Sunshine and Glaciers

This morning we are headed up Tarr Inlet to Reid, Lampugh, Grand Pacific and Marjorie Glaciers.  These are the crown jewels of Glacier Bay National Park and therefore Cruise Ships and other pleasure boats frequently travel this route.  We follow their progress on our AIS since the Cruise Ships often move at 20 knots or more and we need to stay well out of their way.

Marjorie Glacier  Glacier Bay National Park

We arrive at Marjorie just after noon and by 1:00 we have the place to ourselves.  I launch the kayak from the top deck and carefully cast-off from Chug.  Barrie will try to navigate through the iceberg bits in Chug while I find it easier to slip between the pieces of ice.  For the next hour, we try to line up the boat, the kayak , the glacier and the mountains in the distance to take photographs – all while avoiding the ice!  They on the camera but I left the cord for downloading at home – so none for the blog.  Just check out the photo from 2015 on Day 1 of this blog and you will get the idea.  Beautiful.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, and a humpback whale spouted in the distance. 

We tuck behind Russell Island for tonight’s anchorage and find a spot with good holding that requires just over 200 feet of chain.  Just around the corner is a seasonal Park Service float cabin that does not seem to be occupied at the present.  In all directions, we are looking at snow-capped mountains.  This is a stunning anchorage and the experience gets even better when we hear a whale come up to breathe.  Just off the stern is the tell-tail sign of mist in the air.  A few moments later we hear another whale and this time we see the whale’s back.  Clearly, the whales have arrived for dinner and we enjoy watching them surface several times.  Later, Sea Venture joins us in the anchorage.  After dinner, Sea Venture’s tender arrives at our stern.  The owner’s have brought us fresh crab made by their “chef”.  We do not know if his profession is as a chef, but if it isn’t, it should be.  Barrie and I both agree that those were the best crab cakes we have ever eaten.  Sea Venture is a 70’ custom boat built in Port Townsend in 1979 on a workboat hull.  It has been beautifully maintained.  The boat is home-ported in San Diego and they have made the journey to Alaska several times.  They will be in Southeast for the summer before returning to San Diego.  Makes our journey seem tame.