Tracy Arm
Brilliant sun shone into our cabins once again to entice us on deck for the exploration of Tracy Arm. This spectacular fjord winds its way 22 miles towards Canada where snowfields spawn the Sawyer Glaciers. The air was a crisp 56 degrees and inhaling the air felt like swallowing choice wine. We carefully navigated the sill, a shallows formed by the terminal moraine of the glacier that filled the valley not long ago, before proceeding into the deeper water up to 1,000 feet deep. We wound our way past sheer cliffs polished by the passing glacier keeping our eyes open for mountain goats and bears.
After two hours of splendor, the north and west glaciers came into view. We proceeded south to within three tenths of a mile of the front of the glacier and climbed into our Zodiacs. Now and then chunks fell off the face of the glacier followed by a clap of "white thunder". Soon we realized we were watched by hundreds of eyes: harbor seals were pulled out onto the fresh ice flows far from the danger of killer whales. Three pairs of mountain goat eyes joined our audience from far above.
We returned down the fjord to William's Cove for more exploration. Some kayaked, others entered the forest once again and with heightened alertness followed a well worn bear/wolf trail. As we crossed a dry tidal flat we encountered a fascinating story written in the mud. On a very high tide the flat became a shallow pond tenanted by small flatfish, sticklebacks and sculpins. Then, during a period of lower tides and hot weather the pond dried out and everything died. Tracks indicated that an eagle landed, picked up a few fish, then took off; a river otter ran over the gooey mud to the fish but soon turned back to safer ground; marten tracks circled the mud flat.
After another perfect day one guest commented it was like "cruising through Yosemite Valley"!
Brilliant sun shone into our cabins once again to entice us on deck for the exploration of Tracy Arm. This spectacular fjord winds its way 22 miles towards Canada where snowfields spawn the Sawyer Glaciers. The air was a crisp 56 degrees and inhaling the air felt like swallowing choice wine. We carefully navigated the sill, a shallows formed by the terminal moraine of the glacier that filled the valley not long ago, before proceeding into the deeper water up to 1,000 feet deep. We wound our way past sheer cliffs polished by the passing glacier keeping our eyes open for mountain goats and bears.
After two hours of splendor, the north and west glaciers came into view. We proceeded south to within three tenths of a mile of the front of the glacier and climbed into our Zodiacs. Now and then chunks fell off the face of the glacier followed by a clap of "white thunder". Soon we realized we were watched by hundreds of eyes: harbor seals were pulled out onto the fresh ice flows far from the danger of killer whales. Three pairs of mountain goat eyes joined our audience from far above.
We returned down the fjord to William's Cove for more exploration. Some kayaked, others entered the forest once again and with heightened alertness followed a well worn bear/wolf trail. As we crossed a dry tidal flat we encountered a fascinating story written in the mud. On a very high tide the flat became a shallow pond tenanted by small flatfish, sticklebacks and sculpins. Then, during a period of lower tides and hot weather the pond dried out and everything died. Tracks indicated that an eagle landed, picked up a few fish, then took off; a river otter ran over the gooey mud to the fish but soon turned back to safer ground; marten tracks circled the mud flat.
After another perfect day one guest commented it was like "cruising through Yosemite Valley"!
