Glacier Bay National Park

Location:  Hoonah, Alaska

Seabiscuit at the Glacier Bay National Park dock in Bartlett Cove

Rainbow over Eliason Harbor, Sitka, Alaska the night before we left the dock

April 9, Tuesday, Sitka to Kimshan Cove (51 nm, 6.8 hours):  We pulled away from the Eliason Harbor transient dock in Sitka at 8:15.  Overnight it had snowed and the mountains surrounding Sitka Sound and Mount Edgecumbe had a fresh layer of snow on top.   We motored north out of the harbor, up Olga Strait, up Neva Strait and then west through Salisbury Sound and out into the Pacific Ocean.  The wind was in the high teens, there was a 5 – 6 foot swell from the southwest and a light chop on the surface as we made our way north outside the Khaz Peninsula.  It rained most of the day and we did some rolling along the way but not too bad.  We saw some whales spout off in the distance and, as we entered Smooth Channel, you could look in any direction and spot a sea otter. We pulled into Kimshan Cove about 15:00 and dropped anchor on the east side of the cove. We settled in for a quiet night away from the big city.

Looking astern at the mountains surrounding Sitka as we made our way north. 
It had snowed the night before and they had a fresh layer of snow on top.

April 10, Wednesday, Kimshan Cove @ anchor:  It was a beautiful sunny day today.  We did some kayaking around the cove and enjoyed the nice weather.

Dave getting into his kayak from the stern.

Seabiscuit and the mountains on the north side of Kimshan Cove.

The old wharf pilings on the southeast side of Kimshan Cove.

Sunset at Kimshan Cove.

April 11, Thursday, Kimshan Cove to Pelican (34 nm, 5 hours):  We spent the morning doing chores and some voyage planning for our trip to Glacier Bay National Park while we waited for the tide to come up.  We fired up the main engine and heaved anchor about 13:30.  Our plan was to move up to Mirror Harbor, anchor and then go to nearby White Sulfur Hot Springs.  The route into Mirror Harbor is tricky with lots of rocks and tight spots to navigate around.  We arrived at Fairway Rock about mid-tide and turned into Fleming Channel out of the ocean swell.  We slowed down to minimal speed and started to pick our way through the rocks and the bull kelp.  All of a sudden, we heard “sssccccrrreeeee” as we scraped our port side along a rock.  No damage, but we’re sure we left some of our new paint behind.  We decided not to proceed any further, eased ourselves back out past Fairway Rock and headed for the town of Pelican.  We saw some whale spouts and a few sea otters as we turned into the south end of Lisianski Strait.  As we neared the north end and turned southeast into Lisianski Inlet, the wind picked up and it started raining.  We tied up at the Pelican city docks about 18:30 and walked up the ramp to the harbormaster’s office, the café and city hall (all closed).  By that time the rain was pelting down so we went back to the boat for a late happy hour and supper.

Fallen trees along the shoreline of Lisianski Strait.  They reminded me of pick-up sticks.

April 12 – 14, Friday - Sunday, Pelican:  We stayed in Pelican for four nights waiting for the weather in Cross Sound to settle before we continued our journey.  There are no pelicans in Pelican; the town is named after the boat of the town founder.  With population ~60, the town is built along the rocks and cliffs on the east shore of Lisianski Inlet.  The main thoroughfare is a boardwalk running roughly north/south with houses and businesses hugging the cliffs on one side and hanging over the high tide line on the other.  

An otter eating a clam in the alleyway next to the boat.

Every day we walked the boardwalk from one end of town to the other checking out the sights along the way including the hydro-electric plant, the ferry dock, the Pelican Pagoda and the old fish processing plant.  The library, open for 2 hours in the evenings and 3 hours Saturday afternoon, had free Wi-Fi available so we took advantage of that to check weather and e-mail. The town is in the process of refurbishing the ice making machinery in the fish processing plant so that they can supply fisherman with fresh, clean ice once salmon season starts.

