The valleys of interior Baranof Island are lush and beautiful in the summertime. As beautiful as they are to look at, they can be miserable to travel through. They are dense with brush and alder which poke you in the nose, mouth, and ears, and throws your glasses to the ground. They also make it difficult to spot bears until your noise scares them into a startled run.

This ridge leads up Mt. Bassie to the right, which leads to a route across Baranof Island. Bear Mountain is to the left, and the river in this valley winds its way around to Blue Lake, which is the drinking water for Sitka. If you have ever had True water, which is sold in supermarkets in various parts of the country, you have drank water from this valley.