Hike with a surprise ending!

We took a pleasant, short 1-mile loop hike (technically, it was more of a walk, because it was so short & easy) around Dock Point in Valdez--small peninsula that juts out into the bay.

The kids enjoyed clamoring on the rocks (or in Jonas' case should I say "leaping"???)

Playing "tag" with the incoming tide....standing on the rocks til the very last minute, then jumping out of the way before it gets covered with water (if the water tags you, you're out). Don't worry, these weren't the dangerous fast-moving bore tides, it was a really slow tide.

Views from the top lookout point:

As we rounded the last corner, almost completing the loop, we stumbled upon this:

You would never guess what was the bait: fruity pebbles, sugared puffed rice cereal, 1 open can of sardines & a bucket of dried apples!!! What an interesting combo!

Somehow we must've started the hike going the opposite direction (going in the "out" and coming out the "in")....not that it should normally matter on a loop trail, but it might've been helpful to have seen the following sign on at the beginning of our hike instead of at the very end as we were headed back to the parking lot: 

Would it have stopped us from doing the hike? Probably not; we tend to live on the edge! It would have just made the hike less pleasant and less enjoyable, having that added paranoia. All's well that ends well!