At the crack of dawn – which comes mighty early this time of year – we crossed the bar and entered Tracy Arm. All of southeastern Alaska is fjord-rent, but here, working in granite, glaciers have carved particularly impressive scenery.
By breakfast the water was cloudy and ice-choked. Hopping into our rubber boats, we headed for the South Sawyer Glacier. Icebergs surrounded us. Some were fist-sized, others were much bigger than our ship. The mind’s eye found swans, serpents, ramparts and mountain ranges. Colors ran from dirty white to glowing sapphire. Harbor seals, rather more prosaic in attitude, see icebergs merely as a convenient place to rest. When the water gets too chilly, what could be better than a cozy block of ice? Seals come here to haul out in safety while they give birth and shed their hair coats. We gave them a wide berth so that they could relax in peace.
South Sawyer Glacier is impressive. It tumbles out of the mountains in a jagged frozen cascade, ending in a blue wall that stands 150 feet above salt water. We floated in front of the glacier for quite a while, and we were able to see a few calvings. It was exciting to sit in expectation of the rumble and splash of a nascent berg.
In the afternoon we motored back down Tracy Arm. Great cliffs soared above us, their walls deeply gouged by the glacier’s stony belly. Step terrain and a watery climate make for many a fine waterfall. Our captain nosed the ship right into one so we felt like ouzels, surrounded by the gush and tumble.
Later in the afternoon we stopped at William’s Cove. Here, forests are old enough to be “standard” for Southeast Alaska. Walking ashore we found familiar spruce, hemlock, and alder. We also met chocolate lily, frilly lichens and squirrel middens. Some swam through brush to reach an elevated muskeg, others paddled about the gentle waters of the cove, admiring ducks and savoring quietude.
Alaska is full of splendor; it can be seen in grandiose vistas or intimate detail. Our pleasure, today, was to find some of splendor’s infinite variety.
