Le Conte Glacier--What a Sight!

Yesterday was an amazing day. Eric, Joan, Tyler, and I left for Le Conte Glacier around 10 a.m. in Safari. The sky was mostly clear and the temperature was perfect--around 60 degrees. It was a great day to be out on the water--very calm and smooth. After a few hours of travel, we could see small specks of white appearing on the horizon. Those little “specks” were actually icebergs the size of small houses. The blue color of these icebergs is a color like you’ve never seen before. I don’t even think Crayola has been able to reproduce the color “ice blue.” Each iceberg has its own distinct shape. Remember when you were a kid and you’d find shapes in the clouds? Well, it was fun to try to find shapes in the icebergs. One looked like a sponge, another like a ship, and another like a layer cake. Knowing how little I felt next to these massive chunks of ice, it’s incredible to think that most of the iceberg is submerged under water and not even visible.

The temperature started to drop as we traveled into the natural refrigerator (or maybe “ice box,” as they used to call them, would be a more appropriate term!). The deep, aquamarine water was a sheet of glass, reflecting the steep mountain cliffs plunging into the deep water. Melting snow from the top of the mountains created a huge waterfall that roared to the icy water below. As we traveled around each point, I kept wondering, Will we see the glacier around this corner? Will we even be able to get close enough to see it? The water was quite choked with ice, so travel was difficult. We hit several small ice chunks, but Eric was a great tour guide and maneuvered Safari very well through the ice. Finally, we rounded a point and we could see Le Conte Glacier! Even though we were still two miles away, the huge wall of ice was massive! Seeing it lying there between the mountains was breathtaking. The depth and the beauty that surrounded me are very difficult to describe, and even the pictures don’t do it justice. It’s one of those instances when you had to be there to really "feel" the experience.

As the sun was reflecting off the ice and mountains, I was thinking this was pretty great. Then I began to look at all the floating ice and I noticed that some had brown spots. Studying them more closely, I saw that these “spots” were actually seals. I pointed them out and we inched our way toward them. Making no sudden movements, we were able to get fairly close to them. Needless to say, Mylo (my camera) got a workout. The seals were very curious about us also, and they didn’t seem to mind too much that we were there. They would watch us and then recline on the ice, then check us out to make sure we weren’t too close. Eventually, they did go in the water. But there were many more to be found.

The next group we approached must have been siblings, because as we got closer, they started barking at each other. It’s probably something people don’t get to experience very often, so I was very excited to hear it. As I looked at all the seals we saw, it’s amazing that each one seems to be unique in coloring and markings. As we started our departure after taking a few (hundred) more pictures of the glacier, we approached an iceberg that had one lonely seal. It was a baby, very small and cute. We were able to get VERY close to it, because its mother wasn’t there to “tell” him to jump into the water. The poor little thing was probably half scared to death seeing us coming toward him. He was a great model though, and we got so close (probably within 5-10 feet) that my zoom lens wouldn’t focus.

We passed the icebergs again on the way out, and of course I took more pictures, because they looked different from the other side. (That’s my lame excuse anyway.) After eating supper, we meandered through huge icebergs as the sun began to descend on the horizon. The fading light cast an eerie shadow on the icebergs, and it was gorgeous. One of the icebergs broke apart, crashing into the water and creating a smashing sound. Very impressive.

We then had a lot of time to “waste.” It was slow going waiting for high tide so we could make it over the flats (“sand bars” to us MN people). A few times we hit bottom and were “stuck” in the sand. But the tide was continually rising, so we eventually made it across around 11:30 p.m. and headed back to Wrangell. It was fairly dark, yet you could still see some light on the horizon, making a silhouette of the islands.

