Spruce Tips

These are the growths on the Sitka Spruce trees that one can harvest, boil, and simmer down to make the Spruce Tip syrup.
Here are some trees that I harvested to make spruce tip syrup from on Gavin Hill.
Harbor Mountain is in the background.






 

Kruzof Island Cruise

Sea Otters in a kelp bed


Humpback whale about to dive into deep water


Back towards town


Mountains of Baranof Island 

Cloud Shrouded Gavin Hill

The forest at the top of the ridge--- trees covered in mosses and lichens.... Bonsai
Harbor Mountain across the valley

 

mountaintop plants

Shooting Star

Bonsai Mountain Hemlock Spruces at Sunset

Spruces framing the mountain on the way back down. 

On Top

Here we are on top of Harbor Mountain. Good views of Baranof Island and all the mountains and ridges. The big forests are all in the valley bottoms. Most of the island and most of the national forest are mountain tops, ice fields, and scrubby alpine forest.





 

Climbing up Harbor Mountain

We drove up the mountain road and then hiked out along the ridge and climbed the first peak. The trail goes up the ridge. There are 2 sketchy places but those are still pretty easy.



The peak we climbed is the one on the right.
The trail follows the ridge through the forests and then up the ridge. The peaks on the left can be climbed but from the other side of the mountain.

Here is the trail junction sign.
Here is the mountain and the route up with its mountanous backdrop.