Sharon Gets a Clear Day in Glacier Bay Today

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We started the day up in the Lido: Fried eggs and bangers for me and French Toast for Sharon. This will be Sharon’s third visit to Glacier Bay, involving a day of scenic cruising in this Ranger hosted maritime visit to the large national park; and, for her it looks like the third time is the charm. Her previous visits here, including one with me two years ago, have been plagued by fog and inclement weather. I checked on the way back to our cabin after breakfast; but, was correct in my suspicion that no Sudoku puzzles were available in the library.



Sharon went out on the Lower Promenade to take pictures where I briefly joined her before returning to the cabin to add an additional layer and the fetch the binoculars. The wind was up and the occasional spray was biting cold. Bergie bits floated past the ship. Alpine glacier carved cliffs stretched to the sea, clad in their green robes of moss, fern and even the occasional tree whose roots clung perilously to the rocky faces. There was ample wildlife, beginning with the many seagulls searching for food, some even resting in the frigid waters while others seemed to straddle a bergie bit. We both surmised these birds lie in wait for food churned up in the wake of our cruise ship which we could see trailing behind us, but also radially out and away from us. I marveled at the small wakes moving away from the ship as they would encounter bergie bits of various size. It seemed instantaneously as the crest of the wavelet arrived at the bergie bit, that a secondary wavelet would surround and emanate outward from the bergie bit in ringed concentric circles as if the bergie bit had just been plopped into the water. In the foggy recesses of my brain I seem to recall how Bessel functions describe mathematically this very observation. We spotted the occasional harbor seal resting on a larger ice chunk in this protected estuary that orcas avoid making them ideal for the harbor seals to nurture their young as they were doing. We spotted some mountainside white goats, nannies with kids, traversing steep rocky cliffs and otters swimming along. There were also many birds including a few eagles.



Reid glacier was the first glacier we cruised past, seeing this tidal glacier that had receded from the main channel; although it had advanced slightly since 1909. Lumplugh glacier came right down to the water on our portside as we passed showing a red tent to the side of it and a man walking around that was camping there. It gave a good idea of the actual size of the immense glacier. John Hopkins was an impressive glacier with much ice floating towards us that had calved from this massive wall of ice; but, we would only be briefly viewing it from a distance on this day because of the substantial number of harbor seal pups that were still being nursed. Our target today was to spend time at Margerie Glacier. Here the ice is forging forward at six feet per day with much of that ice calving into the emerging ice flows. Every once in a while, we heard the cracking shearing of ice that grumbled and caused us to strain in search of where we might see a large section of ice slip with impressive splashing and spray into the sea. Sometimes the noise would be generated by the ice grinding over granite. Before us a wall 100 feet high was imposing, made more so by its extent 200 feet below the surface. The captain maneuvered the Zaandam to rotate the ship for viewing of the glacier from all sides of the ship. The Crow’s Nest was crammed with people seeking the best view, and to be close the Rangers and their commentaries and exhibits. We spent some time on the observation deck. Finally around 12:30PM we decided to head to the Lido Deck and get a burger at the Dive In. We’d never seen the Lido buffet so jammed with people; and, the Dive In was no better with perhaps a one hour wait. I convinced Sharon to head for the Rotterdam Dining Room. Unfortunately, today’s lunch menu was not Sharon-friendly. She watched as I enjoyed my curry-crab soup. She had decided to try the “watermelon soup” only to discover that it can be dangerous to read a menu with small print without your glasses. Slices of watermelon showed up with buffalo mozzarella and balsamic vinegar with some fresh herbs. She pushed it away and I snatched it up and thought it might have been the best dish of the meal. That is until I had the mahi-mahi skewers and these really were delicious. She pooh-poohed the idea of trying to order a “plain burger” here, where every day some exotic chef specialty burger is featured. To save the meal (for Sharon), she enjoyed the lemon meringue pie so much; that, she looked for a second piece later up on the Lido but didn’t find it. I enjoyed my chocolate cake ice cream. After this meal we headed back to the Dive In, and by now Sharon was easily able to order a burger.



Sharon went to mass, and I met her by the Wajang Theatre in formal wear ready for dinner. I was going to ask for a table by ourselves, hoping to get to 7PM Evening Trivia in time; but, I gathered Sharon wanted to dine with others. The seating steward asked if we minded dining at a table for four; and, I figured that might work out better than a table-for-six had on the previous formal night. I enjoyed the grilled shrimp appetizer, and the crab bisque as well. We both ordered the “surf-and-turf”; or, rather I had the “double-surf-and-turf” while Sharon just got the “turf”. We both had the no-sugar-added chocolate cake; which, surprised me when Sharon eschewed her coveted Baked Alaska. It didn’t matter as we weren’t done until 7:15PM, missing Trivia by a mile.





We both enjoyed the show that night, billed as “Rock Legends”. The cast of the Zaandam can sing!

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