Welcome to Glacier National Park was the title on today's "The Daily" newsletter. For us, it will be the third stop here in as many weeks. To say that the third time is a charm might not apply because conditions were dismal compared to our first two visits. Waking up early, we were greeted with light rain, increasing fog and winds that cut right through our arctic clothing. The weather can turn on a dime in Alaska, and today was the proof of that.
The timing of the scenic trek into Glacier Bay was later than previously, so we figured there could be two possible reasons for the time change. One thing could be the fact that daylight hours are becoming shorter, and an early arrival could be in the dark. Then perhaps the park rangers, cultural ambassador, and the National Geographic reps preferred to sleep in later. Probably not since this team seems quite dedicated to their work. They joined the ship around 7:30am coming from Bartlett Cove in a small catamaran-type vessel.
An hour later, this team was set up in the Crow's Nest greeting the folks that camped there early. During that time, the Zaandam had passed by the Marble Islands, small at that. Both of them have a pretty sizable group of Stellar sea lions. The South Island was still far away, but with binoculars, we could see the beached seals covering the rocks. Guess they were waiting for some sun, which we doubt they would see today.
Around 9:15am, the commentary began in the Crow's Nest and was broadcasted on all of the outside decks. The talks were also on our TV, which was a big help. The outdoor speakers tend to reverberate, and unless you happen to have a speaker close to your room, they are hard to decipher.
We skipped breakfast at 8am and went to deck six forward to watch the sailing past Gloomy Knob. What an appropriate name for that hunk of steep granite. The 1331-foot mountain was covered with layers of fog so thick, it was hard to see anything let alone some mountain goats. The ranger claimed to see a nanny and a kid, but we were not sure that we spotted them. Our photos will tell what we missed. And we did search for bears but did not see them this time. Maybe on the way back.....
Since the first glacier we would visit was Johns Hopkins at 11am, it was the best time to go to the Pinnacle for a late breakfast. Making it there by the skin of our teeth, we half-expected to be turned away. Bless their hearts, our table was waiting for us. Juice, coffee, and yogurts with fruit were brought within minutes. It took several cups before we defrosted. There were a few guests still there, so we relaxed and enjoyed the fine service. Thinking we would have only the starter and a pastry, they insisted on taking our orders. Heaven forbid, we miss a meal. We stayed until 10am then headed back to watch the scenery from our veranda.
The ship was passing by Reid and Lamplugh Glaciers by then, followed by a left turn into Johns Hopkins Inlet. This came as a surprise, because nine times out of ten, we do not go in there, or we have a brief look and exit. Today, the Captain lingered, giving everyone a good look at the glacier for about an hour. We lucked out on this visit because we were able to see some harbor seals on the ice bergs as well as some eagle sightings. One eagle was perched on a large chunk of ice, and upon seeing us, lifted its wings and took flight. It was one of the memorable moments you rarely see. The ranger went into some detailed explanations concerning climate change and the many theories surrounding it. Then he mentioned the plight of the eagle population in the state and what occurred in the 1970's. Due to many factors which included pesticides, the eagles declined drastically but thankfully recovered over the years. The ranger stated that there are 72,000 breeding pairs in Alaska. How they arrived to that number is a mystery to us, but we are thrilled to see them in the wild.
We learned something about the glacial melt and the color of the waters in these inlets. As the glacier ice flows down the steep granite walls, it carries with it rocks, sand and silt, which we know as "dirty" ice. Taking that another step, the finest silt is called glacial flour and is similar in consistency to the flour we use for baking. He invited anyone who was interested to see it as he had some in a vile in the Crow's Nest. This soil-like flour is what gives the inlet waters the milky coloration. And it is because of the murky waters, the seals are attracted here to give birth to their pups. Normally, orcas hunt these pups, but will not come into these glacial outlets because of the silt in the waters. It impairs their vision and the thunderous noise from the ice cracking disturbs their sonar abilities. Guess that is a lucky thing for the harbor seals.
Now the best was yet to come.....ice calving. The last few years we have seen none. Today we got lucky and viewed multiple ice towers falling into the frigid waters followed by the cracking sound of the calving. Some of the ice caused a mild tidal wave that continued for several minutes. For certain, we got some great photos.
Coming out of the inlet, we saw many cottonwood trees that had turned to a bright yellow. With so much overcast and fog, the trees added much-needed color. We passed by Jaw Point and the Lamplugh Glacier that was not a tidal glacier today. When the tide goes out, the ice wall does not reach the water. In time, they predict this glacier will recede and be gone someday. Some of the critters we spotted were some sea otters, more harbor seals, and gulls with a few eagles among them.
Taking a hard left, we proceeded to the Tarr Inlet and Margerie Glacier at the end. We did see a few sea otters in the surrounding waters. Our guide said that there are one million hairs in every square inch of hide on an otter. It is the densest fur of any animal and therefore the most desirable. The Russians knew that and almost decimated the little critters. Protected now, there are about 8000 sea otters residing in Glacier Bay today. Good luck counting them.
On the way to Margerie Glacier, we saw another eagle fly across the bow and some more otters were frolicking on the starboard side. We arrived at the face of the towering ice right on time at 1:30pm. Once again, the Captain turned the ship so everyone could view it. No calving today here. The rain and fog increased as we left the inlet. The Fairweather Mountain range could not be seen and the Grand Pacific Glacier ice field was not visible. There was a significant increase in the ice in the waters compared to the beginning of the month.
It was a good time to order some lunch with soup, salads, a cheese sandwich and some chicken nuggets. The chicken "spaghetti" soup has been delicious and served piping hot. Today the room service waiter brought an extra bowl of potato chips to make up for yesterday's mistake. He really felt bad about missing it.
By 2:30pm, the Zaandam headed back the way we came, and it seemed that the rain and fog increased with every mile sailed. Passing Gloomy Knob, we hoped to see some mountain goats. The fog was like a veil over the cliffs, but we did see one Billy goat grazing near the edge of the mountain.
The park team was scheduled to leave the ship by 6:15pm, but we never saw the boat arrive. Actually, by now, it was getting dark even colder, so we did not linger on the veranda to watch. We kept busy writing about the day's adventure and working on photos.
Dinner offered some new items such as a potato/cheese soup, a ham croquette, and the usual salads. A plate of Bolognese spaghetti and a grilled pork chop were our meals tonight. An apple tart dessert was shared.
An entertainer we have seen on many cruises was the piano virtuoso Hyperion Knight. He played classical and ragtime tunes for the World Stage crowd tonight.
Tomorrow...Juneau.
Bill & Mary Ann
