This morning dawned cool and damp as we made our way up Stephens Passage and down Endicott Arm towards Ford's Terror wilderness. This morning's adventure was retracing John Muir's steps through Ford's Terror and deep into the wilderness fjord whose geology helped Muir to better understand the formation of Yosemite Valley. Understanding that there is something in a name, several of our guests asked how this particular piece of geography got its name, but over a breakfast of eggs Benedict, scant reassurance was to be had from those who had previously entered this storied land. However, the answer to that query was not to be put off, and as we boarded our expedition landing craft to get a duck's-eye-view of this unique and wonderful landscape I assured our guests that we were in no danger whatsoever.
The "Terror" is a set of tidal rapids that guard the entrance to this fjord, making it only accessible during high slack tides. Under these conditions the "Terror" is greatly diminished, but still, not to be taken lightly. A current of five or six knots ripped over the bar at the entrance and quickly whisked us into a wonderland of high, glacially-carved cliffs and storybook waterfalls. Around every corner new vistas opened that rivaled the magnificence of those that came before causing us to nearly forget the abundance of liquid sunshine that was our occasional companion.
A hot lunch of Michelle's chili washed away the last of the chills, but the memories will no doubt last forever.
