Alaska: June 5

Glacier Bay Wilderness Safari

This morning we arrived in Haines (which is about 15 miles - via water - to Skagway where we typically stop). We were off the ship at 9 am to board a 9:20 jet boat to begin our excursion. We rode 45 minutes along the fjord. We arrived at Glacier Point, walked up the beach and jumped on a bus (school bus) for a ten minute ride into the forest to the "gear station." We got our life jackets, boots, and paddles and then hiked about a quarter of a mile to the river. Boarded canoes and sailed out to Davidson Glacier. We paddled about ten minutes or so then coasted with the outboard engine the remainder of the way. Beached the canoes and hiked about two of the three miles to the glacier to see it up close. REALLY cool. Repeated the trip back, but before boarding the jet boat we were served a turkey sandwich lunch. Another great day in Alaska!

MS Noordam in background

Saw several bald eagles on the voyage out to Glacier Point

Geared up ready for the hike & canoe adventure!

Canoeing to Davidson Glacier

Davidson Glacier - three miles out

Ten years ago we were in Alaska for the second time and we took this identical excursion. You hear all the time about climate change, where here you go......this photo is taken from where we beached the canoes, and it's about three miles to the glacier from here. Ten years ago we canoed ALL THE WAY to the glacier on the river....there was no getting out of the canoe to hike like this. The glacier has receded and the silt has built up while the water level has diminished (it's the opposite problem for the rest of the world as the glaciers melt into the ocean and raise the water levels).