Tracy Arm – Ford’s Terror Wilderness
Peeking out the window at 5 a.m., early risers were treated to bright clear skies and blazing Alaskan sunshine as we crossed the “bar” and began our journey up Endicott Arm. The steep walls of this glacially carved fjord gleamed in the lovely morning light, revealing crescent shaped scour marks and fragrant goatsbeard in bloom. After a quick peek into the narrow tidal channel at Ford’s Terror, we continued to the face of Dawes Glacier. Zodiacs were lowered for our morning ice explorations, as the Sea Lion hove to in waters too deep for anchoring. Out in the small boats, the immensity of the glacier and the vastness of this wild land were truly awe inspiring. We saw harbor seals with very young pups, bald eagles overhead, arctic terns catching tiny silvery fish and the spectacular calving of this very active glacier.
We left the Zodiacs reluctantly, but anticipation of our exploration of Tracy Arm made the return to Sea Lion bearable. Our entire afternoon was spent on deck, soaking up the splendid scenery and discussing the formidable forces that sculpted this landscape. At one point, we caught a brief look at four brown bears loping through a beachside meadow. By late afternoon we’d arrived at the ice-choked end of the fjord to get distant views of the Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers, while sipping farewell cocktails on deck. Everyone agreed that this day was a phenomenal end to our voyage through Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage.
Peeking out the window at 5 a.m., early risers were treated to bright clear skies and blazing Alaskan sunshine as we crossed the “bar” and began our journey up Endicott Arm. The steep walls of this glacially carved fjord gleamed in the lovely morning light, revealing crescent shaped scour marks and fragrant goatsbeard in bloom. After a quick peek into the narrow tidal channel at Ford’s Terror, we continued to the face of Dawes Glacier. Zodiacs were lowered for our morning ice explorations, as the Sea Lion hove to in waters too deep for anchoring. Out in the small boats, the immensity of the glacier and the vastness of this wild land were truly awe inspiring. We saw harbor seals with very young pups, bald eagles overhead, arctic terns catching tiny silvery fish and the spectacular calving of this very active glacier.
We left the Zodiacs reluctantly, but anticipation of our exploration of Tracy Arm made the return to Sea Lion bearable. Our entire afternoon was spent on deck, soaking up the splendid scenery and discussing the formidable forces that sculpted this landscape. At one point, we caught a brief look at four brown bears loping through a beachside meadow. By late afternoon we’d arrived at the ice-choked end of the fjord to get distant views of the Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers, while sipping farewell cocktails on deck. Everyone agreed that this day was a phenomenal end to our voyage through Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage.
