Alaska 7.0 - June 30

 W- O - W
June 30 - Excursion to Hubbard Glacier

Today we thought would probably be the highlight.....but with the weather and the ice fields, you just don't know.  But today was SENSATIONAL.  During the early part of the day (we didn't meet to leave for our glacier expedition until after 2pm) Kim went to the gym and I went to the library to work on my journals - not a bad view, eh?  And as the afternoon wore on, both Kim and I grew more and more excited because the weather was spectacular.  The captain even came on the intercom around noon and remarked about how unusually amazing the weather was today.

It's tough working on an Alaskan cruise

A spectacular weather day (temps in the low 50's) and nothing but blue skies & sunshine

As we gathered in the World Stage theatre both Kim and I were surprised at the large number of guests going on this excursion.  I'd been led to believe it was around 35-40, but there had to have been over 100, enough to take two catamarans out.  When we left the Noordam and boarded our catamaran there were three levels and a top deck.  You could sit inside with panoramic windows or head outside to the observation deck where I spent nearly all of my time.  As we pulled away I remarked to the one guide that the view of Hubbard Glacier today from the ship was so SO much better than when we were here three years ago.  Little did I realize just HOW spectacular our view would be.  We zipped out over three miles closer before we even began to see floating ice chunks.  And as the captain approached he and the crew were beside themselves.  They all remarked about how the weather and the views were something they MIGHT see two or three times a month and that the mountains behind the glacier were rarely seen by guests on this excursion.  And despite how chilly we thought it was, the entire crew were running around in short sleeves thinking it was such an ideal day.  At this point I have to tell you, trying to describe what we saw is impossible.  And the photos hardly show how close we got to the glacier.  I knew it was sensational....spectacular....oh so amazing.  And get this....the Hubbard Glacier is one of only seven glaciers that is ADVANCING - about 80 feet a year!  When Kim even remarked about how stunning it was I knew that today was indeed a special day.  I took over 120 shots this afternoon, enjoy what I consider the best of them here......

Our catamaran ready to explore

Truly if you've been to Alaska, this view from our balcony is an excellent one, but hardly compares to the view we got!

Approaching the Hubbard Glacier - can't believe we are THIS close

Navigating through the ice fields

An ice chunk about half the size of our boat

Some chunks of ice are just mind boggling - this one about half the size of our ship

Hard to believe the Hubbard Glacier over 300 feet tall (about 35 stories tall - taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.) - and it extends over 7 miles back.  Note that the glacier is another 250 feet hidden below water :O

The glacier reflecting off the water makes such an impression

Another section of the mammoth glacier and it's reflection

We're oh-so-close!

The pose of the day :)

Close up view of the glacier with a huge chunk of ice floating in the foreground

We can see such details in the ice

Close-up of another section of the Hubbard Glacier

Continuing to scan across the glacier with an up close view

Completely lost on most people is the huge Turner Glacier off to the side

We topped off the evening by having dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, one of the specialty restaurants - a wonderful way to end a fabulous day.  Tomorrow is what would be the highlight for most Alaskan cruises as we head into Glacier Bay where we will see several glaciers.