Inside Passage, Part 2: Skagway, Glacier Bay

Skagway was the third stop on our cruise. It is the northern most point on the strait leading up the coast. When we left we had to cruise back south toward Juneau because the strait narrows and isn't big enough to accommodate the ship.

Skagway was a Goldrush Town. It was the smallest town we visited, but my favorite so far. Juneau was certainly the largest town we visited. Skagway, by comparison, was only a few streets in any direction. It is just a short walk from the ship, to the town, and through the shopping district to the residences on the outskirts of town. It was the first port we stopped at where the dock wasn't right on main street.

The big excursion at Skagway is to take the train up to White Pass and into the Yukon. We opted not to do that this time, but it looked like a great tour.

The trains were lined up

 and so were the people.

We chose not to do any particular tours while here, and I was glad we had made that decision. I was able to enjoy the town, do some shopping and just absorb the atmosphere. I’m not a big shopper. On a trip like this I prefer finding small shops that sell locally produced items. The small towns are often the best type for finding unusual or locally made objects. I'm always drawn to locally made jewelry so earrings and necklaces that are hanging on a simple card with a price marked on the back attracts me more than those with a slick packaging, or a name followed by Ltd, or Inc. It’s not a very scientific, or even informed way of shopping but I feel my money is going to a real person. 

The weather, once again, was beautiful. I hesitate to tell anyone how great it has been because it is such an anomaly. If you plan on coming to Alaska, bring your fleece wear, a waterproof/resistant jacket, preferably with light lining, an umbrella, and your sunglasses! You can always take a coat off, but when the sun is out it is bright!

An indication of life in a small town… while Larry was sitting on this bench, a couple walked up, tied their dog to the bench and walked off to do some shopping. He was quite content to let passersby pet him while he kept an eye on the comings and goings around town. There is a plaque on the bench that says "Joel's Bench" but we were told that's not because the dog is Joel! He just likes to hang by that bench and people watch while his people shop.

After shopping, I took the opportunity to walk around town. This local museum sat at the edge of town.

Being a fan of libraries this one caught my eye. It looks quite nice for a small community. I've seen larger towns with much smaller libraries. I wonder if they have inter-library loans? It may not be as accessible as mainland towns, but with the advantage of small airplanes, "ILL's" may be quite popular. However, I didn't stop in to ask.

This was apparently the local swimming hole as a sign nearby told visitors they could swim at their own risk but no lifeguard was present. It was a pretty stream and this spot was at the end of a rapids. The water was swift, but not horribly cold. It would be a lovely place to take a dip in the summer. The fencing you see in the background has to do with a fishery.

I mentioned earlier that Skagway was originally a gold rush town. The only route was over the mountains or up the coast.

This photo is of miners and excavators as they came into Skagway. The route was called the Golden Stairs. 

I call it " OMG! Are you Kidding Me????!!!"

Day 5 of our cruise was into Glacier Bay National Park. Truly, I'd never heard of it, and I hadn't paid much attention to it as a listed spot on our itinerary. I assumed we would be cruising by a lot of glaciers as we continued our trip. I was wrong. Glacier Bay was my surprise treat. By the end of the day I was humbled. It is hard to put into words how this area affected me. Sometimes when you aren't expecting something, the world rises up in front of you and says, "Whoa! I AM HERE! Look at me." And look I did. By the end of the day, I felt I had been to the end of the earth and was in virgin, unexplored territory.

The skies were cloudless. The sun was warm. Bad news for glaciers. Great news for us. Glacier Bay is a national park that is accessible only by boat.

A park ranger came on board and offered insights into the formation, and the uniqueness of the area. The glaciers in the bay were actually formed recently, in the 1800’s and they are receding. As they do, they offer scientists a unique look at how life moves into a newly revealed landscape. Since the glaciers, people have never walked in this region, and no plants have been introduced. Everything is native, and virgin. It is a classroom for scientists who want to see how life begins in an area where it seems to be non-existent. What plants come first? What is the process by which plant and animal life is introduced? Very interesting to think about and a perfect way to study it. "Glacier Bay is a homeland, a living laboratory, a national park, a designated wilderness, a biosphere reserve, and a world heritage site." I felt like I was in the Land Before Time.

We cruised 65 miles into the bay to the edge of land, and to the beautiful Margerie Glacier. The captain held the ship in place and did a 360 turn a couple of times giving everyone a real chance to view and photograph the glacier, and any calving that took place. It was awesome! For over an hour we stayed in place and just rotated.

River of Ice

Glacier at the Water's Edge

The Bowls Carved Out by a Frozen River and Time

The Rugged Landscape and again A Clear Blue Sky!

Notice how still the water is even though this huge ship has been turning here for an hour. I'm not proficient on boat dynamics, but I think it is remarkable that there are no waves which will certainly have an effect on land at the water's edge.

Margerie Glacier is located at the edge of the bay, on the mainland. 200 years ago this was all ice. Finally, we left the glacier and headed back out of the bay, 

but we stopped at another unique glacier, The John Hopkins Glacier. 

The Johns Hopkins Glacier is actually a growing glacier. For this reason, we were restricted from getting any closer than this to it. I couldn't get a clear view of it, so this photo is taken through a window.

At the end of the day we said goodbye to the rangers who had joined us on board, and our ship turned into its new heading across the Gulf of Alaska to Seward.

I really loved this day at sea. I kept wanting to pinch myself that I was on this cruise and seeing these places. The cruise had been wonderful and we still had a week to go. We had one more day at sea and then we would begin the land tour. At one point I found myself completely overwhelmed by everything….the life I’ve lived, the places I’ve been, and the sights I’ve seen.

How amazing, this world is. Awesome. And that’s not hyperbole.