We arrived back at Shoemaker Harbor at 3:00 a.m. and gratefully headed to Eric and Joan’s for some sleep. I think my brain was over-stimulated though, because I had a hard time getting to sleep. I kept seeing glaciers, seals, and icebergs in mind. And who can guess how busy Mylo was today? Maybe I’ll let you guess how many pictures I took today. We’ll see who’s the closest. Maybe there’ll be a prize for the winner! A picture of Le Conte Glacier perhaps? I’ll give you a little clue. It’s more than I’ve taken of my nieces and nephews at any one time, but less than 50 rolls of film. Stay tuned for the results. In the meantime, I have to go ice my trigger finger! If only I had a chunk of an iceberg…

The Lake (I mean Ocean) of Shining Waters

It's another beautiful day here in Wrangell. I'm starting to feel like a meteorologist because I keep giving updates on the weather. I guess I take after my Dad! :) Lots of blue sky today and while I was at....yep, you guessed it--Petroglyph Beach, the sun was shining in the water and it was great. It was fun to see the tide come in. The place I was originally taking pictures was under water in minutes. So cool! Found some more seashells and even grabbed some out of the water. Man, was that COLD! I saw 3 eagles today in various places, and I got a picture of one in a tree. Not as good as the ones from the eagle center in Ketchikan, but this one was "in the wild." I hope you're not bored with my mountain pictures, but I absolutely love them. I know they're the same mountain every day and they probably don't look that different from the last time I took pictures of them, but you never know when the conditions will be right for that once-in-a-lifetime photo, so I keep filling up memory cards with mountain pictures. On Friday, Eric, Joan, Tyler and I are going to LeConte Glacier. I can't wait. It should be fun. My camera is getting ready for that day! I'm sure it'll get a workout.

Feeling like a tourist isn't so bad...

This morning Grandma and I explored downtown Ketchikan, since it wasn't raining. In the four days we've been here, we've had three days without rain--very unusual. Hauling around my backpack and a camera around my neck, well, I'm sure I stuck out like a sore thumb. But I fit in well with the cruise ship tourists. We went to the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery and Eagle Center. They raise fish there which will eventually be released in streams. It was amazing to see how many fish were in the tanks. There were two eagles with injured wings, so they'll never fly again. They are cared for at the center and they'll live there until they die--maybe 50 years. It was fun to see them up close.

Next we visited the Totem Heritage Center where there are many old totem poles--probably the oldest ones in Southeast Alaska, I'm told. Very interesting. There also was a lot of art, such as baskets and beadwork. We also hit the museum at the library. Yes, we were busy! After lunch, we visited a few of the local shops, but Grandma had her eyes and nose keenly tuned to where the candy shop was. When we walked in to that store, the aromas were wonderful. We ended up getting some fudge. Very delicious!

Then it was time to head back to the hotel so we could catch the shuttle to the ferry terminal. But of course we had to stop at our favorite hangout--McDonald's--to get some ice cream before we left. YUM! Off to the ferry and we enjoyed a beautiful trip back to Wrangell on the Matanuska. There were 2 forest service employees on the ferry, explaining about the area we were traveling. A few times, they spotted orcas in the water, but by the time I got my camera and went outside, they weren't anywhere to be seen. I think they were pretty far away, so I wasn't too disappointed that I didn't see them. I'm too spoiled anyway, because I don't think anything will be better than the trip our family took in 1990 where we had humpback whales diving under the sailboat. So, I didn't get pictures of whales, but I still was outside quite often as the sun began to set. The clouds were gorgeous and the sun's rays were streaming through the clouds and reflecting on the water. It's amazing how the colors kept changing. Absolutely breathtaking. It was a great trip, and both of us were glad to be back home in Wrangell.

Appointments, aggravations, and airplanes

Today we woke up to a rainy day. Very typical for Ketchikan (or anywhere in Southeast Alaska, for that matter). Today Grandma had an MRI at the hospital (it was previously scheduled) and we really didn't do much else today, since it's been raining.

