Welcome to Glacier Bay National Park
The sun was warming the sky long before the clouds in our coffee were stirring.
Thousands of years ago one massive glacier, The Grand Pacific Glacier, swept across this vast area – altering the landscape for thousands of years. As the glacier melted back it revealed hundreds of smaller glaciers and created what is now Glacier Bay National Park.
Today would be one of exploration and discovery into the past.
In 1879 Naturalist John Muir, escorted by the Tlingit Indians, paddled in wooden-dugout canoes to view glimpses into the Tlingit ancestral home. Today the Sea Bird charted a course beyond those areas, which were completely covered by ice during John Muir’s exploration. Our escort would not be a Tlingit Indian, but someone who truly serves to protect and preserve this majestic landscape, Jessica Tipkemper representing the National Park Service.
Just after 6:00 am we slipped the lines from Bartlett Cove, underway with anticipation for what the day might unfold. It wasn’t long before we were greeted by hundreds of curious faces, enticing us for a closer look at the inquisitive and playful sea otters of Glacier Bay. A small time later, naturalists spotted mountain goats carefully navigating their own trails among the steep peaks towering above us.
Yet, all good things must make way for something more decadent. Brunch was being served: a lavish buffet of homemade chocolate truffles, warm breads, and the highlight: eggs-benedict, with either Canadian bacon, local salmon – or both!
The engines slowed once more, white thunder cracked in the distance. Margerie Glacier was coming into view. The air turned crisp & cool. The two-hundred-fifty-foot wall of ice seemed to grow up the mountain, or were we shrinking in its presence. With one small stretch forward, she could drop ice chunks the size of Volkswagons. We could have spent the day basking before her, waiting and watching. As we turned to leave, we enjoyed one last smile as the sun danced gracefully on the jagged-tipped frosting.
While cruising for the remainder of the afternoon, we revisited Barlett Cove for after dinner walks among a young (200year-old) forest. As the Alaskan sun slowly melted into liquid gold, we gratefully yawned, climbed into our beds, slipped under the covers, clouds of kittiwakes & puffins floating into our slumber.
The sun was warming the sky long before the clouds in our coffee were stirring.
Thousands of years ago one massive glacier, The Grand Pacific Glacier, swept across this vast area – altering the landscape for thousands of years. As the glacier melted back it revealed hundreds of smaller glaciers and created what is now Glacier Bay National Park.
Today would be one of exploration and discovery into the past.
In 1879 Naturalist John Muir, escorted by the Tlingit Indians, paddled in wooden-dugout canoes to view glimpses into the Tlingit ancestral home. Today the Sea Bird charted a course beyond those areas, which were completely covered by ice during John Muir’s exploration. Our escort would not be a Tlingit Indian, but someone who truly serves to protect and preserve this majestic landscape, Jessica Tipkemper representing the National Park Service.
Just after 6:00 am we slipped the lines from Bartlett Cove, underway with anticipation for what the day might unfold. It wasn’t long before we were greeted by hundreds of curious faces, enticing us for a closer look at the inquisitive and playful sea otters of Glacier Bay. A small time later, naturalists spotted mountain goats carefully navigating their own trails among the steep peaks towering above us.
Yet, all good things must make way for something more decadent. Brunch was being served: a lavish buffet of homemade chocolate truffles, warm breads, and the highlight: eggs-benedict, with either Canadian bacon, local salmon – or both!
The engines slowed once more, white thunder cracked in the distance. Margerie Glacier was coming into view. The air turned crisp & cool. The two-hundred-fifty-foot wall of ice seemed to grow up the mountain, or were we shrinking in its presence. With one small stretch forward, she could drop ice chunks the size of Volkswagons. We could have spent the day basking before her, waiting and watching. As we turned to leave, we enjoyed one last smile as the sun danced gracefully on the jagged-tipped frosting.
While cruising for the remainder of the afternoon, we revisited Barlett Cove for after dinner walks among a young (200year-old) forest. As the Alaskan sun slowly melted into liquid gold, we gratefully yawned, climbed into our beds, slipped under the covers, clouds of kittiwakes & puffins floating into our slumber.