Seabiscuit at the dock in Pelican Harbor.

The Pelican Library

The mountains on the other side of Lisianski Inlet.

It rained off and on all weekend so we worked on our engine room bilge cleaning project.  The goal is a clean, dry bilge.  In order to achieve this goal, we need to get the entire engine room bilge cleaned, degreased, primed and painted and then fix any leaks in the piping systems.  It’s a big job so we’ve created a sketch that delineates each area and we’re working on it section by section.  Dave worked in the starboard forward section under the Wesmar system and I worked in the port aft section under the gen-get home engine.  As part of the same project, we’re also cleaning the engine room deck plates and replacing the sound deadening strips underneath each plate.

The Pelican Pagoda, a memorial site.

A memorial to the town founder.  It says "Kalle (Charlie) Raatikainen, Pelican Town Founder 1938, ... and let there be no sorrow; for remember when the sun goes down, it returns with a bright tomorrow.  So, a toast to the past, A toast to the future... Barnacles off the hull!

Some of the memorials inside the Pelican Pagoda - we especially liked Bernice Kimpel's "So Many Men So Little Time"

April 15, Monday, Pelican to Elfin Cove (19 nm, 2.8 hours):  A short run today from Pelican up Lisianski Inlet to Elfin Cove.  The weather was nice with very little wind and only a slight swell in Cross Sound.  We left the Pelican dock at 7:15 and we were tied up at the public float in the Elfin Cove outer harbor at 10:00.  Elfin Cove is small community, mostly made up of fishing lodges.  During the winter there are ~20 resident caretakers but during the summer the population increases dramatically with the fishing lodge staff and guests.  Homes and business are built amongst the rocks and trees that line the outer harbor and the inner harbor and cove.  A winding boardwalk connects the community.   We took a walk along the boardwalk to the inner harbor and walked the docks.  On the way back, we talked to a fisherman setting up 100 fathom (600 feet) long lines to fish for black cod offshore.  He owns a fishing lodge in Elfin Cove but does some commercial fishing during the off season.  We had lunch, did a few chores then went for a walk to the head of the cove and back.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the sunshine.

Elfin Cove Inner Harbor

B on the Elfin Cove Boardwalk along the entrance to the inner harbor.

Sunset over the mountains on the north side of Cross Sound. 
We are moored at the Elfin Cove Public Dock in the outer harbor.

April 16, Tuesday, Elfin Cove to Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay National Park (24 nm, 3 hours):  We left the dock at Elfin Cove at 8:00 to catch the flood tide flowing east into Cross Sound.  Our speed over ground (SOG) got up to over 10 knots as we cruised through South Inian Pass.  Lots of current swirling around and birds feeding in the currents and we spotted a harbor porpoise.  We rode the current up into Glacier Bay National Park and tied up at the dock in Bartlett Cove, the official park headquarters.  We walked up the dock and checked out the rules and regulations.  Since it is early in the season, most areas are open and you can stay overnight at the dock, which we did.  During the summer busy season there is a 3 hour limit at the dock and some of the areas in the park are closed to motorized vessels.  We had lunch on the boat while a rain squall moved through then went for a walk along the trails near the lodge and visitor center.  The lodge and visitor center aren’t open yet but there is a lot of activity -  training personnel and getting ready for the opening of the season.

The skeleton of Snow - a humpback whale hit by a cruise ship in Glacier Bay.

The interpretive sign explaining the story of Snow and
how the skeleton came to be placed near the Glacier Bay Visitor Center.

B taking a break during our walk on the Forest Trail.

Park personnel training in their survival suits on the Bartlett Cove dock.

