Glaciers and Dogs
I’ve always enjoyed helicopter tours but today’s was one of the best. We landed on one glacier, flew over several others and then spent an hour or so on still another glacier where a large group of sled dogs spend the summer keeping cool and in shape for winter races.
On Colony Glacier
It’s impossible in a photo to capture the sense of space, the magnitude of the vistas on this trip. Here’s a photo of one of the sled dog teams on the glacier, several thousand feet up in the mountains, sixty-some miles from Anchorage.
Sled dogs running on Punch Bowl Glacier
And of course there are puppies:
Sled dog pups
Kenai Fjords National Park
An epic travel day! We took the 7:00 am train from Anchorage to Seward, shuttle bus to the ship, spent six hours on board, then did it all in reverse to finish the day, arriving back at the hotel around 11:00 pm.
Trisha ready to board the train
Traveling via the Gold Star service on the Alaska Railroad was a treat. We had comfortable seats, very good meals, and the views are terrific. Here’s a famous vista from the train: Bartlett Glacier:
Bartlett Glacier
The cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park took us out into the Gulf of Alaska where the choppy seas and eight-foot swells made for a dicey trip. We didn’t get seasick but we did skip the big salmon lunch buffet. The scenery was relentlessly stunning with countless waterfalls and massive glaciers, each one unique and breathtaking.
Holgate Glacier
Wildlife seems to cooperate with the Alaska tours; like this whale that decided to show off a bit near the ship on our way back to Seward.
Whale Tail in Resurrection Bay
After skipping lunch we were pleased to end our hectic day enjoying a tranquil meal aboard the train with great views of the sunset over Turnagain Arm.
Prince William Sound
Today’s itinerary took us from Anchorage to Whittier and out on to Prince William Sound, the body of water surrounded by Seward, Whittier, Valdez, Cordova and several large islands. Even though it was a drizzly, overcast day, we had smooth sailing, pleasant meals on board and saw numerous glaciers as well as the requisite whales, seals and aquatic birds.
Harriman Glacier
Barry Glacier
Busy Day
We were up early for a 7:25 flight to Anchorage. The afternoon featured a leisurely van tour up to the Mount Alyeska Tram near Girdwood followed by very yummy lunch at The Bake Shop. Finally, we visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where we got great up-close views of moose, bear, fox, eagles, etc., all being rehabilitated at the Center. A very scrumptious dinner was had at Simon & Seafort’s.
Grizzly
Fox
Thrilling Day
Yesterday’s views of glaciers from a boat were very cool. But today, we did a helicopter tour that included landing on a glacier. Very impressive. Seeing the glaciers from the water and from the air is breathtaking; actually walking on them, touching the melting water is something else. Truly remarkable.
Approaching Taku Glacier. Thirty-six miles long and at 4,800 feet, the thickest glacier in the world.
Taku Glacier
Norris Glacier
Tracy Arm Fjord
Our trip really began today with a day-long journey out of Juneau to Tracy Arm Fjord where we saw several glaciers and a variety of wildlife: whales, eagles, seals, sea birds, et al.
In front of Sawyer Glacier
Seals
Juneau
The first small leg of our trip went very smoothly. Landed in Juneau early in the afternoon, picked up our rental car and spent a couple of hours at the Mendenhall glacier just a few miles north of the airport. The weather, however, is a bit of a shock: it’s about 82 degrees. For dinner, we took the Mt. Roberts Tram and ate with a lovely view of the Juneau harbor.
Finally On to Alaska
Gee… We began planning this trip just after Christmas. Way too much lead time even for an obsessive type like me. We leave for the airport in a couple of hours and expect to be at the foot of the Mendenhall Glacier by mid afternoon.
Grosbeak
I don’t have any yard tasks today and I’m taking a day off from golf so I decided to try to get some pictures of the back yard birds. Here’s one I like:
Last of the Rhoddies
Posted by nbdog in Around the house on 23-May-2015
Most of our rhododendrons are fading so I wanted to get at least one photo of one of our little “Sneezy” varieties. The leaves, as always, are a little nibbled on but the blooms have a wonderful color.
Likewise, the lilies in the waterfall are just about to lose their flowers:
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