Mark & Gill

Gorgeous morning for arrival in Seward – situated on the Kenai Peninsula at the head of Resurrection Bay and the end of our cruise. It’s a historic scenic town and harbour and is also known as the “Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.

The town is sandwiched between the Kenai mountains and the waters of Kenai Fjords National Park, with Mt. Marathon rising steeply behind the town. it is a 2.5 hour drive south to Anchorage from here. On July 4th there is a marathon run up/down the mountain ..the winner did it in 45 minutes this year.

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Bluebird day. Perfect for sailing and viewing a glacier. Bit chilly first thing but then almost T shirt in the sun! Hubbard Glacier, in eastern Alaska and part of Yukon, Canada, and named after Gardiner Hubbard. It is nicknamed the “Galloping Glacier, because of how quickly it’s advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska through Disenchantment Bay. Moving about 7′ a day. In fact, its movement temporarily formed a natural dam that twice closed off nearby Russell Fjord from the bay, but the intense water pressure building within the fjord-turned-lake has so far been enough to explode through the wall of ice.

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Sitka is a gorgeous little place with a blend of Alaska Native (Kiksadi clan Tlingit people), Russian and American history. It’s spread over Baranof Island, part of Chichagof Island and others. Sitka was the capital of Russian Alaska.

The islands are covered in beautiful spruce, cedar and hemlock trees with houses tucked in bays and some have impressive looking launches moored close by. Essential modes of transport. Against a backdrop of mountains with streaks of icy snow it is extremely picturesque.

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Sure felt like it today. Biting wind except it was from the south according to the Boss.

Skagway is part of North American pioneering legend and home to gold-rush-era buildings now preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Some thousands of eager prospectors set out on their way to the Yukon, seeking their fortunes during the gold rush. Lots of  history to be seen here. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad run vintage locomotives past the famously steep Chilkoot trail and offer sweeping mountain views during a climb towards Canada. We clamboured aboard and really enjoyed  a trip to White Pass Summit and back. Great scenery and an appreciation of the madness that must have gripped the gold seekers. Enjoyed exploring Skagway town afterwards and a film about the Klondike gold rush. Didn’t  realise books “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang” were based on this time.

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Juneau is Alaska’s remote capital at the base of 3,819-ft. Mount Roberts. It’s  reachable only by boat, regularly from Canada, a once/week plane or floatplane due to the rugged terrain around it. The city center, hugs the side of Mt Juneau and Mt Roberts,  with narrow streets running past a mix of new structures, old storefronts and slanted houses held together by a network of long staircases.

The Juneau Icefield is the 5th largest in the western hemisphere and the source of around 40 large valley glaciers and 100 smaller ones. Best known views are the Tracy Arm accessible from Juneau, Glacier Bay and Mendenhall Glacier.

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Ketchikan, is known as Alaska’s “First City”, and  is recognized for its narrow downtown district against a backdrop of steep mountains. Thirty-one miles long and hugging the bluffs along the ocean shoreline, homes and businesses are built on stilts above the water. Very pretty approach this morning through clearing rain and low cloud.

Ketchikan is at the southernmost entrance to the Alaskan part of the Inside Passage – best known for salmon, scenery, rain and native culture. Ketchikan is also known as “The Salmon Capital of the World.”

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Today was a sea day cruising the Inside Passage, a network of passages weaving through the islands on the Pacific Coast of North America. We woke to pretty scenes of wooded hillsides running down to the water with an occasional house and little fishing boat to be seen. At times the water was like glass, later developing to a slight swell and a little roll. The afternoon was mostly sea fog with zero view but largely in an open space of ocean anyway.

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Relaxed morning packing, chinwagging and saying farewells. Trained into city for late lunch and boarding the Silver Shadow. Had such a good time with previous cruise mates,  hard to believe it was two years ago. Planning for 2019 in progress.

Cruised out at 6pm. Stunning weather. Stunning sunset. Great views of Vancouver and enjoying millpond waters in the Salish Sea. Appropriate drinks to celebrate departure and dined well (although they need a lesson in cooking NZ lamb-perhaps I can get a job here and cruise longtime).

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“We’re going on a bear hunt, We’re going to see a big one”

Today we did see two grizzly bears up close on Grouse Mountain. Both orphaned and now living in 5 1/2 acres on the mountain above Vancouver. Bears named Coola and Grinder who have been there since 2001. They are regarded as a “keystone species”, critical in regulating the forest eco-systems in British Columbia.

A very hot day and they were pretty much just chilling.. one sitting in the pond (Coola as it happened) and the other foraging in the swamp and dandelions. There are also bears around the area where we are but fortunately not seen up close on our walks.

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Two days in Vancouver prior to cruise and catching up with friends and one business meeting for Mark.

Stunning weather. We are staying in beautiful Port Moody on the Burrard Inlet. Caught up with Marg and Neil this morning and admired her progress and the new below knee prosthesis (osseointegration surgery) which has revolutionized her life. Wow.

Tonight was Crab and Shrimp Pot with the ex Vietnam Cruise Team. Awesome fun and the crab a new experience for us. ( I declined to help with the “euthanasia”).

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