Day 5

Today was our kayaking amongst icebergs day.  We started out with blue sky and mill pond still water.  The WEX anchored off the Reid Glacier, and the beginners group tried to paddle to it, but were blown back twice with gusts of wind up to 50 knots.  Our group was much more fortunate – paddled uneventfully up along the western shore and steered around the occasional little iceberg. I

We passed a wooden door in the side of the mountain – a legacy of a gold mine that was once in the area. It was operated by a married couple, he mined the ore and she handled putting the sacks into the dinghy and shipping it back to their cabin.  It was very productive – in their best year they made $39. They wanted to die in the wilderness but she got ill and was hospitalized where she died. He decided that it was time to join her so he shot himself. Reminded us  of the story of asbestos cottage in Kahurangi National park in New Zealand which had many parallels. When we rounded the head it was calm.

There was plenty of ice in the bay, but generally smaller than we would have preferred.  We were not allowed to get too close since 90% of the ice is below the surface and they can easily tip over. I read of an incident 100 years ago where six people decided to climb an iceberg. Just as they arrived at the berg it split in half and tipped over, almost swamping their boat. Had it happened 15 minutes later they would have been killed.

Our outward journey ended in front of the Lamplugh Glacier. It stood about 75 meters tall, and is considered a  tidal glacier since it meets the water at high tide.   In the centre of the glacier face a water fall of crushed rock sediment and water gushed out with great force, forming a huge cathedral shaped arch.  Inside the blue colour of the glacier shone through.  Generally it was a clean white/blue glacier without too much dirt in it.   We waited expectantly for a huge chunk to fall off and cause a minor tsunami, but no such luck.

 We beached our kayaks to the left of the glacier, and walked up the rock face and along the side of the glacier.  A very cold wind  howled off the face of the glacier, so we were thankful for our multiple layers.  Enjoyed an early lunch in the teeth of the wind. There was a lot of ice floating about in the water, and some on the beach (see below). Glacier ice is different to conventional ice in that it is comprised of a matrix of small chunks, almost like ice cubes, melded together into a tight lattice. It was neat to think that this ice we held was hundreds of years old.

Andrew was our guide again today, and gives one a sense of confidence in his capabilities in the event of disaster.  We walked up the hill to the left of the glacier and looked down on the fractured ice behind the glacier’s face. Very inhospitable and almost impossible to walk on.

No bears were to be seen so we were safe for another day. After the walk, we had the fun of paddling back to the mother ship.  Chris and I thoroughly enjoyed that because the waves were up, and we had a stiff head wind once we rounded the last point.  Were finally paddling from our hips rather than just our shoulders – digging into the wind.  Felt good – and as usual we were the first back.  The swell was such that we were washed on board rather than pulled.  Great big following waves that made for a lovely paddle.

I treated myself to a shower (having taken a full frontal wave a couple times) and the WEX sailed for more glacier spotting.   During dinner we arrived at the Margerie Glacier and the Grand Pacific.  The Margerie was a tidal glacier, pretty white with the unearthly blue showing through many torturous crevasses.  The Grand Pacific on the starboard side was another story all together.  Two miles wide, a solid black, brooding mess of crushed rock and ugliness.  Strangely enough no one took any photos of that one.  For starters it looked more like a slag heap than a glacier.  Thus ended another perfect day.

On to the next day ...