June 22nd - Our Adventure to Tracy Arm

We departed Auke Bay and spent the night in Taku Harbor. In the morning we continued on to Tracy Arm. As we enter Holcomb Inlet we noticed a remarkable change from when we had been there with Daniel and Melanie in May. Huge icebergs were present. Eagles on their icy perched scanned the water for food.

Adolescent eagles still in their camouflage plumage,

learn to hunt from adults.

Eerie forms seemed to rise and stare at us as we glided by.

Sea monsters imprisoned in blue ice floated by us as we navigated through the mystical maze.

Lacy waves captured in time appeared but did not break.

Frozen cliffs of ice seemed to rise from the from the ocean floor.

Bald Eagles rode the icy ships as they hunted for food.

Dante captured a mythical monster escaping the confinement of it's river of ice.

As we entered Tracy Arm, Dante was vigilant on the bow directing Captain Lou through the ever increasing ice field.

Captain Lou intensely watches every move of Dante's directions.

When the channel became too ice choked our adventurers climbed into Wings armed with a boat hook and continued up the channel

In the lower right hand corner notice how small they look in comparison to their surroundings. Click on the photo to enlarge after viewing click "back arrow" to return to the blog. Deborah and I stayed on Seventh Heaven and maneuvered around the icebergs until they returned.

In the lower right hand corner notice how small they look in comparison to their surroundings. Click on the photo to enlarge after viewing click "back arrow" to return to the blog. Deborah and I stayed on Seventh Heaven and maneuvered around the icebergs until they returned. In the lowerright hand corner notice how small they look in comparison to their surroundings. Click on the photo to enlarge after viewing click "back arrow" to return to the blog. Deborah and I stayed on Seventh Heaven and maneuvered around the icebergs until they returned.In the lower right hand corner notice how small they look in comparison to their surroundings. Click on the photo to enlarge after viewing click "back arrow" to return to the blog. Deborah and I stayed on Seventh Heaven. I was at the wheel and maneuvered around the icebergs until they returned. 

They returned to Seventh Heaven and we headed back down the channel. Dante again was on bow watch and guided us safely through the ice.

Deborah helped with the Home made Pizza with my whole wheat crust.

We were happy to be in the peace and safety of our anchorage in "No Name Cove".

We had a lovely dinner of Fresh Dungeness Crab Salad (caught by the infamous "'Crab Louie") and our freshly baked pizza.

 Another unforgettable day in this frozen paradise.

June 21st - Aqua Blue Iceberg, Mendenhall Glacier

Icebergs are forever changing! Notice the huge chunk of on the left that has broken off of the glacier.

In this photo the iceberg flipped over and the clear aqua blue underside is exposed.

Dante is in the distance trying different angles to capture the iceberg.

Dante and I hiked as close as we could to photo this natural wonder.

It looks like a giant sparkling Blue Saffire. 

There were many bergs floating in the lake in front of the glacier.

Nature creates many scuptures. I see a lion with a large nose.

Dante caught this shot.  It is one of my favorites!

June 18th - 19th Coot Cove in Funter Bay

We departed Auke Bay with sun shining and a gentle breeze all the way to Funter Bay. Dall's Porpoise played in the wake of our bow and humpbacks spouted in the distance.

We anchored in Coot Cove within Funter Bay. Lou put a crab pot out.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset in pastel colors. In the morning we explored the bay and retrieved one large Dungeness Crab.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset in pastel colors. In the morning we explored the bay and retrieved one large Dungeness Crab.

Interactive Google Earth Map - Our Trip So Far In Alaska!

View Larger Map

June 13 - Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau

We returned to Auke Bay to have our charging system checked. As you approach the harbor you can see the looming Mendenhall Glacier in the distance.

I re-visited the Glacier. It is ever changing depending on the weather and light.

On this day much blue ice was visible. It is the most dense ice and only allows blue light through from the color spectrum.

Large icebergs calve from the face of the glacier.

If you are in the right place at the right time the cracking sounds called "white lightening by the natives" is spectacular!

If you look at the little white speck near the middle top of the cliff, just below the tallest tree you will see a long haired mountain goat and her two newly born "kids".

This is a very poor telephoto picture of the mother goat. She was so far away.

I enjoyed standing in the mist of the glacier water fall.

When Bald Eagles Fight!

She has been worried about him all day. He always goes off and leaves her!

I just love to gossip about them!

"WHOA, I am late!"

"Where have you been? Who are you soaring with now?

"You can just forget about us!"

"I can't take it anymore!"

"My feelings are so hurt!"

"I am leaving you forever!"

"She just left me!"

"HONEY, come back, I only love you!"

Join us tomorrow on:
"WHEN BALD EAGLES FIGHT."

June 1st - Glacier Bay to Pelican

As we look out at Cape Spencer in the Gulf of Alaska, a Humpback surfaces very close to our boat.   We sailed in the Gulf of Alaska until we reached Lisianski Inlet turned to port and sailed 26 miles to "Pelican". 

We departed Bartlett Cove and when we reached Point Gustavus we made our obligatory call to Park Headquarters informing them that we were exiting Glacier Bay. We continued down Icy Strait hesitating at every opportunity to watch the Humpbacks feeding. We entered South Inian Pass and stopped at Elfin Cove for a quick visit. The boardwalk village was in the process of preparing for summer visitors. We then entered Cross Sound which is open to the Gulf of Alaska. We passed the Boussole Arch. This is a natural arch created by the pounding winter seas of the gulf.

To our starboard we could see the Brady Glacier which is actually a huge icefield. It is 24 miles long and extends 46 miles northwest from Hoonah. It is part of Glacier Bay National Park.

High snow capped mountains and pristine wilderness line both sides of the narrow fijord. Pelican was a vision of an early entrepeneur Kalle Raatikainen looking for a location to build a fish cold storage and cannery in the 1930's. Previously, fisherman had to brave the long passage to Sitka to process their catch. Pelican, named after his boat, is stratigically located near a glacier fed river. A small hydro-electric plant was built and Pelican was in business. 

Pelican is only accessable by floatplane, Alaskian State Ferry every 2 weeks or private boat.

 It is a boardwork community and vehicles are limited to less than the width of the walkway so golf carts and ATV work well. Vintage homes line the boardwalk.

At the heart of the community is the infamous "Rosie's Bar".

The walls are lined with dollar bills and signatures of visitors. See if you can find "Lou and Mary Aubert, Seventh Heaven" in the maze. I personally crawled up onto the bar to place it on the ceiling at the encouragement of Rosie herself to immortalize our visit!

We enjoyed hearing stories of Rosie's fascinating life in Alaska. She is 75 years old and has sold the bar 3 times always having it returned to her because of lack of payment. She and her "boyfriend" as she calls him, run it now.
She is of Tlingit descent and her first marriage was arranged by her mother within her tribe. Eleven children and four husbands later she sold her tugboat which she used as her home as well as fishing and bought the bar 35 years ago. Rosie laughed when she told us that she was such a good fisherwoman that her rivals called her "Greedy Squaw". THIS IS THE REAL ALASKA!

This is the heart of Pelican's business district. The general store is well stocked and Pelican Seafoods is the major employer of the town of 118 residents. We met a wonderful couple Mark and Karen in Rosie's Bar. He is the chief engineer at Pelican Seafoods. They invited us to their home which is above the General Store and Post Office for a lovely dinner.
"Thank you Mark and Karen!"

A somber reminder of hope for the future of these unique Alaskian communites on the far reaches of this incredible state.