Day 39, Aug10
Well Mother Nature took pity on us as the weather did a 180 degree turn. The sun shone all day and there was little wind. There was very little cloud in the sky and the temperature got up to 20. All in all, a perfect day for a glacier cruise.
We went on a full day cruise offered by Stan Stephens cruises. The company has been offering cruises since 1971 and Stan’s widow was onboard today. She likes to get out two or three times a week if the weather is suitable.
I mentioned yesterday that Valdez would probably have stunning scenery if we could see it through the cloud. I was definitely correct on that score. Every direction you look you can see either velvety green alpine slopes or snow capped jagged peaks.
We sailed into Prince William Sound which is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains which have several tidewater glaciers. We travelled to Meares Glacier. It is the only advancing glacier in North America. It advances about 10 metres a day but calves off a good bit of the advance. The glacier is 1.6 km wide and has a height of 200 feet. Just after we arrived a good sized piece of the glacier calved. That was followed by a few smaller pieces falling into the water. We could hear a lot of cracking and booming going on in the glacier.
We went on a full day cruise offered by Stan Stephens cruises. The company has been offering cruises since 1971 and Stan’s widow was onboard today. She likes to get out two or three times a week if the weather is suitable.
I mentioned yesterday that Valdez would probably have stunning scenery if we could see it through the cloud. I was definitely correct on that score. Every direction you look you can see either velvety green alpine slopes or snow capped jagged peaks.
We sailed into Prince William Sound which is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains which have several tidewater glaciers. We travelled to Meares Glacier. It is the only advancing glacier in North America. It advances about 10 metres a day but calves off a good bit of the advance. The glacier is 1.6 km wide and has a height of 200 feet. Just after we arrived a good sized piece of the glacier calved. That was followed by a few smaller pieces falling into the water. We could hear a lot of cracking and booming going on in the glacier.
During the cruise we saw bald eagles, sea otters, Stellar Sea lions, harbour seals, puffins, Dall’s porpoises, and orcas.
We sat with a couple from Phoenix who are part of a caravan. It was interesting to get their perspective on the caravan experience. They are enjoying the social aspect but are finding the pace uncomfortable with little down time and not enough time to enjoy some of the stops.
We were well fed on the cruise. We had a mid morning snack of a bagel and lunch of a chicken breast with Alfredo sauce on rice, veggies, a roll and Oreo cookies for dessert. Coffee, tea, lemonade and water were available all day.
We strayed a little off course to follow the orcas for a while so we were a bit later getting back than the scheduled 5 pm. Laundry and supper capped off the day.
We were well fed on the cruise. We had a mid morning snack of a bagel and lunch of a chicken breast with Alfredo sauce on rice, veggies, a roll and Oreo cookies for dessert. Coffee, tea, lemonade and water were available all day.
We strayed a little off course to follow the orcas for a while so we were a bit later getting back than the scheduled 5 pm. Laundry and supper capped off the day.
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