Still sunny this morning and nice and calm in the anchorage, not so sure about the channel outside. Low tide is not till 10:45AM after which the flood tide will push us up the channel to where we want to go. For now we are having a leisurely breakfast and enjoying the surroundings . Still T shirt weather in the bay this morning it is 19 C at 9:30. Later Cruised up to the end of Tarr Inlet, which incidentally put us within a mile of the Alaska/Canadian border, and visited Grand Pacific Glacier(which has it’s origin in Canada) and Marjorie Glacier.
Marjorie Glacier
Bald eagle looking for lunch from an ice floe
Weird water brown and blue
Grand Pacific glacier’s foot is covered in rocks and gravel and it is hard to even recognize it as ice whereas Marjorie glacier is what you expect a tidewater glacier to look like. We were lucky in that the north wind up here last night and today cleared most of the floating ice away from the foot of the glacier so we could get quite close for some great pictures and to hear the glacier cracking and groaning as chunks break off and fall into the water. There was a tour boat leaving the area as we arrived and other than that we were all alone to experience the wonder of it all.
Afterwards we returned via Lamplugh Glacier and Reid Glacier but could not get too close because of the floating ice floes and bergs. We spent some time at slow speed wending our way though all the ice, hitting one of these could really ruin your day.
Reid Glacier
This could ruin your day
Too much ice to get closer to Lamplugh glacier
The weather continued to spoil us with sunny skies all day and another beautiful, warm, peaceful evening here back at Blue Mouse Cove. The sailboat that shared the bay with us last night is gone so we got the best spot in the anchorage for tonight.
Another beautiful sunshiny morning, no wind, seas are flat calm like a millpond. Left at 9:15 to cruise north into Glacier Bay and soon lost count of the seals and sea otters we saw and even saw 2 or 3 whales although they seemed pretty shy to show themselves much. We drove from up top on the flybridge, the first time this year it has not been too cold or too wet to sit out. It WAS cold but the panorama was too spectacular to sit indoors so we bundled up in warm clothes. I had TWO hoodies and a tuque on as well as my heavy jacket.
Even for Vivian
The view was worth the cold trip
After about an hour we approached South Marble Island and from over 2 miles away we could hear the sea lions barking. Up close the noise was constant and downwind you could also smell them a mile or more away. There must have been a thousand or more all hauled out on the rocks and swimming and gamboling nearby. Park regulations in this area of the park allow you within 100 yards of shore so we got a fantastic close up view and Vivian took “lots” of pictures . There were also thousands of birds nesting on the same island and the noise of the sea lions and the birds combined was pretty amazing at times.
Breakfast
Sea otters are the cutest of all
Humpback whale
Sea lion rookery
Sea lions have a nice life here
and a nice view
Leaving there, still in a flat calm, we traveled a few miles to South Sandy Cove where we anchored to have lunch and relax for an hour.
South Sandy Cove anchorage
Leaving there after an hour we were amazed at the swift change in the weather, the wind came up from nowhere and we were bashing into 3 foot waves with spray covering the windshield and flybridge. We had about one and a half hours of this till we reached our overnight anchorage in Blue Mouse Cove.
Blue Mouse Cove anchorage
View from Blue Mouse cove
and another view
And another whale
Amazingly, the minute we turned into the mouth of the cove the wind dropped and within half an hour we were sunbathing (again for the first time this summer) on the deck in 28C degree sunshine. It was still 25c after dinner at 7:30 PM and was still daylight when we went to bed after 11PM.
Another beautiful sunny day. Left our slip at 7:15 AM to fuel up and all filled up (350 Gallons) and on the way by 7:45AM
Guardians of Auke Bay Harbor
To start out it was a lovely trip, clear and sunny for most of the way but clouded over and started to rain about an hour out from Glacier Bay. In the sunshine it is a breathtakingly beautiful country, multi hued green forests rising to spectacular, snow covered mountain peaks in every direction. Photographs just don’t do it justice.
Auke Bay and Mendenhall Glacier
Point retreat Lighthouse
Alaska fast ferry passing us at 35 knots, stay out of his way!
Loking North from Auke Bay
After we turned into Icy Strait we started to see the fishing fleet and at one point along our route we could count at least 36 fishing boats at work.
Those dots on the radar are all fishing boats at work
We had a planned course close to shore in Icy Strait going between Pleasant Island and the mainland since the seas can sometimes get rough outside. After seeing all these guys fishing the shoreline and it being a nice flat calm we decided to go to plan B and steered right down the middle of the Strait where we would be well clear of everybody.
As we approached the entrance to the bay we started to see some seals and even a few Sea otters floating around. Glacier Bay National Park has strict entry rules for private vessels, an entry permit is required and only 25 private vessels are allowed in at any one time in addition to the cruise ships and tour boats .
Moored at Glacier Bay dock
Glacier Bay Park headquarters dock
You apply for your permit up to 60 days in advance and are not allowed to enter the bay without it. On arrival at the entrance you need to radio for permission then proceed directly to Park headquarters at BartlettCove for an orientation lecture.
It was pouring rain as usual when we arrived at their dock but we did all that then went out and anchored nearby for the night. The parks people were very welcoming and friendly and obviously take their wildlife protection duties seriously. No sooner were we safely and finally at anchor when the sun came out and it turned into another beautiful evening. Today is the longest day(summer solstice) and we had over eighteen hours of daylight. Vivian was still reading without lights till 11 PM.
Bartlett Cove anchorage
Just before dark we had a visitor to welcome us to the park and after that I got hungry and sent Vivian to make dinner!!
Yesterday, Tuesday, we took the city bus into downtown Juneau to see the sights. Including the thousands of cruise ship passengers in for the day and the dozens , maybe hundreds, of gift shops and jewelry shops that are here to separate them from their money. There were 4 cruise ships at the dock and as we had lunch we watched as one left and another from the same company took it's place at the dock. There couldn't have been 15 minutes elapse between one slipping out and it's replacement slipping into the same dock space.
A conveyor belt of tourists!!
Main street looking North
Main street looking South
Historical marker
This is a photo of a mural on the street, we tried to photograph the actual mural but could not find a clear space between tourists and traffic
Two rednecks in Alaska
Beautiful, well trained dogs pose for the tourists
Today, Wednesday, we were going to leave for Glacier Bay today but waited for a visit from a mechanic/electrician to look at our ongoing engine alarm problem. Should just have left as planned as it turned out to be the nicest, warmest, sunniest day so far this summer AND the tradesman wasn't much help anyway.
Off in the morning and possibly no phone or internet for a while. Will post when I can.
