Pacific NW

Expeditions

Several sea urchins clung to the anchor rode as I pulled it up in the chilly morning. Everywhere in the ragged clouds above lurked the massive and towering glaciers that spill forth from almost every mountain valley here. Justin was snug in his berth, waking up slowly and pleasantly on this peaceful morning. I was totally content at the helm, enjoying the glaciers in the morning light and weaving the boat through a thin field of icebergs and brash ice. As Justin woke he began to clatter around in the the galley for an hour or so. By the time we arrived to the face of the “Surprise Glacier” (an active tidewater glacier) I was handed a steaming plate of a delicious egg breakfast. We dined in the cockpit and enjoyed watching the blue towers of ice collapse directly in front of us. We were lodged in a thick pack of ice, and drifting amongst large rafts of sea otters and seals. Occasionally a curious seal will swim near the boat, its face emerging through the piles of chipped ice that clog this part of the ice pack. When we made a sudden movement their eyes would get really wide and with a snort they kerplunk their heads back under the ice and disappear. With several percussive cracks a giant arch of blue ice crumbled into the deep waters below. The wave it sent forth rocked the boat in such a way as to land Justin’s eggs on the floor, sunny side down where they slowly made their way to the bilge. We remained at the glacier until 1400 hours, and then set out into Prince William Sound. We did a long-haul run all the way to Glacier Island, in the top and middle of the Sound. As we motored through narrow Ester Passage salmon leapt into the air all around the boat. We tried trolling, unsuccessfully. After that it began to rain with a brisk east wind on our nose. Dusk began early because of the already dark clouds and rain, and nervousness crept in with it. We were navigating through a channel several miles wide that had many icebergs in it. With a low sky and limited visibility our world became a gray and wet one. The stark contrast of the bright white and blues of the icebergs against the gray sky and black water was absolutely amazing. Finally we entered Elder Bay, on Glacier Island. On our way in we spotted a resort on the beach. Closer inspection revealed that the resort may be abandoned! Our spirits are soaring at the potential for exploration it offers. For the meanwhile, we are snugly anchored inside the bay. Several large icebergs the size of semi trucks are drifting about, but the water is calm. We warmed up by the woodstove and cooked a big skillet of fried rice over its fire. It was a long day today, and I am feeling good about the distance we covered.