelor Steller sea lion haul-out area on South Marble Island. Younger animals remain and keep each other company on the smooth dolomite rock. Their soft growls were somehow comforting and reassuring.
Black bears still visit the intertidal zone to forage on barnacles and other goodies. This one precariously extended its reach below the rising tidewater to feed on the most delectable morsels. Soon various berries will be ripe and the bears will move up into the shrub layer for a change in diet. Later, homing adult salmon will contribute their nutrients to the environment in a variety of ways and complete an ongoing cycle.
These scenes are part of the usually hidden daily drama that takes place in Glacier Bay National Park. We are lucky and privileged to have had a glimpse into this world for a brief period of time. Experiences like we've had today remind us that we are intimately interconnected with everything else and that we have innate roots in the natural world.
