Seeing how tiny the boat is one can appreciate the magnificence of the mountains.
We had to stay up later and later to any glimpse of a sunset.
But the “Golden Hour” lasted much longer than an hour.
Tag Archives: outdoors
College Fjord
It’s the last day of cruising. We’re well on our way through the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound .
Glacier Bay to College Fjord 438 nautical miles 18.4 knots
College Fjord contains the largest collection of tidewater glaciers in the world each named after an east coast college or university.
College Fjord is beautiful. Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.
It seemed that we’d finally left the rain and clouds behind. The sun was bright, reflecting off the white snow covered mountains.
Once you enter the Fjord you will pass Holyoke, Barnard, Wellesley, Vassar, Bryn Mawr and Smith Glaciers on the port side. Harvard is at the head of the fjord.
On the starboard side you’ll see Amherst, Lafayette and Yale.
This is truly what you think of when you think of Alaska.
Glacier Bay
This is the post I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for and I have so much for show and tell. Glacier Bay Cruising is a highlight of many, many cruise lines for their Alaska trips. I admit we were really looking forward to seeing it. Mendenhall Glacier had only served to whet our appetites for more.
Skagway to Glacier Bay 113 nautical miles 11.5 knots
The Island Princess entered Glacier Bay from Icy Strait named for the multitude of ice bergs the first explorers found floating here. The Island Princess was selling tickets to “The Sanctuary” an adult only area of the ship. The Sanctuary has padded lounge chairs, “Serenity Stewards” to wait on you, blankets and Mimosas all for only $60.00 per person. The Sanctuary is located across the aft end of the ship.
The misty, cold, gray weather that had followed us so far continued to be with us as we entered Glacier Bay. We decided not to spend the money for the Sanctuary because of the weather. Even with blankets it seemed like we’d be warmer if we could keep moving around the deck. We learned later that we missed out on seeing a close up view of a pod of Orcas that frolicked in the wake. Maybe next time I’ll make a different decision. It’s also important to mention here that although Alaska in the spring is known for its rainy weather, we were experiencing much colder, wetter weather than is the norm. Everyone says spring is running about 2 weeks late. Just our luck! 🙁 But that means that you shouldn’t be discouraged about a late May cruise…next year could be glorious sunshine.
The Island Princess arrived off Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay around 6 am where they picked up National Park Rangers. They set up a table neat the Horizon Court on Deck 14 plus they made announcements on the PA describing what we were seeing as we slowly cruised the bay.
I say slowly cruised the bay because Island Princess was moving through an ice field of bergs and small ice floes.
These bergs are a good indication that the glaciers are actively calving. Most of the bergs were pretty small or at least looked that way from 150 ft. up. I wonder if the people on the Titanic said the same thing…Oh they’re just little ice bergs. 🙂
The ice didn’t just drift out of the way. We could hear the bergs hitting the hull before they drifted off or slid down the sides.
Once again I can say it was cold especially when we leaning on the railing to see around other passengers or to avoid the annoying blue windows.
The closer we got to the Margerie Glacier the more the anticipation grew. People didn’t pay any attention to the many smaller glaciers that we passed as we traveled further into the bay.
Gateway to the Klondike
The ship arrived in Skagway in the wee hours of the morning or maybe it was night.
It’s getting harder and harder to tell with the late sunsets and early sunrises the farther north we go.
Skagway is located at the northern tip of Alaska’s Inside Passage.
As we roused ourselves for the day’s adventures we looked out on a busy dock with a rock wall to hold the bank in place.
Above the rock wall on the boulders embedded in mountainside we saw logos and ship’s names painted. The story is that when a crew likes the captain they come ashore and paint the ship’s ID on the rocks, the higher and more dangerous, the more the captain is esteemed.
After breakfast, with the all clear to go ashore, we headed down to find the excursion bus that would take us to the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.
We needed our passports because this adventure would take us into the Klondike region of Canada.
The train would take us through the White Horse Pass. During the gold rush in 1896 there wasn’t a train. The stampeeders ( prospectors) had to either take the Chilkoot Trail which was shorter but steeper or the White Horse Pass that was longer but summited lower at 2885 ft. Both ways were challenging and deadly. The Canadian Mounties waited at Lake Bennett to check supplies. Anyone without enough to survive was turned back at the border.
I can assure you the train was much easier but even today it was easy to see the challenge. We passed huge gullies and mountainsides as the train wound its way to the summit.
We passed over trestle bridges and passed into and out of fog banks and clouds.
Water poured down the mountainsides in everything from torrents to trickles as the snow on the peaks began its spring melt.
Pretty soon we had reached the snowline but even though we were traveling through snow the water continued its downward path. At times we were so close to the mountain side that a foolish person could have reached out and touched the rocks as they flew by…and lost a hand or arm had they been so careless.
At times we could see across the “gulch” where another train ahead of us was already traveling upward or maybe returning downward.
We could see where we would soon be. More than any place else that we’d been, this train ride captured the true wildness of the Alaska mountains.
I admit, I stood in the cold outside the car in an attempt to capture some of the fantastic wilderness that surrounded us. My efforts fell far short of what we actually saw. The fog or clouds (depending on who you ask) only added to the drama of the ride.
Once we arrived at Lake Bennett we had to wait for the Canadian Customs Agents. We were told not to speak unless spoken to, to have our passports out and open and to NOT TAKE ANY PICTURES!
2 Agents boarded and made their way down the aisle. They never smiled. They were quite intimidating. The only time they spoke was to ask a foreign visitor for his visa as well as his passport. He had the visas for his whole family so they checked all of them then left the train.
The bus was waiting to take us to the next stop, a suspension bridge. Everyone headed to the lake to take pictures but the bus driver rounded us up with promises that we’d be back and we could take pictures then. He said we had a schedule to keep.
Cygnet Check
Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon Southeastern Mass was hit with high winds and heavy rains. Because of the nasty weather I didn’t get a chance to check on Mama and Papa Swan at Indian Grove Pond.
Friday was the last day before I leave for my trip so I was busy cleaning, packing and making sure all of the laundry was done. But the sun was shining and we hit 80+ degrees. Oh my, how the great outdoors was calling to me. Surely a few hours won’t set me that far behind.
I had to pick up a few things like band aids for the blisters I’m sure to get (I always do) and a new toothbrush. You know, just a few last-minute things. So when I finished that errand I just kept going! Yup had to do a “wellness check”.
Mama & Papa were both right there. Mama looked hot. She had her beak open and was actually drooling but Papa was right there too. He does take his turn on the nest so I’m sure if she was really that uncomfortable she’d take a break.
She did stand up so all of the eager watchers were able to see the eggs. All 6 were still there and no cracks yet. I guess there won’t be any cygnets before I leave but I bet there will be when I get back!