Glacier Bay

Looks like some cold kayaking!

Snow! The sunshine of the last few days was a distant memory as we woke to grey seas and skies and the precipitation was in the form of wet snow. We had picked up our National Park ranger and were heading into Glacier Bay. As we finished breakfast a group of several sea lions started playing right alongside the ship, seemingly showing off for us. We all headed up to the lounge in hopes of seeing more sea life. Having just finished breakfast, and with it snowing outside, no one had yet donned outer wear. We looked out the windows in time to see our sister ship, the Wilderness Adventurer, passing closely on our starboard side. They were all in their outdoor gear out on deck, waving at us. We were all standing inside looking at them through our steamy windows, thinking how warm we all were here on the Explorer. Okay, we were then all shamed into grabbing our outdoor gear and cameras.

Guides on deck

We soon passed by South Marble Island, which had many sea lions lounging upon it and oodles of birds perched on its steep cliffs. Next stop, Gloomy Knob, known for mountain goats.

LOTS of birds

And a very distant goat

Mike was the wise one and stayed in the room to work on editing the ridiculous number of photos that Tami had taken over the previous two days. Tami joined the crazies on the foredeck looking for wildlife. Stepping out on deck we were blasted by cold and snow, but all binoculars were focused on shore. Ben, one of the crew, got First Goat award when he finally spotted a goat perched on the ridge. Next, Tania, the ranger spotted a group on the cliff side but they were so obscured by the ‘blizzard’ that Tami never spotted them. But Megan, another crew member, got the Low Goat award when she spotted a goat lower down on the cliff. Tami’s fingers were so cold that she could barely feel the shutter, but she managed to get a picture then decided it was time for hot cocoa in the lounge. She asked the bartender for a slug of creme de menthe. No problem, perfect.

Stopped and looked at a glacier

Icy slush floating in the water

Man that looks cold out there!

How many layers can one wear and still a) get inside a kayak and b) still paddle? We pushed the envelope of layer physics in preparation for the afternoon kayak next to the glacier. The question du jour was “how many layers are you wearing?” Tami also noticed ice forming around the kayaks as they sat on the water waiting for us. Adventure!

Kayaking involved bundling

Sid and Mary

Us in front of the glacier

We launched into the frigid water with the snow falling heavily and the water completely calm. The melting snow thickened the water to the consistency of porridge and it felt thick against the paddle, yet we seemed to glide so effortlessly through the water. We were in a bowl of snow covered cliffs with the Reid Glacier poking through the end. A group of hikers from the ship were up on a cliff overlooking the water and called us over to see the snowman they built. It was quite impressive!

Hikers

Hikers’ snowperson

We spent some nice quiet time enjoying the sound of snow pattering onto the water and gulls crying in the distance. As we turned to return to the ship, which was completely obscured from view by the snow. We could hear raucous laughter coming from the direction of the ship. It was too early for the upcoming polar plunge, so Ben, our guide, checked by radio to see what was happening. The reply was a very suspicious sounding “nothing”. All was revealed as we approached the fantail and a barrage of snowballs targeted Ben in his kayak. The crew are certainly enjoying their first experience of Glacier Bay as much as we are!

Heading back to the ship

Post-kayak, we sit in the lounge watching the snow accumulate on the decks and listening to Tania, our ranger, play the ukulele and sing songs. We are warm and happy, having just had a most amazing kayak paddle in the snow.

We chose NOT to participate in the polar plunge, though our friends Susie and Sid did. Many of the crew also did it. The water with the ice and slush floating in it looked VERY cold. Sid did mention that after he got out, the air actually felt warm. We had wondered why they were not rushing indoors to get dry clothes on!