GLACIER BAY, OLD ICE NEW LAND

PART 2

Beardslee Islands near Bartlett Cove

May 24, Monday. High overcast, bear on the tide flats last night. Raised anchor and headed out

to Tlingit Point to explore Muir Inlet. We viewed a female moose in the edge of the beach and

forest at the base of Mt Wright. She was stressed looking into the forest, moving out to the

beach then swimming partly into the straits, staring alertly at the forest edge, then would

venture back in, then trot back out. Wolves threating her?, or her calf in the woods? She

disappeared back into the forest.

Cleared up as we motored past Adams Inlet and approaching Wachusett Inlet. The vegetation

has changed so much since 1972, with alder advancing up the fjord, and the Muir Glacier having

receded so many miles and now grounded. Wachusett glacier has also retreated and grounded,

and changed from a gravel inlet in 1972 with ice face midway to a alder/spruce forest. I hadn’t

seen this area in 38 years. Bald eagles nest in a spruce on the shore to the north and we finally

anchored at the end of the bay, that was once covered 25 years ago with ice. The stagnated

moraines of the Carol Glacier were undulating gravel and boulder ridges. Once on shore, we

walked along snow-covered beaches and willow thickets and noticed willow and alder catkins

were out. Yellow and Wilsons warblers were calling, and a sweet call of an unknown bird in the

thickets. The beach mud and sand bars were full of moose and wolf tracks, and the tracks of a

small black bear along the mud. The mud flats and gravel outwashes of the river extended for

miles inland, and I could see plant succession occurring vertically as well as horizontally as you

moved up the inlet.

Left Wachusett Inlet on an outgoing tide and anchored off of stump Cove. Mt. Wright and the

peaks of Adams Inlet are on fire at sunset. Beautiful mauve colors reflecting in the glass like

water. Thankyou Lord for another day filled with seeing and experiencing your beautiful

creation.

May 25, Tuesday. Calm and clear with a stupendous sunrise., stump cove proved to be a

wonderful anchorage. Mt. Wright and Mt Case rise dramatically above Adams Inlet and the

forelands of the Klotz Hills. Bird song filled the still air, the melodies of Hermit or Swainsons

thrushes, yellow and ruby crowned kinglets. And there was the sound of cascading water

rushing as streams through succession gullies.

Motored up Muir Inlet, noticing plant successional stages that now consisted of the pioneer

Yellow mountain avens Dryas drummundii the last several miles of the inlet, that once was

covering midbay, that is now an alder spruce forest. Muir of course had grounded, and

retreated 8 miles since I had seen it in 1972 working as a Park Range. Lots of loons and gulls

upbay, and the sounds were that of cascading streams and waterfalls pouring out of snow filled

ridges and cliffs of rock. Lots or rills and highly eroded gullies fresh from glacial emergence. Mc

Bride had retreated inland and grounded, and the Riggs retreated into its own formed gravel

moat that formed a small bay, but still spitting out ice.

We passed south Sealers Island, where we found pairs of mated black oystercatchers, herring,

mew and glaucous-winged gulls. Back to the alder and spruce forests midbay with a beautiful

backdrop of Mt Wright and Case Mtn, and the peaks behind the east Muir Inlet. We continued

past Adams inlet and Mt Wright until we finally anchored off of N Sandy Cove where there were

several black bear grazing on the beach meadows. Kayaked around a small island in the cove

and noticed at low tide there was almost no algae at subtidal level and I wondered if this was

due to the green sea urchin? Grazers, poor substrate? Not sure. Once back on to the boat the

winds picked up, and created a huge storm cloud of spruce cone pollen. I had read that Sitka

spruce in certain years synchronizes in pollination. It was amazing as the whole bay looked

enveloped in a brown smoke-filled cloud that was from the pollen. Black bear came out again

to graze on the beach, disturbing two Canada geese. It rained lightly for a few hours, then

stopped.

May 26 Wednesday. Thankyou again Lord for a good rest and read 1 Peter 1-3 this morning. We

left sandy cove in the morning to explore the Marble Islands. Again blessed with good weather

and a glass sea. The islands were covered with pigeon guillemots and gulls. Could hear, then

smell the Stellers sea lions hauled out on the South Marble Island. There were loud belches,

roars, growling, and cries and passing the haul out was very stinky. Lots of nesting gulls, pigeon

guillemots, and tufted puffins, a beautiful place noisy with life. Continued south to Sitakaday

narrows where we encountered more humpback whales, then once past Point Corolus

navigated Icy Straits and turned north into Dundas Bay where I was stationed as a park ranger

in 1972, and where I took the kids in 2001. Warm day in the 70’s. We hit a few strong eddies

and currents that rolled and slipped the boat. Once inside the bay, was refreshed by the beauty

and maturity of the green hemlock and spruce forest and muskegs. I noticed the meadows of

the Dundas River flats are now overgrown with willows, and spruce has grown and expanded

since I was here in 1972. Passed the cabin I lived in all summer and still standing on pilings, and

encountered lots of sea otters and black bear grazing on the emerging beach rye grass. Felt

good to have someone else navigating through these rocky islets and I could enjoy the view of

islets, waterfalls, granite cliffs and forests edged with bogs and meadows. Observed more black

bear one which we watched eating salmon berry leaves, then scratched its back on an alder.

Anchored at the head of the inlet where I did with the rented Nordic Tug 9 years ago in 2001.

