Tracy Arm & Williams Cove

After weeks of dry, sunny weather, we finally awoke this morning to a little bit of what Southeast Alaska is so frequently known for: rain! The plants and animals have actually been greatly affected by the lack of water here this summer. Salmon streams have much less water in them than normal, so the upstream swim for spawning is more difficult. Mosses along the forest floor that are usually wet and spongy have become dry and even brittle in places. Forests have also been at much higher risk for fires, including huge pieces of the Yukon which have been burning for over a week.

This morning, we found ourselves in Tracy Arm, an incredible glacially-formed valley in the Fords’ Terror Wilderness. South Sawyer glacier, at the eastern end of the arm, is a tidewater glacier that has been especially active in recent weeks. This means that a lot of ice has been calving, or falling, off the face of the glacier into the seawater at its base. There were so many icebergs that it took some time to carefully pick our way towards the glacier. One of the other major changes that came with the rain is the return of all the waterfalls in Fords’ fjords. Looking around us, there is one cascade after another streaming from high above, down through the rain and mist, the alders and rock.; a majestic reminder of the valuable water’s presence. Early in the afternoon, we arrived at another incredible waterfall, Hole-in-the-Rock Waterfall. The flow today may be as much as ten times what it was only three days ago.

In the afternoon, we made our way to Williams Cove, for our first trip ashore and our second opportunity to test out or galoshes, rain pants and Gore-Tex jackets. The lush forest was a haven of exploration in the way of plants, fungi and trees. In the intertidal area, there was another complete collection of wonderful things to see. Some chose to climb into kayaks for the opportunity to paddle to an iceberg that has been grounded here in the bay as a result of low tide. The deep blues of the iceberg were especially vibrant in the grayness closing in on the water. All were grateful for the dry shelter and warm meal waiting back on the ship, and as the day came to a close, the sea and shore of Southeast Alaska continued to drink up the rains that have finally returned.