Endicott Arm
Today we were surrounded by glacial ice and its workings.
By early morning we were traveling up Endicott Arm. Like almost every waterway in Southeast Alaska, Endicott is a fjord, but here the glaciers have sculpted granite, and the result is particularly impressive. We saw huge pale walls rising vertically from the sea, and eventually soaring into gently rounded summits. Striations, the scratch marks of a glacier’s stony belly, decorated the cliffsides in attenuated grooves and ridges, or in unusual “fish scales”. And then we saw the glacier. The Dawes Glacier is like many tidewater glaciers in Alaska. A river of ice, it is so rent by crevasses that its top is a field of frozen pinnacles called seracs. But the Dawes is in catastrophic retreat, and so calves with unusual frequency. We boarded Zodiacs for an intimate view of the glacier, and saw tons of ice plunge into the sea, accompanied by the roar of “white thunder”. Even more impressive were silent submarine calvings, when deep blue bergs rose to the surface like huge whales. Some of us saw blue bergs “being born”, and then were later able to examine them up close. The bergs were dimpled like a flash-frozen choppy sea, and the color was pure sapphire.
Later in the day we took Zodiacs into Ford’s Terror. This intense fjord is guarded by a tight and shallow entrance. Tidal currents, racing through this constriction, create treacherous waves. Even in our powerful Zodiacs, we can enter Ford’s Terror only at slack tide, so a chance to see the place is a rare opportunity. Once inside, we again found the incomparable sculpture of granite and ice. Huge cliffs towered. Waterfalls were everywhere. Some were like slender threads, others tumbled like frothy highways. Delicate flowers clung to the bedrock walls, and deep green forests blanketed the gentler slopes.
Surrounded by such impressive beauty, we had time to reflect on our voyage. Southeast Alaska, with extraordinary landscapes, thrilling wildlife and rich culture, ever enthralls. How lucky we have been to experience it!
Today we were surrounded by glacial ice and its workings.
By early morning we were traveling up Endicott Arm. Like almost every waterway in Southeast Alaska, Endicott is a fjord, but here the glaciers have sculpted granite, and the result is particularly impressive. We saw huge pale walls rising vertically from the sea, and eventually soaring into gently rounded summits. Striations, the scratch marks of a glacier’s stony belly, decorated the cliffsides in attenuated grooves and ridges, or in unusual “fish scales”. And then we saw the glacier. The Dawes Glacier is like many tidewater glaciers in Alaska. A river of ice, it is so rent by crevasses that its top is a field of frozen pinnacles called seracs. But the Dawes is in catastrophic retreat, and so calves with unusual frequency. We boarded Zodiacs for an intimate view of the glacier, and saw tons of ice plunge into the sea, accompanied by the roar of “white thunder”. Even more impressive were silent submarine calvings, when deep blue bergs rose to the surface like huge whales. Some of us saw blue bergs “being born”, and then were later able to examine them up close. The bergs were dimpled like a flash-frozen choppy sea, and the color was pure sapphire.
Later in the day we took Zodiacs into Ford’s Terror. This intense fjord is guarded by a tight and shallow entrance. Tidal currents, racing through this constriction, create treacherous waves. Even in our powerful Zodiacs, we can enter Ford’s Terror only at slack tide, so a chance to see the place is a rare opportunity. Once inside, we again found the incomparable sculpture of granite and ice. Huge cliffs towered. Waterfalls were everywhere. Some were like slender threads, others tumbled like frothy highways. Delicate flowers clung to the bedrock walls, and deep green forests blanketed the gentler slopes.
Surrounded by such impressive beauty, we had time to reflect on our voyage. Southeast Alaska, with extraordinary landscapes, thrilling wildlife and rich culture, ever enthralls. How lucky we have been to experience it!
