Tracy Arm
We awoke this morning surrounded by extraordinary scenery. Great cliffs towered around us. Swathes of cloud, like pulled cotton, accentuated the topography of rounded mountains. Tracy Arm, carved by glaciers, is steeper than any Alaskan landscape we have seen. This is because the bedrock around it is granite and related rocks, which are harder than most in Alaska, and so attain the most dramatic forms.
It was clear that we were in tidewater glacier country. The water was a milky jade color, and bergs became increasingly numerous. At last we found bergs of remarkable size and color. Sawyer and South Sawyer Glaciers are in catastrophic retreat. Thus, they regularly calve bergs from below. The ice here, under pressure, is a deep blue color and, flexible, never develops crevasses.
We dropped Zodiacs to take a closer look at the ice. We found bergs of every size, big as a fist or big as a ship. As bergs melt, they roll and melt again, and come to resemble castles, ramparts, swans or whales. And they come in every shade, from diamond to pearl to sapphire. Harbor seals haul out on bergs, and we found many. Though wary on ice, they are surprisingly curious when in the water and often approached us. At last we neared the South Sawyer Glacier. The face of this glacier is a precipitous as Margerie, but is far bluer. Watching, we saw several impressive calvings. The waves they made, though great, gave scale to the landscape. By the time they reached our boats, they were gentle steady swells.
In the afternoon, we were back in the mid-reaches of Tracy Arm. The conditions were ideal, so we decided to paddle kayaks around icebergs. The scenery was stunning, the sun bright, the bergs picturesque. To enjoy all of this from the quiet of kayaks was a serene and beautiful way to conclude our exploration of Southeast Alaska.
