Pacific NW

Expeditions

After eating yet another fantastic breakfast of bacon and eggs, Ryan and I watched to kayakers scare a big black bear out of their campsite. I must admit that it was enjoyable watching the whole scenario from the comfort and safety of Silent Partner. Shortly afterwards we motored over to the Aialik glacier and saw two Humpback whales en route. Nothing except shrubby willows and alder trees grow on the soaring peaks here. Waterfalls and snowfields punctuate the almost-tropical spring green-ness of the vegetation. Black craggy peaks, emerald glaciers everywhere, and a lazy yet threatening ocean swell rolls up the silvery blue waters of the fjord. Ryan had great beginner’s luck at the glacier–it put on a spectacular show. Hour after hour we drifted at the face as massive seracs and blocks thundered into the sea. Later on we made our way out to Taz Basin on Granite Island. En route we encountered another humpback and many spectacular sea arches. The coast here is simply amazing. If it were in a more accessible and populated part of the world it would be the crown jewel of known wilderness areas. The waters of Taz Basin were extremely calm this evening. We are in a small basin of water completely surrounded by towering vertical cliffs 1500 feet tall, and the entrance to the basin is through a notch only a few yards across with a rock in the middle. We cooked up the last of our halibut and explored the perimeter of the basin in the evening.