Reid Harbor, Glacier Bay,Saturday June 15, 2024
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to this breathtaking beauty. We will keep the verbiage to a minimum and include pictures to tell the story. We left North Sandy Harbor this morning at 7:00 a.m.
This was Sandy Harbor at day-break this morning. We then cruised for roughly two hours looking for whales, birds, and bears. Unfortunately no bears so far. We went to Rendu Inlet (picture below) but were not able to enter. No motorized vessels are allowed into the inlet due to the instability of the glacier. OK, we get it. We will keep our distance.
The four hour cruise to Reid Harbor was smooth sailing with just a slight bit of chop. As we entered the harbor we were blown away. We were not expecting to be anchoring in front of a glacier.
And this was the picture from the stern of our boat. The water is this amazing green glacier hue. We took our dingy out for a spin to see the glacier up close and then to go ashore for a walk.
We are off to see another glacier tomorrow, returning to this harbor tomorrow. The entire trip was worth it just to experience this magical place. It’s like walking through the Alps only you are doing it from a boat.
Fabulous stuff!! I did notice your bear spray!! I got some for the first time this year as we will be going to Toba Wilderness and try to hike a bit if no recent sightings have been made.
Blessings and continued great weather! You deserve it after all the rain and cold!!
Dave, Yup I carry the bear spray every time we now go on land. So far we haven’t had to use it, but then again, so far we haven’t seen any bears:(. Everything else, in multitudes, but no bears.
WOW. Stunning! May you only see bears from your boat 🙂
Debbie, thanks. Glacier Bay is truly incredible. Very hard to explain but definitely not to miss if you can. I think you take off for your Alaska trip in a couple days, correct? Wishing you a great trip and lots of fun.
Wow, amazing scenery. Great shots. Glacier Bay is so breathtakingly beautiful.
Bears: when we’re in bear country, Alaska and parts of Canada, my “bear kit” includes: 1) Bear spray; 2) Whistle; 3) Bells (on my dog’s collar); and 4) a plastic grocery bag. Number 2 & 3 are to avoid surprising the bear, making noise. Bear spray is really a “last resort” when a confrontation is inevitable. But the plastic grocery bag is a worthy addition to the kit.
Yes, the plastic grocery bag was the advice from a friend who lives in Sitka. Her top choice is to carry a gun, as most Alaskans do. But you can’t bring a gun on a boat through Canadian Customs to get to Alaska (plus I don’t own a firearm). Bears typically shy away from what they are unfamiliar with. And to avoid getting so close that you need to use the bear spray, if you have an encounter, wave an empty plastic grocery bag in the air, high over your head. The bear won’t know comprehend what it is, so their instinct will be to retreat away.
Mark, Great advice. I knew all the items except for the grocery bag. I will remember that. Do you know if they prefer IGA, Safeway or are they more Trader Joe’s type bears? Ha ha.
Haha, I’ve not had the opportunity to “field test” different brands of grocery bags. But SAFE-WAY may be appropriate! Haha, small joke there!