Glacier Bay National Park
The scale of Glacier Bay is immense, at over 3.3 million acres and when combined with the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia that borders it, makes up the largest nature preserve outside of Antarctica. Today would be one for the fond memory file as we ventured in and explored a part of this grand protected place. The weather has been glorious in Southeast Alaska this week and today the sun kept right on marching across the sky, be it ever so diminished in arc as the summer is waning. The powerful blows of a dozen humpbacks filled our ears at wake up followed by the frantic swimming of 100 or so sea otters trying to hide amongst kelp at our approach. South Marble Island gave us a grand display of sound sight and odor as dozens of northern (Steller’s) sea lions argue over the real estate in the morning sun. The penguins of the north, tufted puffins, showed they had little fear of ships as they slowly swam in front of the M/V Sea Bird and looked at us over their improbable Durantesque beaks.
Time was enjoyed on deck as the Fairweather Range including its patriarch, Mt. Fairweather, loomed ahead of us. This coastal range is one of the most dramatic on earth as several peaks over 10,000 feet, but only a dozen or so miles from sea level, have been pushed skyward by the incredible tectonic forces that have shaped Alaska. Mt. Fairweather is the pinnacle of pinnacles at 15,320 feet. Its rounded snow covered dome was brilliant against the azure blue skies that we enjoyed all day.
The turnaround point would be near the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier. The fudge rippled appearance of the face of the great river of ice was a combination of ground up rock and dust winding its way through the plastic flow of ice, ultimately calving off into the fjord. The thousands of ice bergs, bergy bits, and growlers were stacked up like rush hour traffic on a Los Angeles freeway. We tried pushing through but with little progress, so we enjoyed the view before heading back down bay and on to the next adventure.
The scale of Glacier Bay is immense, at over 3.3 million acres and when combined with the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia that borders it, makes up the largest nature preserve outside of Antarctica. Today would be one for the fond memory file as we ventured in and explored a part of this grand protected place. The weather has been glorious in Southeast Alaska this week and today the sun kept right on marching across the sky, be it ever so diminished in arc as the summer is waning. The powerful blows of a dozen humpbacks filled our ears at wake up followed by the frantic swimming of 100 or so sea otters trying to hide amongst kelp at our approach. South Marble Island gave us a grand display of sound sight and odor as dozens of northern (Steller’s) sea lions argue over the real estate in the morning sun. The penguins of the north, tufted puffins, showed they had little fear of ships as they slowly swam in front of the M/V Sea Bird and looked at us over their improbable Durantesque beaks.
Time was enjoyed on deck as the Fairweather Range including its patriarch, Mt. Fairweather, loomed ahead of us. This coastal range is one of the most dramatic on earth as several peaks over 10,000 feet, but only a dozen or so miles from sea level, have been pushed skyward by the incredible tectonic forces that have shaped Alaska. Mt. Fairweather is the pinnacle of pinnacles at 15,320 feet. Its rounded snow covered dome was brilliant against the azure blue skies that we enjoyed all day.
The turnaround point would be near the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier. The fudge rippled appearance of the face of the great river of ice was a combination of ground up rock and dust winding its way through the plastic flow of ice, ultimately calving off into the fjord. The thousands of ice bergs, bergy bits, and growlers were stacked up like rush hour traffic on a Los Angeles freeway. We tried pushing through but with little progress, so we enjoyed the view before heading back down bay and on to the next adventure.
