Glacier Bay National Park
There are many things that people hope to see when they come to Southeast Alaska, but today has far exceeded our expectations. When Cindy woke us this morning there was a sighting more rare than killer whales – it was the sun! The stunning beauty of the 10,000 – 15,000+ foot, snow-capped, Fairweather Range greeted us outside our cabins. At our first stop of the day, we gathered on deck to greet the morning and admire the sea otters at the Boulder Islands. These large members of the weasel family looked much warmer wrapped in their soft fur coats, floating among the kelp; then we were sipping our morning coffee, with collars and jackets buttoned as high as we could. Soon after breakfast we gathered on the bow for another viewing highlight: tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, common murres, black-legged kittiwakes and Steller sea lions on and around the South Marble Islands.
Onward towards Gloomy Knob we scanned for fluffy white tuffs of grass; when they walked, we called them mountain goats. A nanny and her kid basked on the rounded hillside, we reveled in the warmth as well, while craning our necks skyward. Higher up yet on the next hill Berit found four bears; naked eyes would not be able to find these animals. With binocular or our spotting scope we focused on a brown bear sow and her three cubs. Scale was so misleading you’d think the cubs could fit in a thimble and toboggan down to the waters edge. The scenery continued to awe and amaze us as we slathered on another coat of sunscreen and proceeded up the west arm towards the tidewater glaciers.
Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers still flow slowly into the bay, but the one that was once largest of them all – Grand Pacific – is hardly recognizable as a glacier today. It is covered in rocky, morainal material, and one could easily mistake it for a two-mile wide wall of stony debris. Margerie, on the other hand, is mostly bluish white . . . everyone’s image of a tidewater glacier. Pinnacles of ice pointed skyward from the face; they looked like giant, white sewing needles. We watched in silence, and heard the thunder-like cracks as the river of ice moved and adjusted itself. Chunks of the glacier fell from the face, creating splashes 100 feet high.
Our next sojourn into the bay, going south at full speed (11.5 knots?) was Geike Inlet. By now, south far enough, we are already finding good stands of cottonwood and then Sitka spruce, joining seamlessly. A small inlet, Geike sometimes offers us different birds or a bear on the beach. We all had our hopes, and we got it! At first, no animals. But wait! There seems to be a big bear in the forest, near the beach. Yes, a black bear, crossing one of the last remaining patches of snow, just meters from the shore!
Today was truly a patchwork of all our five senses: the first smell upon waking had been the sharp cottonwoods, casting their lighter-than-air seeds to far-off lands. Back-lit by the sun, one could imagine them as snow flakes, except it was too warm. Too warm, we say? Yes, the sun was out all day, in all its intensity, the reflection off the water creating a pincushion effect, sharp after our cloudy introduction to Southeast Alaska of the last few days. The wind refreshed our skin with a cooling touch throughout the day, especially in front of the glacier, where our ears picked up the cracks and pops of ice. The last sense of taste was satisfied when the Hotel Manager and bartender appeared with hot chocolate on the bow, schnapps optional, of course.
All together our visit into Glacier Bay National Park had been a quilt work of exceptional experiences, enveloping us in a memory we will hold close for a long time to come.
There are many things that people hope to see when they come to Southeast Alaska, but today has far exceeded our expectations. When Cindy woke us this morning there was a sighting more rare than killer whales – it was the sun! The stunning beauty of the 10,000 – 15,000+ foot, snow-capped, Fairweather Range greeted us outside our cabins. At our first stop of the day, we gathered on deck to greet the morning and admire the sea otters at the Boulder Islands. These large members of the weasel family looked much warmer wrapped in their soft fur coats, floating among the kelp; then we were sipping our morning coffee, with collars and jackets buttoned as high as we could. Soon after breakfast we gathered on the bow for another viewing highlight: tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, common murres, black-legged kittiwakes and Steller sea lions on and around the South Marble Islands.
Onward towards Gloomy Knob we scanned for fluffy white tuffs of grass; when they walked, we called them mountain goats. A nanny and her kid basked on the rounded hillside, we reveled in the warmth as well, while craning our necks skyward. Higher up yet on the next hill Berit found four bears; naked eyes would not be able to find these animals. With binocular or our spotting scope we focused on a brown bear sow and her three cubs. Scale was so misleading you’d think the cubs could fit in a thimble and toboggan down to the waters edge. The scenery continued to awe and amaze us as we slathered on another coat of sunscreen and proceeded up the west arm towards the tidewater glaciers.
Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers still flow slowly into the bay, but the one that was once largest of them all – Grand Pacific – is hardly recognizable as a glacier today. It is covered in rocky, morainal material, and one could easily mistake it for a two-mile wide wall of stony debris. Margerie, on the other hand, is mostly bluish white . . . everyone’s image of a tidewater glacier. Pinnacles of ice pointed skyward from the face; they looked like giant, white sewing needles. We watched in silence, and heard the thunder-like cracks as the river of ice moved and adjusted itself. Chunks of the glacier fell from the face, creating splashes 100 feet high.
Our next sojourn into the bay, going south at full speed (11.5 knots?) was Geike Inlet. By now, south far enough, we are already finding good stands of cottonwood and then Sitka spruce, joining seamlessly. A small inlet, Geike sometimes offers us different birds or a bear on the beach. We all had our hopes, and we got it! At first, no animals. But wait! There seems to be a big bear in the forest, near the beach. Yes, a black bear, crossing one of the last remaining patches of snow, just meters from the shore!
Today was truly a patchwork of all our five senses: the first smell upon waking had been the sharp cottonwoods, casting their lighter-than-air seeds to far-off lands. Back-lit by the sun, one could imagine them as snow flakes, except it was too warm. Too warm, we say? Yes, the sun was out all day, in all its intensity, the reflection off the water creating a pincushion effect, sharp after our cloudy introduction to Southeast Alaska of the last few days. The wind refreshed our skin with a cooling touch throughout the day, especially in front of the glacier, where our ears picked up the cracks and pops of ice. The last sense of taste was satisfied when the Hotel Manager and bartender appeared with hot chocolate on the bow, schnapps optional, of course.
All together our visit into Glacier Bay National Park had been a quilt work of exceptional experiences, enveloping us in a memory we will hold close for a long time to come.
