Glacier National Park

From the pamphlet we were provided: "Comprised of 3.3 million acres of mountains, glaciers, forests, and waterways, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a highlight of the Inside Passage and part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site - one of the world's largest protected natural areas - designated by UNESCO."

All I can say is wow! The park is enormous and the scenery beyond spectacular. We visited on May 12 and May 16 - the first day the sun was shining brightly and on the second day it was cloudy and overcast but I don't remember any rain. Each time we met up with the park rangers at Bartlett Cove near the opening of narrows leading into Glacier Bay. They arrived on a smaller boat and climbed a rope ladder to reach one of the lower decks. Throughout the day, the rangers were in various areas of the ship providing information to the passengers. This included announcements from the Bridge as we neared the two main glaciers, Margerie and Grand Pacific. 

Only two large ships are permitted in the bay each day. We were lead in by one of the Norwegian ships. We also saw a couple of smaller ships who were able to get even closer to the glaciers. They do have to keep a certain distance as the ice falling can cause large waves.

As we were sailing in, I spotted this small boat hauling an ice shack...or at least that is what I assume it would be. 

It doesn't appear to be large enough to be a house.

I believe this is Willoughby Island. The sight of the snow on the mountains beyond the island was just amazing in the sun.

The next photo was to the starboard side of the ship, and still in the shade. Those two white dots in the center are Dall sheep, named for William Dall, a paleontologist and geographer who was part of the Harriman expedition.

It took several hours to actually reach the glaciers, and I spent most of that time watching from one of the lower decks for 20 minutes or so, then running indoors to warm up before venturing out again. It wasn't terribly cold but it was chillier than it had been in the ports, especially as we got closer to the glaciers.

The glaciers are visible from a great distance but we knew we were getting closer when we started seeing ice in the water.

Little did I know that on that first visit that these small chunks of ice were nothing in comparison to what we would see later.

I believe this is the Reid glacier. 

I was fascinated by the ripples of rock, ice and snow on the top of the glacier.

The stars of the show were the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. Margerie in on the left, and the Grand Pacific on the right, distinguished by the dirty appearance, the result of silt carried by the glacier as it recedes. 

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Grand Pacific glacier reached as far as Bartlett Cove. By 1879, when John Muir named the glacier, it had carved out a good portion of  Glacier Bay. In 1892, it was discovered the glacier had split into three separate glaciers. One of those, Reid Glacier is named for the man who made this discovery, Harry Fielding Reid.

  

We were able to stay at the glaciers for about an hour. The captain turned the ship half way through so that both sides of the ship could enjoy the view. This was for the people who watched from their balconies. I just moved from one side of the open deck to the other.

One of the two smaller ships we saw that day. The Admiralty Dream. It is available on various itineraries in the Alaskan waters, carries 54 passengers, and is able to visit areas not open to the larger cruise ships. The cost of the passage is a bit beyond my means, but it would be a wonderful way to see Alaska.

You might think I took this next photo on black and white, but I did not. It was an area called, if memory serves, Bear Beach, and this was truly the color of the rocks and sand. It was is in the shade and there were no bears. 

Back at the narrows, late in the afternoon we dropped the park rangers at their boat to return to the ranger station. I've no photos of them climbing down the rope ladder...I couldn't lean that far over the edge. 

Our second visit on May 16, was cloudy and cool. I was up on deck as the rangers made their way to the ship.

Again I spent a lot of time on deck 7, but wandered in an out more frequently as the temperature got quite chilly. I didn't bring a winter parka, but wore several layers, gloves and scarf. Most often it was my hands that got cold.

On our way through the bay, I took many photos of the sea lions on the rocks. I'd missed them the first time, as I'd be on the opposite side of the ship. I'll only share a couple few.

Again, as we closed in on the glaciers, there were several icebergs to be seen, including this one covered in sea birds. This was fairly large but not as large as we had seen.

Back at Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers, I didn't take many photos. I simply stood and watched and listened to the sounds around me. 

The cruise ship was clearly stirring up the fish below, as the birds swarmed to get a feed.

This fellow seemed to be as interested in me as I was in it. 

Throughout the day the tops of the mountains were mostly obscured by the clouds.

What was interesting was the colors within the glaciers. On the sunny day, you could certainly see some color but it seemed to be more a reflection of the blue sky, but on this grey day the colors within the glaciers were incredibly vivid. These photos are of Reid Glacier. 

Contrast this with the last photo I took as we sailed out of Glacier Bay. The landscape is harsh, but oh so beautiful.

So ends the visit to Glacier Bay National Park. It was two very interesting days, with the commentary from the rangers, and especially seeing the difference in the views based on the weather. Having said that, it wouldn't turn out to be my favorite series of glaciers.

Next up - College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. 

Day 1 in Skagway

I was planning to write about our visits to Skagway in one post but after nearly completing the first section, it was getting far too long. Thus, I've chosen to split it into two parts with some teasers to keep you interested.

