Grizzlies & Elves

 

This type of view made Glacier Bay worth the trek.

For the first 3 days we edged up North to enjoy the views from lovely coves and to make a glacier cruise easier. There were typically 2 to 5 other lovely, large boats sharing each cove with us. Most boat names we recognized from the trip up--all of us racing to meet our allotted days.

When we were as far North as we could safely anchor, we decided it was time to see what all the excitement was about. Instead of taking our RIB out to get to the main attractions faster, we opted to see the main attractions all in one day. Taking the RIB would have been hours of enduring the cold wind in our faces. So, this entailed a long, 10-hour day of cruising. We passed, without stopping, four inlets which ended in glaciers. They were somewhat easy to see as we slowly floated by because the inlets are about a mile wide each. Our binoculars were always at the ready. There was always an incredibly beautiful view that changed each mile or so as new vistas came into view.

Nice glacier and a classic, typical view.

The John Hopkins Glacier was as far we went. Photos in 2-D just can’t express the large scale. You sense the power of the frozen, moving river. It takes your breath away. The blue, white, and rich dirt brown of the thick glaciers as well as the teal and green waters are hard to capture. 

John Hopkins Glacier (1 mile wide and 250 feet deep) and vicinity:

Enter in occasional orca whale sightings (which we hadn’t seen yet in the trip North), many dozens of buoyant sea otters, and silvery salmon leaping a couple of feet out of the water -- all of which kept our eyes open and binoculars at the ready. 

The layers of colors show the progression of glacier retreat. The closest, greenest areas have the most plant growth. 

I learned that when Glacier Bay was first designated as a national reserve, the glaciers were much longer. Most poured out past their inlets into the large bay. Now, all the glaciers have melted back into their inlets. A couple still are calving into salt water, like the one we saw at John Hopkins Inlet. The glaciers still are spectacular, and you can see them from the water, but the founders of the park did not expect the scenic views to change so dramatically.(1)

We saw the allowed 2 cruise ships and their routes each day.(2) Based on this, I think a cruise ship is a good way to see the glaciers. You can also make your way to park headquarters and see them from a sturdy tourist day-boat. (3)

Our last ancorage was probably the best because we saw a black bear, a grizzly bear, and a wolf!

 

After Glacier Bay, we opted to go a little further West to the small village of Elfin Cove. It's famous for its boardwalks, in place of roads, and as a major fishing lodge destination. It's just so darn cute as well. There are a few garden elves here and there, but we didn’t see any real ones. Unless elves are men, 25-75 years old, wearing camouflage jackets and wet gear. That's all you see. 

View from Elfin Cove boardwalk.

We took the RIB out with a fishing pole and Mike’s now-favorite lure and caught 2  salmon in about 2 minutes. With no camo! We also were surprised to see beautifully rugged stone arches and caves in the area. 

Natural arch at the fishing grounds. In the distance, behind the arch is another glacier. We also were surrounded by sea lions and humpbacks.

The small islands near Elfin Cove were so scraggly. There were shallow caves and fissures. The trees were growing directly on the rock. 

Next, we retraced our steps and anchored 2 nights at Funter Bay--a good midpoint on the way back to Juneau. Here’s Mike’s drone footage of the first evening:

The next afternoon we experienced our first rain and wind storm. As the wind picked up and waves wrapped around into the large bay, we didn't like the way it tossed around our RIB, so we pulled up anchor and cruised across the broad bay to a public floating dock. 

Just as we got comfy, the wind changed direction and waves started hitting us broadside which is very uncomfortable -- and potentially dangerous for our tie-up. We donned our wet gear and took the RIB to scout out another solution. 

We didn’t like the possible anchorages but we thought the other public dock on the opposite side of the bay was not perfect but calmer. Back we sped to the tug, wet, but relieved to have a solution. Before we hastily took off in the tug, I noticed one of our three lines was undone and another was one loose loop from becoming undone! 

I stayed in the rain on the back bench in my wet gear for the putt over to the dock. It was kind of fun. This California gal likes weather--I do! We docked without drama at the third spot of the day. Within about an hour we noticed that the wind was dying down. By evening, the seas were flat again. 

Did we have elves as stowaways, untying my lines? We may never know. But I learned that we need to use different knots in stormy weather. 

FOOTNOTES FOR FUN FACT FANS

(1) Actually, I read that the original purpose of creating a national reserve was to keep the land a great public place for hunting, producing timber, and tourism. It was much later that Glacier Bay became a National Park and hunting, etc. became limited. 

(2) Now, 95% of the people who enter Glacier Bay come via cruise ship. 

(3) The hard part is getting to Glacier Bay. You have to take an infrequent Alaska ferry from a large town like Juneau and stay at least over night. Or, arrive via seaplane. There is a National  Parks lodge at headquarters with a restaurant but it’s nothing as nice as you might see in Yosemite or Yellowstone. We saw it and you would need to keep your quality expectations in check.