Tracy Arm
Ice carved the world we explored today.
Tracy Arm is a breathtaking 32-mile long fjord which ends in a ‘Y’ with tidewater glaciers at the end of each branch. Nearly every rock surface we saw was smoothed by mammoth glaciers. Even now, fresh, bare rock is being uncovered by retreating ice; just one year ago, South Sawyer glacier retreated 1500 feet! Those bare, newly revealed mountainsides will likely be covered by spruce-hemlock rainforest in 200 years.
Before breakfast Captain Kalbach inched the ship to within a meter or two of ‘Hole in the Wall’ waterfall. A torrent of white water rushed down smooth rock, and a cold mist of water dampened some of us on the bow. Clouds thinned just enough to reveal a high dome of granitic rock looming above. As we continued up the fjord, we saw many more waterfalls: many were tall and threadlike, while some at sea level gushed with great force.
Sea Bird moved in close to the face of Sawyer Glacier. The blues of the glacier’s face were intense. Around us icebergs floated in cloudy water, and the small chunks of ice gently tapped the ship’s metal hull. Later, we chose either kayaks or Zodiacs for more intimate views of the fjord and its ice.
One feels very tiny sitting in a kayak alongside ice the size of automobiles, with 3000 foot mountains on all sides.
In sturdy Zodiacs we could gently push aside the dense ice and nudge our way ahead to get views of South Sawyer Glacier. The ice was thick, and currents were constantly moving around the puzzle pieces of icebergs and bergy bits. We were in the midst of a frozen, blue and white, floating sculpture park. Looking at the ice shapes was reminiscent of looking at clouds: this one looked like a dragon, that one was a duck, or was it a sea horse? Now and then we heard the thunderous rumble of an iceberg calving from the glacier. The Tlingit word for the sound is, which means ‘white thunder.’
Before Sea Bird left the inner fjord, two wilderness rangers came aboard with their kayaks. Tim Lydon and Kevin Hood are rangers for the Fords Terror - Tracy Arm Wilderness Area. As they spoke to us about their unusual jobs, the ship headed to the mouth of the fjord, where the terminal moraine, or ‘bar,’ is located. This is where they got back into their kayaks and paddled to the small island which serves as their base camp - a stone’s throw from humpback whales, brown bears, and eagles.
When we gathered in the lounge for Captain’s farewell cocktails, the microphone was passed around for people to share their memories of personal highlights from this wonderful week.
Ice carved the world we explored today.
Tracy Arm is a breathtaking 32-mile long fjord which ends in a ‘Y’ with tidewater glaciers at the end of each branch. Nearly every rock surface we saw was smoothed by mammoth glaciers. Even now, fresh, bare rock is being uncovered by retreating ice; just one year ago, South Sawyer glacier retreated 1500 feet! Those bare, newly revealed mountainsides will likely be covered by spruce-hemlock rainforest in 200 years.
Before breakfast Captain Kalbach inched the ship to within a meter or two of ‘Hole in the Wall’ waterfall. A torrent of white water rushed down smooth rock, and a cold mist of water dampened some of us on the bow. Clouds thinned just enough to reveal a high dome of granitic rock looming above. As we continued up the fjord, we saw many more waterfalls: many were tall and threadlike, while some at sea level gushed with great force.
Sea Bird moved in close to the face of Sawyer Glacier. The blues of the glacier’s face were intense. Around us icebergs floated in cloudy water, and the small chunks of ice gently tapped the ship’s metal hull. Later, we chose either kayaks or Zodiacs for more intimate views of the fjord and its ice.
One feels very tiny sitting in a kayak alongside ice the size of automobiles, with 3000 foot mountains on all sides.
In sturdy Zodiacs we could gently push aside the dense ice and nudge our way ahead to get views of South Sawyer Glacier. The ice was thick, and currents were constantly moving around the puzzle pieces of icebergs and bergy bits. We were in the midst of a frozen, blue and white, floating sculpture park. Looking at the ice shapes was reminiscent of looking at clouds: this one looked like a dragon, that one was a duck, or was it a sea horse? Now and then we heard the thunderous rumble of an iceberg calving from the glacier. The Tlingit word for the sound is
Before Sea Bird left the inner fjord, two wilderness rangers came aboard with their kayaks. Tim Lydon and Kevin Hood are rangers for the Fords Terror - Tracy Arm Wilderness Area. As they spoke to us about their unusual jobs, the ship headed to the mouth of the fjord, where the terminal moraine, or ‘bar,’ is located. This is where they got back into their kayaks and paddled to the small island which serves as their base camp - a stone’s throw from humpback whales, brown bears, and eagles.
When we gathered in the lounge for Captain’s farewell cocktails, the microphone was passed around for people to share their memories of personal highlights from this wonderful week.
