Glaciers? OH YEAH!!

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After a great dinner last night of either steak, salmon or a vegi dish, we had one additional nightcap and called it a night. We had left for the airport at 430a, so we were both ready for a good night’s sleep.

We had entered Glacier Bay National Park, which is the least visited National Park in the country. When we saw how big and vast it was, it is quite understandable as there is no way to get there except via boat. Breakfast was a buffet that had a variety of choices, with some of the best bacon I have had in a long time.

The choice of activities for the morning, would be similar for the entire week: Bushwhacking, skiff tours or kayaking. We decided to go for it right up front and do the bushwhacking! After we donned our attractive rubber boots, we headed to join our leader Ashley along with about 10 others. We got on a skiff and sped off to a deserted sandy beach and wandered into the forest.

When they say there is no trail…they were absolutely accurate. We walked over branches, under logs, over logs, climbed up a moss-covered hill on our hands and knees, then did the same on the way back down. We saw unique flowers, cool plants and massive moss-covered trees in this incredible rain forest environment. We were out for about 2 hours before coming back to the beach for the short skiff ride back to the boat.

The afternoon was spent taking a nap and the waking up to the glacially blue water with iceberg chunks floating all around us. Our destination was Johns Hopkins glacier (in Glacier Bay) and on the way there we passed smaller glaciers, gushing waterfalls and seals hanging on the mini-icebergs. We arrived at JH glacier about 4p and it was spectacular. Massive, blue, brown, black and calving while we watched. The booms that happened after the calving was like a cannon being shot and then it was just the sound of the glacier moving.

After an hour of us being amazed by the glacier view, it was time to head back inside and relax for an hour before our 6p chat about activities for tomorrow. Then dinner which was an excellent Ling Cod with some yummy green pea relish and butternut squash soup. The evening entertainment was a slow pass-by of xxx Island that had the most sea lions I have seen in one spot. There were also some puffins and other sea birds that rounded out the evening. It was then lights out for another day of exploring

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