Chop Chop Billy Goat

We spent a fun week in Sitka, Alaska. Some of the things we did were hiking, exploring the national park, visiting the Alaska Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear and the Sitka fish hatchery and aquarium. I also played in the park a lot and even went swimming at the city indoor pool.

We went on a big hike on the Mosquito Cove trail. It was a trail that led into a big lush forest and a large beach. It was a tiring hike. We had to go under trees and over trees, trudge through muck that was up to our ankles, scramble over rough terrain and go up, down and around. There were trees towering above us all covered with fungus and moss. There were huge rocks and ice cold water.

Another hike we did was called Herring Cove Trail. We went up steep hills and down steep hills and hiked through a lush forest with trees covered in moss, rocks and water that was so cold you could get hypothermia. I did not even dip a toe in the ice cold water. We walked across wooden bridges and saw cool waterfalls and we climbed steep rock stairs.

We visited Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska’s smallest National Park. This is where the Tlingits were finally defeated by the Russians in 1804. We walked the Totem Trail, which is a path where you walk and learn about and see totem poles. While we were on the trail a bald eagle flew over Ma’s head and almost hit her head and scared her so bad that her heart was beating like a racecar. I also earned my junior ranger badge by completing the junior ranger booklet.

We went to the Fortress of the Bear where they provide protection and care for orphaned bear cubs. Some of the bear names were Toby, Lucky, Nuka, Bandit, Smokey and Tulann. They were very friendly and ate fruits and meats and also dog kibble that was salmon and sweet potato flavored. They lived in old pulp mill wastewater treatment tanks that were modified so that the bears could live in them. The biggest threat to bears are humans. Most of the bears we saw were orphans. Their mothers were shot because they got into people’s homes and chicken coops. Also, the mother bears ate plastic bags that made them sick and die and that is how some of the other bears ended up in the Fortress of the Bear. The Alaska laws prevent the bears in the rehabilitation center from being released so they will spend their whole life at the Fortress of the Bear. The workers are hoping that the laws will change so that the bears can be released.

It was a busy and fun week in Sitka. Next we take an overnight ferry to Ketchikan. New island, new adventures!