April 17, Wednesday, Bartlett Cove to N. Sandy Cove (23 nm, 3.3 hours):  We started the day with a walk around the trails along the beach and through the woods.  Wi-Fi was available at the ranger stations so we sat at the picnic tables outside and checked the weather forecast and e-mails.  There was a USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) boat, Alaskan Gyre, at the dock getting ready to do some scientific studies of the sea otter population and their food resources in the park. We talked to the captain and got some information about anchoring locations here and up along the coast of the Gulf of Alaska.  

A Tlingit Long House and Totem Poles along the Tlingit Trail near the Glacier Bay Lodge and Visitor Center.

A carving of an eagle along the Forest Trail.

A pond along the Forest Trail.

We left the dock at 10:30 and motored up to N. Sandy Cove where we anchored.  We saw lots of sea otters along the way and some harbor porpoises in the cove.  Just before supper, Dave spotted a pair of wolves on the shoreline.  We watched them play for a while before they ran back up into the woods.  

April 18, Thursday, Round Trip N. Sandy Cove à Muir Inlet (56 nm, 7.9 hours):  Today we made a round trip voyage from N. Sandy Cove to the head of Muir Inlet and back.  The weather wasn’t very good - rain, wind and overcast skies - but the visibility was okay.  We rode up the inlet with the incoming tide.  At the junction of Adams Inlet, the water turned milky, turquoise blue.  As we approached McBride Glacier, a line of bergie bits covered ~3/4 of the width of the main channel.  We spotted a bear on the west shore.  We checked out the two arms of Riggs Glacier and then turned west towards Muir Glacier.  Steep granite cliffs with numerous waterfalls line the last portion of the inlet up to the glacier.  Muir Glacier has receded so much that it is no longer a tide water glacier and the face is a long ways from the end of the inlet.  We took some photos and then turned around and headed back south.  The wind had picked up significantly and was blowing a steady 30+ knots with gusts as high as 50 knots which created choppy seas.  We pulled into the protected waters of N. Sandy Cove about 15:30 and anchored up for the night.

A view of Muir Glacier from the stern.  You can see the path we took in the cloudy glacial water.

The steep granite cliffs covered with numerous waterfalls along Muir Inlet.

April 19, Friday, N. Sandy Cove @ anchor:  More wind and rain this morning and we decided to spend a day on the hook doing boat chores while we waited for the weather to move through.  We spent the morning working on our bilge cleaning project and the afternoon doing minor maintenance and cleaning.  We had to run the generator to charge our batteries so I turned on the oven and made a batch of fresh scones. 

The mountains surrounding N. Sandy Cove.

April 20, Saturday, N. Sandy Cove to Reid Inlet via Russell Island and Tarr Inlet (54 nm, 8.3 hours):  Fresh scones for breakfast.  We fired up the main engine at 8:30 and motored out of the anchorage.  There was a small halibut in the crab trap but no crabs.  We saw a moose along the shoreline of Puffin Island as we exited the cove.  

Moose on the shoreline as we exited N. Sandy Cove

We cruised north up into the west arm of Glacier Bay.  Today was a great wildlife day.  In addition to the moose, we saw lots of sea otters along the way, mountain goats on the steep rock faces south of Tidal Inlet, harbor porpoises and a humpback whale near Russell Island, a wolf on the shoreline just north of Russell Island, a trio of sea lions swimming up Tarr Inlet and lots of birds including bald eagles and oyster catchers sitting on top of bergie bits.  

Mountain goats on the steep granite cliffs (the white dots in the mist).

We motored up Tarr Inlet to the face of Margerie Glacier, one of the most spectacular tide-water glaciers in the park.  During the summer, this is the “destination glacier for many large cruise ships”, we were lucky enough to have it to ourselves.  We got within a ¼ nm, turned so that we were parallel to the glacier face, then cut the engine and listened to thundering booms of the cracking ice and watched as pieces crashed into the water below.  

The face of Margerie Glacier

Thousands of birds on the ice in front of Margerie Glacier 

Margerie Glacier.