As I was sitting in the hospital waiting room for 2 hours, I couldn't help overhearing a conversation between a mother and her grown daughter. I couldn't help overhearing because she was talking so VERY LOUD! Wow, it was really annoying, especially since I was trying to read a book. I think I read the same page 4 times because I really couldn't understand what I was reading. Too hard to concentrate with her talking so loud. But in between the words I was trying so desperately to focus on, I heard all about her life situation. Well, first she was trying to solve a crossword puzzle (which my nieces could probably have done), and she couldn't figure out the answers. I just wanted to shout out the answers so maybe she'd BE QUIET and I could read my book. But I refrained. When the puzzle was done, then I got to hear her one-sided conversation with the clinic as she was trying to schedule an appointment for a test..."you know, the one that goes 'beep, beep, beep' and then they put dye in you and stuff." So anyway, after I finally got through 1 page of my book, she finally quieted down a little, but then I realized it was because she was eating. Food gone...her mouth continued moving, but this time since there was no food to muffle her sounds, I was able to hear her again. Well, anyway, it was an aggravating hour until she left, but at least I could be glad I didn't have her problems. Thanks, God, for my health!

This afternoon, we've just been hanging out in the hotel room, watching (and hearing) the sea planes land outside our window. They've been very busy today! Since I didn't want to disappoint anyone, I took a couple pictures to show what the day looks like. Don't get your hopes up. They're not that great. But our favorite view is the Golden Arches at the end of the parking lot! We've been there a few times during this trip!

Catch-a-can.....oops, I mean "Ketchikan"

It was a gorgeous day here in Ketchikan. Blue sky everywhere with little wispy clouds. After spending 3 and a half hours in Wal-Mart (lots of souvenirs there), Grandma and I decided to take advantage of the nice day, since tomorrow there's 80% chance of rain. We rode the city bus to Totem Bight State Park, where there are 15 totem poles standing in a beautiful park near the ocean. The intricate designs were interesting to look at. There was a clan house which is representative of the type many Native villages had in the late 19th century. It was a great day outside. Here in the rain capital of Alaska, we haven't seen a drop yet! I'm okay with that, but I still haven't worn my new rain coat on this Alaska trip!

It's not the Titanic...it's the Taku!

Today Grandma and I enjoyed a beautiful ferry trip 88 miles south to Ketchkian, AK. The sky was blue for the most part and the water was so calm. Very smooth sailing. I saw a few porpoises jumping out of the water, racing with the ferry. I also saw several salmon jump. As I was standing at the stern of the ship, I couldn't help but think about the movie "Titanic" (especially since it was on TV the other night). If you've seen the movie, you'll remember the desperate girl standing at the railing, attempting to jump. Well, standing in the same spot today, I had no such feelings. I was thinking how beautiful a day it was and how I could stay out there all day, except for the fact that it was really cold! But this MN girl was loving every minute of it! I did check out the lifeboats though (because of seeing the movie), and I was glad to see there were plenty of them! After our six-hour trip, we arrived in Ketchikan and were greeted with lovely blue skies and a great view from our hotel room. I've enjoyed watching the sailboats out on the water. Beautiful night for sailing. It was great to be out on the water today. I enjoyed every minute of it!

I don't know why I took this picture, but I kinda like it!

This is leaving Wrangell, AK.

View from our hotel room in Ketchikan. Beautiful!

Mountains and Muskeg, Flora and... Fireweed

It was a fun day to drive around and see the mountains. The muskeg continues to amaze me. Looking at it, you'd never imagine you could sink up to your waist in no time. I think I'll take everyone's word...I'm not going to try to prove them wrong. The sun was shining on the snow-capped mountains today (in between periods of cloudiness). Pretty normal for Wrangell. All along the roadside you can find fireweed. I found a great spot to take pictures with the mountains in the background. To think that God cares enough to provide for the flowers and clothe them with beauty...and how much more He cares for us...being out in nature is a great reminder of how much God loves me. And I'm so grateful He provided all this beauty for me to enjoy!