The Russell Island anchorage was a lovely night. When the tide dropped, we were able to see just how protected we were. Land blocked nearly the whole passage between Russell Island and the little island we were next to, so it was nice and calm, if a bit creepy being within 50 feet of land on three sides at low tide! It was calm and quiet, allowing for another night of good sleep.
Next morning, Joe and I studied the chart. Our permit was more than halfway done and we needed to start planning on an exit strategy. We still hadn't taken Kyrie to a tidewater glacier and that was high on the list. A decision had to be made. We could follow the cruise ships and go into Tarr Inlet to see the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. We could head up toward Johns Hopkins Inlet to see Lamplugh Glacier and then hope the inlet wasn't so ice-choked that we couldn't at least get part way in to see some of the other glaciers. Looking at the distances and knowing there weren't any good anchorages up either inlet, the closer inlet won out. Tarr Inlet it would be.
I made apricot-date muffins while Joe motored us up through the Russell Island Passage and into Tarr Inlet. The Ruby Princess was already in, approaching the Margerie, and the Nieuw Amsterdam was approaching the inlet. Binoculars came out and it was time to play "Dodge the bergs." It wasn't too bad, although it looked like it could be! There were mostly a lot of little bergs, but by staying on the east side of the inlet, near the beach, we were able to avoid the majority of the obstacles, including cruise ships! There was a lot of idling the engine and coasting through some of the thicker fields. There was a bit of a contest with the kids to see what shapes we could make out in the ice, such as a moose, a sombrero, a helicopter, and a penguin! At last, we settled on turning off the engine about a mile away from the Margerie Glacier. It would have been lovely to get even closer, but peering through the binoculars showed a pretty thick field of big-looking bergs--not a good idea to take a fiberglass boat through that. So, we contented ourselves with where we were.
Margerie Glacier is touted as a postcard glacier and, even at that distance and on a cloudy day, I could see why. It has the jagged face that comes right down to the water, about half a mile wide. As we sat bundled up on the bow, we heard a crack and a rumble. Unfortunately, if the glacier did calve then, we weren't able to see the splash. It was still a beautiful sight to see. The Grand Pacific Glacier is a different story. Two miles wide at its face, it is difficult to tell you're looking at a glacier because of how much rock it has gathered up over the years. Some ice still shows through the "grime," though, reminding viewers that this was the main glacier to have carved out Glacier Bay nearly three hundred years ago. At 35 miles long, it has its start in Canada, and looking at it, it's hard to believe you're viewing the remains of a river of ice that used to extend all the way out into Icy Strait.
With the tides in mind, we only stopped in Tarr Inlet for about an hour before turning around and negotiating our way out. We briefly considered going to check out Lamplugh, but through the binoculars, it looked pretty berg-y. Deciding we would have had our fill of dodging bergs after getting out of Tarr, Joe and I agreed to thread our way back into the Russell Island Passage through considerably more bitty bergs than we dealt with on our way in, and make our way back to Geikie Inlet. The description in Exploring Southeast Alaska sounded lovely.
We at last motored into Shag Cove around 4:30. Right away, we could tell it would be a nice place to anchor. Marble Mountain rises straight up between the cove and the outside waters of the bay. An island blocks most of the entrance, making Shag Cove a nearly-landlocked anchorage. It took us about half an hour to get to the head of the cove and finally anchor in about 75 feet of water. We were there at high tide and it looked to be a steep beach. It also looked like a good place for bears to come out of the woods, so we decided not to go to the beach. Joe did, however, spot mountain goats on the cliff of Marble Mountain. The kids all got the chance to marvel through the binoculars at the sure-footed creatures.
This morning, a wolf appeared on the beach, much to our delight. While Levi, Rachael and I watched, the wolf ran through the creek and came up with a fish in its mouth--not something I've thought about wolves doing. It soon disappeared back into the woods and it was time to get going again.
Our destination wasn't far--the South Arm of Fingers Bay is only about an hour and a half away as Kyrie cruises. Now, at 2:00, we've been anchored in the Southeast Bight for close to an hour. The wind, which was supposed to be only about 10 knots, is kicking up again to 15-20. We're tucked up pretty close to the beach this time, but hopefully we won't see winds like a few days ago! We need to leave the park tomorrow and I don't want to get stuck again!
No comments:
Post a Comment