Tracy Arm - Ford’s Terror Wilderness
Sometimes the best plans are the ones that change. Early this morning, while sailing up a majestic ice-filled fiord, we met a pod of killer whales cruising the opposite way. Of course, we immediately turned to follow them. Presumably these largest of the dolphin family had already finished an Atkins approved, protein–rich breakfast of harbor seals, and were outbound for new adventures. Though we had excellent looks at eight of these fascinating animals, all the views were on the right side, which makes identification nigh impossible as all the ID photos in the books show the left side. So for now, though behavior and location lean toward transient whales, we are left with the wonder of their mysterious lives and the wild longings they bring into our civilized hearts.
Zodiacs at Ford’s Terror help reveal some of the most awesome scenery in all of Southeast Alaska. This narrow fiord of towering, sheer granitic walls has so many veils of falling water they are uncountable, begins to open our minds to the vastness of this landscape. Fortunately for us, it is raining lightly and the mountains are wrapped in mists and clouds, an authentic rainforest experience.
At the end of the long fiord called Endicott Arm is the Dawes glacier, a study in blue set off by the complementary orange streaks in the surrounding glacially rounded rocky outcrops. Several bald eagles are perched nearby, and in the distance, two mountain goats, one accompanied by a kid so small it must have been born in the past few days. The glacier is quite active today, dropping many gems of crystalline blue as we take to the Zodiacs and breathe in even more of Southeast’s natural wonders.
Sometimes the best plans are the ones that change. Early this morning, while sailing up a majestic ice-filled fiord, we met a pod of killer whales cruising the opposite way. Of course, we immediately turned to follow them. Presumably these largest of the dolphin family had already finished an Atkins approved, protein–rich breakfast of harbor seals, and were outbound for new adventures. Though we had excellent looks at eight of these fascinating animals, all the views were on the right side, which makes identification nigh impossible as all the ID photos in the books show the left side. So for now, though behavior and location lean toward transient whales, we are left with the wonder of their mysterious lives and the wild longings they bring into our civilized hearts.
Zodiacs at Ford’s Terror help reveal some of the most awesome scenery in all of Southeast Alaska. This narrow fiord of towering, sheer granitic walls has so many veils of falling water they are uncountable, begins to open our minds to the vastness of this landscape. Fortunately for us, it is raining lightly and the mountains are wrapped in mists and clouds, an authentic rainforest experience.
At the end of the long fiord called Endicott Arm is the Dawes glacier, a study in blue set off by the complementary orange streaks in the surrounding glacially rounded rocky outcrops. Several bald eagles are perched nearby, and in the distance, two mountain goats, one accompanied by a kid so small it must have been born in the past few days. The glacier is quite active today, dropping many gems of crystalline blue as we take to the Zodiacs and breathe in even more of Southeast’s natural wonders.
