As we woke up on our first morning in Southeast Alaska, we found ourselves shrouded in fog, with dark mountains fading up into the clouds. It was quiet as the occasional piece of ice floated by, and the ethereal mood of the morning mists compelled us all to come out and visit the bow. Waterfalls wandered down the mountains, and the number of ice pieces floating by increased.
By afternoon we found ourselves surrounded by icebergs, bergy bits, and growlers. Our first excursion of the trip took us out into the garden of ice. We explored the fjord via our Zodiacs, and everyone marveled at the stunning shapes nature had carved the ice into. Vikings briefly invaded our craft, but they provided warm libations, so it was a welcome encounter in the end! With much remorse, we finished our exploration of the ice and returned to the National Geographic Venture. Our first taste of the wild places that are found in Alaska had us eager for more. We are excited to get back out there tomorrow!
