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Glacier Bay National Park

Pictures by QT Luong

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[Kayaking in Glacier Bay]

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Glacier Bay is a vast Y-shaped fjord on the Southeast coast of Alaska, sheltered from the ocean by the Fairweather range. Only two hundred years ago, when Captain George Vancouver sailed by its mouth, the bay was a solid sheet of nearly a mile of ice. One century later, the glaciers had shrunk back 65 miles, the fastest glacier retreat on record. To travel up the bay is to retrace the path of glacial retreat, from the lush mature spruce and hemlock rain forest near the visitor center at Bartlett cove, to the more thinly vegetated areas more recently de-glaciated, and eventually the glaciers which calve icebergs into the water with a sound described by the Tlingit Indians as "white thunder".

With no road access, the park is a marine wilderness which can be explored only by water travel. While most visitors experience the park through the deck of a cruise ship or tour boat, in May 2001 Arnd Pralle and I set up to kayak for nearly two weeks so that we could experience the vastness of the bay through a low waterline, observe closely wildlife thanks to a quiet vessel, cross narrow channels and iceberg-chocked passageways not accessible to boats, paddle and land as close to the glaciers as possible, and camp on isolated beaches. Despite the wet weather, huge tides and currents, ice-cold waters, we came to appreciate why the Bay is considered by many to be among the finest sea-kayaking grounds in the world. Using the park water shuttle system to get our double kayak closer to our destinations, we were able to explore the intensely wild world of the tranquil Muir Inlet, closed to cruise boats, and then the spectacular West arm, up to the John Hopkins inlet. See also the pictures of kayaking and camping in Glacier Bay.

In June 2006, I was graciously invited by Dayton Duncan to spend a few days in the Bay on Mike's Negro boat "The Kahsteen", with the crew of Florentine film. In that short period of time, I saw more glaciers and sunshine than during my whole previous exploration, and enjoyed gourmet meals by Megan. I didn't have to even pack a water bottle.

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Pond in Rainforest, Bartlett cove. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Green Island in blue seascape. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Full moon, 1am, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Translucent iceberg near Mc Bride glacier, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Blue iceberg, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mc Bride glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs and reflexions, West arm. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Pointed peaks of Fairweather range emerging from clouds. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Coastal mountains with glacier dropping into icy fjord. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Beach with seaweed exposed at low tide in Reid Inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Iceberg and blue ice cave at the base of Reid Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Dwarf fireweed, Lamplugh glacier, and Mt Cooper. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Lupine, Lamplugh glacier, and turquoise bay waters. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Ice face of Lamplugh glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Lamplugh glacier and Mt Cooper, late afternoon. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Beach, translucent iceberg, Lamplugh Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Snowy mountains and icy fjord seen from high point, West Arm. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Margerie Glacier reflected in Tarr Inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Blue ice on the tidewater terminus of Margerie Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mount Fairweather and Margerie Glacier, sunrise. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Last sunrays catched by the moraine-covered face of Grand Pacific Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mount Forde, Margerie Glacier, Mount Eliza, Grand Pacific Glacier, at sunset. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Tarr Inlet and icebergs with the last light of sunset. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs and last light on mountain, Tarr Inlet, sunset. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Moss, dwarf fireweed, and rock. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Grizzly bear on rocks by the water. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Woman cooking eggs aboard small tour boat, with glacier in view. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Aerial view of Sitakaday Narrows, late afternoon. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Aerial view of Glacier Bay entrance. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mosses and trees in rainforest, Bartlett Cove. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Trunks in rainforest pond, Bartlett Cove. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Pond in rainforest, Bartlett Cove. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Tree carved by native Tlingit indians, Bartlett Cove. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Drake Island and Francis Island. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Drake and Francis Islands. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Tidal flats, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Rocks covered with mussels at low tide, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs near Mc Bride glacier, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Beached translucent iceberg and Muir inlet at dawn. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Translucent Iceberg near Mc Bride glacier, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs near Mc Bride glacier, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mud flats near Mc Bride glacier, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mud flats above White Thunder ridge, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs and mud flats near Mc Bride glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs and algae-covered rocks, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Beached icebergs and McBride Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Icebergs, McBride Inlet, and McBride Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mc Bride glacier, Muir inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Mc Bride glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Blue icebergs beached near Mc Bride Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Blue iceberg, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Iceberg, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Reflexions in Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Iceberg, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Ice and sunset reflexions, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Ice and reflexions, Mc Bride inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Accross the West arm from near Scidmore bay. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Charpentier inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Peaks and low rain clouds. Glacier Bay National Park (color) West Arm, sunset. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Storm clouds over the bay, West Arm. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Stream and West arm. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Snowy peaks and clouds raising above turquoise waters in sunny weather. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Lupine, Lamplugh glacier, and the Bay seen from a high point. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Lamplugh glacier and Mt Cooper. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Ice-choked waters, West arm. Glacier Bay National Park (color) West arm seen from the entrance of John Hopkins inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color) Ice-chocked waters in John Hopkins inlet. Glacier Bay National Park (color)