Tracy Arm & William’s Cove
Magical mist hung from the sheer cliffs of Tracy Arm this morning as the National Geographic Sea Bird wriggled her way through a puzzle of floating ice. Bundled up bodies boarded the Zodiacs to go even deeper into the fiord to investigate the substantial size of Sawyer Glacier and the sculptures of floating ice that had fallen from it. Closer to the face of the glacier we were able to hear cracking followed by some fantastic calving and dramatic ice splashes. Pigeon guillemots and Arctic terns hovered above the water as harbor seals popped up for a curious look.
As we made our way out of the fjord there were cascades of water at every turn. Glacial striations and hanging valleys showed evidence that the glacier had been here before us. As we continued we saw an amazing example of plant succession as the mosses gave way to bushes then spruce and hemlock trees and eventually to mature forest.
This afternoon we went ashore at William’s Cove. Out on the water, the kayakers circled a huge iceberg on the way to a waterfall across the bay. The rain and sun played tag throughout the afternoon.
This is an amazing place for our first adventure in the rainforest of Tongass National Forest. Hikers learned the differences between towering spruce and hemlock trees as they walked over the spongy ground cover. Ferns, huge skunk cabbage and thorny devil’s club surrounded the trail. Delicate shy maidens, chocolate lilies and pink dwarf nagoon berries brought hints of color to the forest saturated in so many shades of green. It was beautiful first day here in Southeast Alaska.
Magical mist hung from the sheer cliffs of Tracy Arm this morning as the National Geographic Sea Bird wriggled her way through a puzzle of floating ice. Bundled up bodies boarded the Zodiacs to go even deeper into the fiord to investigate the substantial size of Sawyer Glacier and the sculptures of floating ice that had fallen from it. Closer to the face of the glacier we were able to hear cracking followed by some fantastic calving and dramatic ice splashes. Pigeon guillemots and Arctic terns hovered above the water as harbor seals popped up for a curious look.
As we made our way out of the fjord there were cascades of water at every turn. Glacial striations and hanging valleys showed evidence that the glacier had been here before us. As we continued we saw an amazing example of plant succession as the mosses gave way to bushes then spruce and hemlock trees and eventually to mature forest.
This afternoon we went ashore at William’s Cove. Out on the water, the kayakers circled a huge iceberg on the way to a waterfall across the bay. The rain and sun played tag throughout the afternoon.
This is an amazing place for our first adventure in the rainforest of Tongass National Forest. Hikers learned the differences between towering spruce and hemlock trees as they walked over the spongy ground cover. Ferns, huge skunk cabbage and thorny devil’s club surrounded the trail. Delicate shy maidens, chocolate lilies and pink dwarf nagoon berries brought hints of color to the forest saturated in so many shades of green. It was beautiful first day here in Southeast Alaska.
