Playing Dodgeberg

We had a bit of sunshine this morning, well at least what passes for sunshine up here.   A peek of sun though the clouds is a big win!

Today's viewing was of more glaciers.   We started out with my favorite breakfast (how am I supposed to lose weight and lean-up, if I'm always eating?).    Don't answer that.

Anchor's up 0854 and we were underway to the Lamplugh glacier that we briefly viewed yesterday.   The seas were flat, calm, and bergy.   So, we decided to continue up Johns Hopkins Inlet to see the big Johns Hopkins glacier at the head of the bay.  The Johns Hopkins glacier is a very large tidewater glacier that is aggressively calving.   In the picture to the right, we are still two miles away from the glacier face.

There were icebergs, bergy bits, and berglettes everywhere.  The water temperature dropped to 37 degrees which gives the bergs some real lasting power.

Another hour of picking our way through the ice floes and we were able to finally get to within a mile and a quarter.    Even at that distance, the glacier it enormous and impossible to capture with my limited photography skills.

That little berg in the picture to the left might not look like much, but it was close to the size of a Mini Cooper.   Something that size would take out a stabilizer fin, propeller, or my rudder right off.  We don't want that, because I don't want to swim in 37-degree water.

This one, to the right, was the size of a school bus.   Definitely don't want to hit this one!   The blue and white hues are so awesome.   These just glow with the slightest sunlight on them.

As you may notice, some of parts of the glaciers are very dark.  This is due primarily to the sediments (rock) that have been ground and imbedded into the ice.   As the glaciers move down the slope and carve their "U"-shaped valleys, they scrape off the sediments into lines parallel to their direction of movement.  These lines are called lateral moraines.  We passed a number of bergs that actually had rocks and even a few boulders on them.

I drove us into the glacier and then I had a couple of business meetings, so I turned to Karen and asked her to figure out how to drive us out of here!   She did great.   No problem.

We have been primarily in the western areas of Glacier Bay.  Tonight's designated anchorage is N. Sandy Cove in the eastern part of the park, 54 miles away.   Enroute, we passed more glaciers including one called the Topeka Glacier (to the left).  I bet no one grows potatoes up there!   A few of you will get that reference and if you don't, it wasn't that funny anyway.

Just outside N. Sandy Cove, we saw a lone humpback whale.  Karen spotted him when he was much closer, but by the time I got around to taking the picture, he'd moved off a ways.   Bye.

And we had more sea otters today.   I think we are well over 300 by now.

As we turned down the narrow passage to our anchorage, this was the shot from behind us looking northward up the Muir Inlet.   I don't know the name of the glacier occupying the middle of this picture, but it was very large and very white.

Tonight's dinner is salad, BBQ ribs, baked beans, and grilled corn-on-the-cob.   For the ribs, I like to get Curly's brand then wash off their BBQ sauce and put a different sauce on it.  Sweet Baby Ray's, Sams (the best!), or Famous Dave's Sweet and Spicy are all good as far as I'm concerned.    And for me, a glass (just one) of Westward American Single Malt Scotch (made in Portland, and an outstanding scotch).   for Karen, a glass of Aberlour A'Bunadh Single Malt Scotch; a wonderful Speyside.

Good night, My Friends.