Pacific NW

Expeditions

We passed by a Humpback whale feeding at the entrance of Taz Basin as we made our way to Northwestern Fjord. The head of the Fjord is magnificent! Dozens of glaciers hung from the mountains, several of which ended in the tidewater. We watched Northwestern glacier calve huge blocks of ice for six hours. Way beyond description. The glaciers were incredibly steep and unstable. We watched huge blocks of ice fall from 3,000 feet above us. They would shatter into millions of pieces, creating “waterfalls” of ice. There were many seal pups at the base of the glacier, floating on the icebergs. They look like they have mohawks on their backs at this age. Four major calving events of the glacier stand out in my mind. We were very close to enormous proportions of the glacier face cracking off. It was incredible being that close to such great and destructive forces. Even my own memory of the event could not suffice for a complete description of the experience, for it can not contain the adrenaline rush one feels in such situations. We were being safe and sensible, yet walking the edge of the fence with wild Mother Nature. In the afternoon it began to rain. We anchored in a small bight surrounded by thickets of alder and willow, built a fire and passed the rest of the day’s hours reading, cooking, and listening to music.