The Cruise West Spirit of Yorktown picked up a Glacier Bay Park Ranger and a local Tlingit cultural interpreter early in the morning at the Bartlett Cove station. As we sailed into the park, the ranger explained that in the year 1800, the ice reached to within 5 miles of Bartlett Cove; today it is more than 55 miles away, having gradually receded over the past 200+ years.
We passed by the Marble Rocks, which were covered with sunning Stellar sea lions and by cliffs with several mountain goats picking their way across the steep face. When I wondered how the goats kept their footing, the guide explained that gravity was the worst enemy of goats! Truly, only the strong (and most sure-footed) survive. The wildlife highlight of the day was a momma Alaskan brown bear and her two cubs. The captain pulled the ship close to the shore and we silently watched the animals feeding and playing for about 30 minutes. What a memorable moment on our small ship!
As we sailed further into the bay, it became cooler and we could see glaciers and snow-capped mountains all around. Even the Fairweather Mountains, the tallest mountains in Canada, were visible. Sailing up the bay, we could see glaciers and glacial valleys all along the coast. At the end of the bay, we stopped for a while near the Marjerie and Grand Pacific glaciers before sailing back towards the entrance to Glacier Bay. The park ranger and Tlingit cultural interpreter spent the day explaining much of the historical and geological events of Glacier Bay. As we neared the end of a wonderful day in Glacier Bay, we talked about our expectations for the next day--cruising through the narrow Peril Strait and fishing in Sitka.