As was to hold true for most of voyage, the weather in Skagway was lovely! Warm enough for a light jacket and with lots to see and do.

Skagway's main source of income is tourism and it shows. The historic buildings on the main street (Broadway if memory serves) are fronted with clapboard painted various colors with white trim. The sidewalks are built up with boardwalks in the areas where tourists would visit. I did get off the beaten track to find the library and in those parts of town the sidewalks were regular old pavement. In the census of 2020 the population of Skagway was around 1200 and this number doubles during the tourist season. And when a ship or three dock (as happened when we were there) the population explodes.

From the ship to town was a little over a 1/4 mile walk. There are shuttles that run between the docks and the town, but I wanted the fresh air and exercise. On this first visit, I just wandered and did a little browsing and a wee bit of shopping before heading to the library with its free WIFI.

My first stop was the old train station building. This beautiful building still serves as the depot for the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge rail. One can purchase tickets for the same excursion I did through Princess (and I would have saved a few dollars had I realized this). Also in the building is a small coffee shop and a retail store selling branded clothing, trinkets, as well as books and few toys. I did pick up a t-shirt on my second stop with the White Pass logo.

I'm not sure why, but cruise ship ports tend to attract jewelers. This was true in Skagway as well - and probably makes more sense than some of the Caribbean islands. Many of these shops attempted to entice tourists into their stores by offering free cruise charms. Several years ago, on one of my first cruises, I made an effort to collect the charms.  If I were to look hard enough I could find that bracelet but I never wore it. As a result I bypass these stores, as I neither want nor need jewelry.

There were other shops as well, many selling local art. My favorite piece was a hand carved bench with a beautiful handwoven seat cover. I think it was $600 USD...well out of my budget. I should have taken a photo - it was simply gorgeous! I wasn't able to find the yarn shop in my travels even though I asked several people - it seemed to have moved a couple of times based on the signs on windows but it proved to be illusive. I did pick up a book for Eli at the combination local newspaper print shop and book store. The staff there were kind enough to provide the directions to the library - over one block and up to the corner of 8th and Slate.

On my way over to the shops I stopped at this display. When gold was discovered in 1896 in the Klondike region of the Canada's Yukon Territory, Skagway became the starting point for American prospectors to make their way over the mountain pass to the Klondike. This was an arduous task, not only due to the terrain, but the Canadian government not wanting people to starve over the winter, required that each individual bring 1 ton (909 kg) of supplies.

Obviously, carrying a ton of supplies over a narrow pass couldn't be done by a single person in one trip (and adding another person to help meant another ton of goods). Thus it good take a dozen trips or more to reach the summit of the pass (carrying an 80 pound pack). Once beyond the mountains there was still another lengthy trek to the gold fields. As the above photo states, "How far would you go to fulfill a dream?" 

By May 1898, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad company was formed and work began on the narrow gauge railroad. The route climbs nearly 3000 feet in just 20 miles and features steep grades and tight curves. As you can imagine it was a challenge building a railroad, including tunnels and trestles, some of which were built in the dead of winter. The construction reached the Summit of White Pass in February 1899, with more work yet to come to complete river and lake route. By the time the railroad was fully complete in 1900, the gold rush was almost over. The railroad continued to carry ore and other supplies until 1982 when world metal prices plummeted, mining operations were closed, and the railroad shut down.

Then in 1989, the company reinvented itself to become a tourist attraction. More on that in the next post. Instead, here are a few more interesting places in Skagway.

One of the shops I stopped in at was the Alaskan Fry Bread store. If you haven't tasted fry bread or bannock, you're missing out on a real treat. (Unless you're gluten intolerant, sorry). The pieces of fry bread at this store were larger than a dinner plate, deep-fried until gold brown and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I did hear someone ask for a hold on the cinnamon and sugar. It was a popular stop and a piece of fry bread was $7.35 USD. Considering volume I'm sure they did very well that day! I was unable to finish my piece and happily shared it with the crows that congregated on the street in front of the store.

This log building is part of the Moore homestead in Skagway. It was the first building built in the town about a decade before the gold rush. That makes it over 135 years old! The Moore homestead was settled by Captain William Moore and his son J. Bernard (Ben) Moore. The Captain was a man of vision; he was certain it was matter of time before gold was discovered and, in preparation, he built a sawmill, a wharf, and blazed a trail to the White Pass Summit. That trail would later become the pass so many would travel in their quest to gold, before the railroad was built.

The family built another grander home just a few yards beyond the cabin. I've no photos of that building, lovely though it was, because I was fascinated by this one. You see, when I was a child we had a log building on our farm, similar to this one. It certainly wasn't as old but had been lived in by the original owner of the property. After my Dad bought the quarter section, the building was used for a variety of uses, as a chicken coop, a playhouse (I assume mom must have done some major cleaning), and later for storage. Several years ago, the building was moved to the museum site in my hometown and has been dressed up as a trapper's cabin, complete with taps, pelts, and old blankets and such.

