Another glacier

We were woken at 7:30 am by an announcement that we were parked in front of a couple glaciers and would be sitting there for about 20 minutes. You have never seen us scramble to get dressed so fast. It was still snowing, and one of the crew told us they had to clear off at least six inches this morning.

Snow piled on kayaks as we leave the glaciers

Cool

After morning we reassembled in the lounge where a number of people – passengers and crew – worked to complete their booklets to earn their Junior Ranger badges, while our park ranger worked on a birthday card for her sister. Many crayons in evidence. Apparently there will be a graduation ceremony later. The activities on a small cruise ship are certainly different from the large ships.

Puzzlers in the lounge

During a geology lecture we heard about how the most recent volcanic eruption turned out to be some people burning a pile of rubber tires in a nearby crater. It just happened to be April 1. The lecture was finished with a special song by Ranger Tania about earthquakes (and more). Tania Lewis, Live at the Outpost, cdbaby website.

We overheard our ranger say she was disappointed that this time no one on the ship had asked what the elevation is here at Glacier Bay. Our guide Lauren mentioned that she has had people ask what keeps the islands from floating away.

Susie and Lauren getting their Jr. Ranger badges from Ranger Tania

The Junior Ranger ceremony was touching, and then we ate. After lunch we decided to go for a walk. Fortunately the ship pulled up to a dock and we were able to get off without getting wet. Our guides took us on a trail along a river. We got to poke at and try to guess the animal the produced a certain pile of poop, and kept our eyes out for the moose that had left hoof prints on the trail ahead of us. For good or bad, we never found the moose, even though Mike did sing his moose calling song, “hey moosey moose, won’t you come out to play, come out to play,…”.

Coming into the bay

Carving on tree

Whale

Longhouse

Moose tracks!

Trail

Small stuff

Shelf fungus

Forest gummies

After a wonderful dinner of lamb shank, and a dinner discussion of cannibis laws in various jurisdictions and stories related thereto, we retired to our room to write, and avoid the nature trivia game in the lounge, though we are still getting to listen in over the speaker in our room.

Uh oh, Mike just overstressed a button on his new hiking pants. Funny, those pants were fitting rather loosely only two weeks ago.