Such a beautiful place with good memories with the kids here. Walked to the same giant rock

that the kids and I rested at, still covered with moss and lichens. Once on top, realized that

there was a black bear feeding 50 feet from us undetected. Another bear was feeding on

mussels another 100 feet out towards the inlet stream. The bear next to us finished grazing on

beach grass, then moved over to the intertidal to pry open mussels on rocks with its claws then

gnaw at them with its teeth. Wonderful clear day and evening is coming soon. Slight north

wind, good to relax with no bugs this time remembering how the kids were bitten all over by

mosquitoes and a small black fly. We are blessed and alone, but I am missing my family: Philip,

Bekah, Ethan and Clara who I wish I could bring them back. Back on the boat sitting on the bow

overlooking calm glass water, looked over the bay and enjoyed a quiet pastoral scene, and a

bear emerged to graze on a nearby meadow. Waterfalls flowing hundreds of feet through shear

granite cliffs and walls. It’s a beautiful place here that brought back good memories. God has

truly blessed me to return again.

May 27, Thursday. Dundas Bay was clear this morning, and the water mirrored a glass

reflection of the mountains; breathtaking. Anchored mid Dundas bay on an outgoing tide and

kayaked at a wonderful group of islets. Heard hermit thrushes, and paddled across through

several passages on a glass surface, covered with spruce pollen that swirled on top of the

currents. Came up to female sea otter with her young on her belly, allowing me to get very

close while she periodically raised her head floating on her back to get a better view of our

intentions. A curious harbor seal followed my boat, approaching me sometimes as close as 10

feet from my stern, pausing to bob up and stare at me, then slip back under the turquoise

green sea. The seal was with me ½ hour enhancing the beautiful day in one of my favorite

places to kayak in the world. Peaceful, waterfalls cascading all around us, birdsong, silence.

Four harbor porpoises swam close to us, feeding as they moved swiftly along the surface,

exhaling and inhaling, then gone. There had been Dall’s porpoise here yesterday as we entered

the bay.

We left Dundas in clear weather towards Chichigof island where we could see the Fairweathers

to the north: Mt Crillon and Mt Bertha. Encountered three humpback whales feeding off shore,

lunge feeding for krill, then rest on their sides expelling water from their baleen. Crossed over

to Pt Adolphus and encountered more humpbacks but the krill was concentrated about 350

feet down where they had to dive deep. One whale breached, while another spy hopped.

Wonderful to watch young sea lions porpoising right next to the whales, with sounds of their

exhalation resembling a blasting trumpet or a low-pitched tuba. Weather hot in the 70’s.

Anchored off Spasski Harbor on northern Chichigof Island.

May 28 Friday. Left Spasski Harbor for Juneau, passing more humpback whales, another that

breached. We visited Admiralty bay on Admiralty Island and explored the beaches filled with

flowered meadows, and old growth forest with a clear tannin stained river meandering out of a

lake 5 miles upstream. I went for a swim jumping off the bow twice, so warm and the water

was 51 F. Took a beach walk within a lovely emerging growth in the meadows, and watched a

large brown bear grazing on the opposite side of the estuary. Flowering chocolate lily, beach

pea, shooting stars, and purple lavender Geraniums. Forest of old growth Sitka Spruce and

Western hemlock with hanging beards lichens. The understory was filled with false lily of the

valley, oak fern, wood fern, bunchberry dogwood, blueberry, Mertensia spp false azalea, and

devils club that threatened in areas where it was wet. Wonderful place…listening to hermit

thrushes singing, yellow crowned kinglets. SE Alaska on a clear, 76 F day of calm is a piece of

heaven.

Forested lower Bay intersection with the outer coast along Icy Straits

250 year old spruce forest Bartlett Cove. This area was covered with 1500 feet of ice in the late 1700’s

Bartlett Cove, Mt Le Perouse from Dundas Bay, Bottom: Dundas Bay

Top: Bartlett Cove; Bottom: Outer coast muskegs, spencer point outer coast of old growth hemlock Alaska yellow cedar. Sitka spruce forest.

Dundas Bay

Dundas Bay

Mt La Perouse and Brady Icefield from Icy Straits

Mt Fairweather outer coast, Llituya Bay outer coast

Outer coast, LePerouse Glacier 1980, outer coast north of Lituya Bay

PLANTS

Outer Coast, Sitka Spruce, Midbay cottonwood forest, skunk cabbage

Geranium spp, golden flower, ladyslopper, trailing alpine azalea

Kamchatka rhododendron alpin, leutia alpine, heather

Shooting star dodecatheon spp,lupine

WILDLIFE

Spruce grouse, sandhill cranes, harlequin ducks

Above: Canada goose, G Yellowlegs, Swainsons thrush, Veried thrush, C mergansers, rufous hummingbird

Short-eared owk. Bald eagle nest, northern three-toed woodpecker

Marmot, Dundas Bay, Northern Flying squirrel

Vole, weasel, land otter

Wolverine Tatshenshini River, wolf upbay

Black bear Dundas Bay, coyote Beardslee Island

Black bear grey color phase known as Glacier Bear

Above: brown bear, moose, mountain goat mt wright, Wolf Dundas Bay

Above bubble net feeding Icy Straits near Pt Adolphus.

Humpback whale Sitakaday Narrows, Humpback female & calf Bartlett Cove feeding near capelin spawning beach

Orca heading upbay from Geikie Inlet of Tarr Inlet merging into a superpod of 20 other individuals

Fairweather Range from Geike Inlet Peaks

Fairweather Range from Casement Glacier and surrounding peaks

Fairweather Range from Gustavus meadows

Bartlett Cove sunset