I was able to the tour the larger home, but this building was locked up. Apparently it is only used for storage now too.

This was the town museum. Sadly it wasn't open so I turned around and headed to the library. I knew my daughter would be getting anxious having not heard from me for several days. I was right and we chatted for about a half-hour catching up on my vacation and the goings-on in her life.

On my way back to the ship, I heard singing and looked up to see this young woman (and another on the other side of the bay woman). I don't recall what song they were singing but both had lovely voices. 

As I don't have my notes, I don't recall if I spent time at the Wakeview bar that afternoon, but do recall I had a specialty restaurant booking that evening. My lovely travel agent L, gifted me this experience and it truly was fantastic. The dinner was at the Bistro Sur le Mer, with a land and sea menu, and I was treated to four courses. Hors d'ouevres included polenta with two sauces, and goat cheese olives. The latter were actually goat cheese covered with colored gelatin, one green, one purple to look like olives. For my appetizer I chose smoked salmon. It was my first time to try it, and it will definitely be a choice I'd make again in the future.

For my entree I went with the filet mignon with steak frites. The steak was fork tender and delicious. The three frites :) were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and incredibly hot! My mouth waters just looking at the photo...it was that good.

I had asked the waiter to hold off serving the entree and did so again before dessert. That's a lot of food! But I did have dessert about a half hour later, a lemon-line custard with creme Anglais. It was so good, that had I not been polite, I would have licked the plate. 

I know for certain I did some serious walking on the ship post dinner and was at the aft for sail away that evening. I captured this photo of the Norwegian ship leaving ahead of us. It truly was a wonderful day in Skagway...and the second one was even better.  

Next up - Day 2 in Skagway

Thankful Thursday

I was going to wait until Saturday to fill you in on the news but decided I just can't wait any longer to share. And I am very thankful for the trip I'll be taking in just over a week's time. 

Yes, the suitcase on Wednesday was the biggest hint, as were the past few Wordless Wednesday photos (binoculars, boots, and a photo of a certain location). Back in 2012, my friend K and I did a short four day cruise from Vancouver to Ketchikan and back to Seattle. The photo I shared last week is one looking away from the town of Ketchikan across the passage. At that time I had just a small point and shoot so the photo isn't particularly clear as the zoom didn't work that well. 

We had lovely day in Ketchikan, it was late May and the weather was warm and sunny, even though Ketchikan is known for it's rainfall. I even got a sunburned nose! We wandered around the town, visiting Creek Street - where the ladies of the evening plied their trade, through a few shops, and then further down the water line to an air charter service where we watched the float planes come and go.

I've wanted to do a cruise to Alaska for a long time but other itineraries and pricing were more attractive. Fast forward to last November (I think - it may have been October) when I came across the "Voyage of the Glaciers", a fourteen day cruise both northbound and southbound out of Vancouver. I called my travel agent and booked it...because surely by May this pandemic would be over, right?

Well it isn't entirely but I'm still cruising. Since booking I was able to score a price drop of almost $800, and my flights to and from Vancouver, used up part of the credit I had with WestJet from the flights that were cancelled in June 2020 (for my British Isles cruise - still on my bucket list - I will get there one day Janet!). 

Our ports and scenic cruising include: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Whittier (northbound), and Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Vancouver (southbound). I've booked two excursions, a whale watching tour in Juneau on the way north, and the White Pass railway in Skagway on the way south. I'd love to do more but excursions are pretty pricey. I've downloaded a map of Whittier as that is turn around day - many passengers booked only the 7 day cruises so some will be disembarking, while others will be embarking. There is a restaurant right on the water that I'm planning on walking to with stops at whatever interests me along the way. Beyond that I'm still doing a bit of research to determine what I might do in the other ports. 

I fly to Vancouver on Friday May 6 and board the ship on Saturday morning. While I don't need a Covid test for the flight, I do for the cruise so have booked an appointment at the airport here before the flight is scheduled to leave. That way, heaven forbid, should I be positive, I'll be able to head home for isolation. In the meantime I'm doing everything in my power to avoid getting sick and will continue to do so while on board the airplane and the ship. I've a box of N95 masks, as well as the medical and cloth masks I normally wear. Fingers crossed!

You can be certain that when I return there will be a number of posts, likely photo heavy, of the ports and the glaciers. I plan to spend as much time during the day time as possible out on deck - I'm expecting incredible scenery as we sail the inside passage.  The weather may not entirely cooperate, though the long range for our day in Ketchikan would suggest it will be another lovely day. 

So today I'm starting the packing process. I'm planning to take lots of layers, along with my rain jacket and waterproof boots, a couple pairs of mini gloves, a fleece jacket (with windbreaker), and a scarf. I've been told it can be quite chilly when we're viewing the glaciers. Of course, my idea of chilly and those from warmer climates might be different.

I am so excited - this is my first cruise since March 2019. I started cruising in 2011 and with the exception of 2013, I did at least one cruise a year.  I'm so looking forward to getting out on the ocean again.