 We turned south and headed back down Tarr Inlet, turned into Reid Inlet and anchored for the night.  There is a small glacier at the head of Reid Inlet, about 1 mile from where we anchored.  It no longer reaches the water line but we had a clear view of its snout.

Bergie bits in Tarr Inlet.

Birds perched on a bergie bit in Tarr Inlet.

April 21, Sunday, Reid Inlet to Blue Mouse Cove (27 nm, 4.5 hours):  We did a few boat chores before heaving anchor at 9:30 and heading north and west around the corner to look at some more glaciers.  We picked up the crab trap, a small halibut but no crabs.  

B pulling in the crab trap.

Lamplugh Glacier is near the entrance to John Hopkins Inlet.  It is not as large and impressive as Margerie Glacier, but does have a high steep face and you can see the bright blue of the ice where chunks near the shoreline have calved off.  We got close enough to see the underground river flowing out.  We motored a short ways up John Hopkins Inlet but turned around before getting into the area choked with floating ice.  We headed back south and anchored in Blue Mouse Cove for the evening.

Approaching Lamplugh Glacier.

Underground river opening in the Lamplugh Glacier.

Ice chunks on the shore in front of the Lamplugh Glacier.

April 22, Monday, Blue Mouse Cove to Tyndall Cove (22 nm, 3.2 hours):  Raining again this morning.  We had our coffee and breakfast, checked into the morning HAM net, then heaved anchor about 8:45.  Nothing in the crab trap today.  We cruised south then turned west into Geikie Inlet and cruised to the head of the inlet looking for wildlife.  After turning around and heading back east, we spotted a black bear on the shoreline just before we turned south into Tyndall Cove.  We watched him for a little while then proceeded to the head of the cove and anchored up.  The wind picked up and blew 25 – 30 knots for most of the afternoon.

April 23, Tuesday, Tyndall Cove to Bartlett Cove (30 nm, 4.2 hours):  It snowed overnight and we had a light dusting of snow on the decks this morning.  We heaved anchor at 8:00 and headed toward Bartlett Cove.  

Looking at Tyndall Cove from the stern as we leave the anchorage.

We took a short detour into Shag Cove to look for mountain goats on the steep cliffs of Marble Mountain but didn’t see any.  We had a few wind gusts up in the high 30s, cold air coming down off the mountains and some rain and snow along the way.  We pulled alongside the visitor dock in Bartlett Cove and tied up to the outside.  After lunch, we went for a walk on the trails near the visitor center.  When we got back down to the docks, the boat was jumping around on her lines.  It was like watching her bounce at the end of rubber bands.  The winds in the cove were in the 20+ knot range and there was a lot of wrap around swell coming in from the main channel, hitting the outside of the dock and our stern.  We walked up to the ranger station to ask if we could move over to the fuel dock out of the swell.  They gave us permission to move to the inside of the dock, where the Park Service boat usually moors.  We moved inside and what a difference.  There was no swell and our nose was into the wind so it was much more comfortable.  We spent the evening unlaxing, reading and doing puzzles.

April 24, Wednesday, Bartlett Cove to Hoonah (29 nm, 3.8 hours):  We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland.  It had snowed overnight and there was a fresh white blanket of snow covering the boat, the dock and the shoreline.

The bow and the Bartlett Cove dock covered in snow.

The Bartlett Cove shoreline.

Bird tracks in the snow on the docks.

We left the dock at 10:30 in order to catch the ebb tide out of Glacier Bay and the flood tide in Icy Strait for our journey to Hoonah.  A pod of Dall's porpoises rode along with us as we crossed Icy Strait.

Dall's porpoises playing in the bow wake in Icy Strait.

Dall's porpoises riding the bow wake.

We arrived in Hoonah, tied up at the transient dock in the harbor about 14:00 and got busy with town chores - laundry, grocery store, hardware store, etc.  For supper, we walked up to the Icy Strait Lodge.  We plan to stay here for three nights so that we can do some maintenance chores.

The Hoonah playground.

Until next time...