Tracy Arm
What a way to end an incredible week of sun and scenery! Bubblenet-feeding humpbacks, spy-hopping orcas, massive glacial calving, northern lights, and to top it off, a crystal clear day in Tracy Arm – Ford’s Terror Wilderness. The entrance to this dramatic fjord system is located roughly 40 miles south of Juneau. Tracy Arm, the more northern of the two branches of the system, winds a majestic 25 miles to its source, Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers. Retreating steadily, these glaciers have shaped and scoured the steep granite walls into a palate as complex as a Salvador Dali painting. Shapes and patterns ranging from elephants to comic book characters could be seen in the rock faces towering above us. As if this granite facade was not mesmerizing enough, our Zodiac trips today lead us through a museum of ice sculptures ranging from grand ice bergs to tiny ‘brash’ ice—no more than cubes floating in the water. To top off the glacial geometry of the area, iron oxide deposits contributed to the fjords character by adding strokes of rusty red that streaked down the walls to meet the salt water. From faces in the fjord walls to forms in the glacial ice, it was almost as if Mother Nature was making up for her lack of puffy cloud-gazing by allowing us to find figures on land instead.
Others shared this serene landscape with us. Pigeon guillemots, marbled murrelets and harbor seals cruised the glass-green waters. The black and white guillemots skidded back and forth in front of us, exposing their characteristic red feet at every take off and landing, while one unsuspecting seal surfaced a mere yard from our Zodiac at one point.
Cruising back towards Stephen’s Passage and our final destination, Juneau, the fjord began to widen, clearing a safe path for home. With a week of stunning weather behind us, it dawns on me that the work of these glaciers goes far beyond the surrounding landscape. They have shaped me as well, and my understanding of Southeast Alaska’s natural history.
What a way to end an incredible week of sun and scenery! Bubblenet-feeding humpbacks, spy-hopping orcas, massive glacial calving, northern lights, and to top it off, a crystal clear day in Tracy Arm – Ford’s Terror Wilderness. The entrance to this dramatic fjord system is located roughly 40 miles south of Juneau. Tracy Arm, the more northern of the two branches of the system, winds a majestic 25 miles to its source, Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers. Retreating steadily, these glaciers have shaped and scoured the steep granite walls into a palate as complex as a Salvador Dali painting. Shapes and patterns ranging from elephants to comic book characters could be seen in the rock faces towering above us. As if this granite facade was not mesmerizing enough, our Zodiac trips today lead us through a museum of ice sculptures ranging from grand ice bergs to tiny ‘brash’ ice—no more than cubes floating in the water. To top off the glacial geometry of the area, iron oxide deposits contributed to the fjords character by adding strokes of rusty red that streaked down the walls to meet the salt water. From faces in the fjord walls to forms in the glacial ice, it was almost as if Mother Nature was making up for her lack of puffy cloud-gazing by allowing us to find figures on land instead.
Others shared this serene landscape with us. Pigeon guillemots, marbled murrelets and harbor seals cruised the glass-green waters. The black and white guillemots skidded back and forth in front of us, exposing their characteristic red feet at every take off and landing, while one unsuspecting seal surfaced a mere yard from our Zodiac at one point.
Cruising back towards Stephen’s Passage and our final destination, Juneau, the fjord began to widen, clearing a safe path for home. With a week of stunning weather behind us, it dawns on me that the work of these glaciers goes far beyond the surrounding landscape. They have shaped me as well, and my understanding of Southeast Alaska’s natural history.
