Dismal skies, fog, and rain greeted us as we approached Glacier Bay. We did have a following wind all the way to Margerie Glacier. In order to see Gloomy Knob, we would have to delay breakfast. We did arrive to the Pinnacle Grill at 8:30am, and were among about 8 guests at that time. No problem.
The park rangers were dropped off by 6:30am when most of the folks were still asleep. They set up an information desk in the Crow's Nest, then began narration at 8am. Ranger Ashley was our speaker today. She has a nice voice that carried well with the speakers inside and out. Going to deck 6 forward, we found it was raining enough to flood the deck. The bow was supposed to open at 9am, but due to the rain, it remained closed all day.
We did pass by Gloomy Knob and with the help of binoculars and the good camera, we did see several mountain goats that reside there. Most were laying down trying to keep dry we assume. At least the granite cliffs were not shrouded in fog, only rain. Usually, this view of Gloomy Knob was part of the scenic cruising. Now there was no mention of it in the Daily newsletter. After passing this 1331 foot mountain, the we headed north to the US and Canadian border up the Tarr Inlet.
The ship arrived to Margerie Glacier at 9:45am. Last week we had seen scores of sea otters and some seals here, but today we only saw a few. The Captain kept the ship here across from the face of the glacier for one hour, rotating so everyone could view it. This glacier is one mile wide and about 200 feet above the waterline. The ice flow is 20 miles long originating in the Fairweather Mountain Range. This week we saw few icebergs, bergie bits, or growlers in the inlet. So that was a clue that the glacier had not been calving. Watching and listening for that spectacular calving is like a watched pot that never boils. Last year we caught one view of this glacier calving, then nothing.
And at the same time we entered the inlet to Margerie, Dutch pea soup was served on all of the outside decks. The waiters set up the soup cart in the hallway where we accessed the deck, blocking the way for the guests. One of us indulged in the Dutch treat which helped warm him up.
On the way out of Tarr Inlet, we ventured into the Johns Hopkins Inlet just enough to catch a view of that tidewater glacier. We think it is equally as impressive as Margerie, but for some reason, we did not enter the inlet once again. The Viking Orion was just leaving and heading where we just came from.
Once past Jaw Point, we had a view of the smaller Lamplugh Glacier, followed by the Reid Glacier. Watching from the forward deck, that's when we noticed the winds were getting stronger as we were facing directly into them. Holding onto the railings, we pulled ourselves along to access the side door. It took a lot of strength to open the double doors.
We went for a Lido lunch around 2:15pm. By then, we were passing the North and South Marble Islands where typically the stellar sea lions hang out. This week the Captain took the ship close enough to see the seals out on the rocky spits. Of course, we had left the cameras behind. Last week we also saw many otters in this part of the bay's entrance. Today we saw only a few. By 3:30pm, the rangers departed and were brought back to the headquarters at Bartlett Cove. Their small vessel was tossed around a lot due to the wind and swells. The rain had never stopped all day. This will be our final adventure in Glacier Bay since it is not on next week's itinerary.
We stayed warm in our room until dinnertime, doing online work as usual. We are headed south all the way to Ketchikan where we arrive by 11am. Gosh, it seems like we were just there.
Tonight was Dutch Dinner in the main dining room, and Morimoto in the Pinnacle Grill. We chose the dining room and started with the Durch pea soup for appetizers. It is so thick, you could eat it with a fork. And very good. One of us had the chicken and French fry entrée and the other the tenderloin. It came smothered with a Hollandaise sauce, which I failed to remember to say hold the sauce. We split one small Bosche Ball for dessert. It is one of the few desserts that is not overly-sweet.
Showtime was a musician by the name of Chris Bannister performing the hits of John Denver. We believe he was also on the world cruise this year. If you could stay up later, Jim Short put on a late night comedy act. Finally, it was Orange Party Night in the Crow's Nest. Many folks wore a splash of orange at dinnertime….some wearing flashing orange light necklaces. Bet these were sold in the shops today.
Bill & Mary Ann
