Wall of Sound_Finally, this....

The bay we were in filled with ice in minutes. From a few bergs in the pretty blue water to the set of Frozen. Ice crowded into the boat and we were gently rocking with the waves from three or more slides. Then, perhaps weakened by the last slide the area to the right began to peel off less than a minute after the last one stopped. This time it was a huge slice of the glacier, perhaps as long as a mile or more with just a single section about 2500 feet across. The berg then turned over with the black side up where it had scrapped the rocks for centuries. When it turned over a large wave rocked the boat and ice chunks taller than a three story house were floating everywhere. We were not in any danger but it felt a bit tense as the captain - who has done this for 27 years announced that this was the largest calving he had ever seen and we needed to leave so we could still push our way through the icy waters. What an amazing event to witness.

This happened across a wide area of the glacier

Suddenly, about a 1/2 mile of wall slide under water,

The ice then rolls over with what was the bottom on the tiop.

Then a lot of secondary slides began across the new face of the glacier

All most all the ice in the photo was added to the bay in about 20 minutes time.

Wall of Sound.. And Next (six photos)

Then to our right another slide and then a third back again toward our left.
My Friend Dennis wrote after Friday's post:

“Some see just ice…. My mind drifts to pondering what the earth was like when the snow fell to form the ice I can now see from thousands of years ago? Who was living nearby? How did they live? Did their descendants parish due to the harsh climate or are they still living close to where their ancestors made their homes? What animals were present? What did they eat? How did they subsist? … I also think about how privileged I am to be able to see the wonders of science, the chemistry of water compression and the physics of the calving of the ice. … I hope I never lose my desire to learn about everything and strive to understand how interconnected everything about our world really is.”

And yet we are still not done, further right again.

Then we move to the incredible.

Wall of Sound _ Then... (Four photos)

When last we viewed our glacier it was creaking and snapping and popping. Loud unmistakable sounds. Then, just a bit to the left of where Friday’s shot was taken, this happened:

These are the middle four of 15 images and from the first to the last encompassed 5 seconds. (these four are a total of 2 seconds apart)

So, are we done? Maybe not!

Home, Not Mine!

This seemed to be a most appropriate word for our current time.

“My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.” Isaiah 32:18 NLT

Glimpses of Spring (3 photos)

We need a respite from the winter and the unceasingly depressing news. How about some signs of spring? Welcome Spring 2020.

Wall of Sound

Nope, nothing to do with Phil Spector. We were onboard the Lulubell from Valdez and we sailed to the Columbia Glacier, a massive five mile wide 200 to 300 foot tall ice flow. The captain took us to about 1/4 mile from the glacier and shut down. We drifted toward the wall rather slowly but ended up less than 1000 feet where he kept us steady. You could hear cracks and creaks and snaps and booms and splashes over and over, some loud some subtle but never quiet. Looking at the photo, the colors, the many cracks and slits are easy to spot and each of those a potential fault leading to a large calving of ice. And we saw that - more on Monday.

Sea Cave Hideout

This pair of adult breeding Horned Puffins was spotted as the boat we were on, the Lulubell out of Valdez, Alaska, nosed into a sea cave.

Lake Louise Walk

The walk around Lake Louise in Banff provides lots of places to stop at gape at the views. The color of the water changes with the light and angle you view and the reflections. And everyone stops frequently to stare at the unfolding beauty.

Not the Emerald Isle

But in Alaska, with hours of sunlight in the summer, where trees and foliage grow they grow thick and fast. This 1950's era school bus was used for 4 decades then parked at the edge of the woods. Now hardly visible from 50 feet. Your green reclamation work has begun.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Yellow Boat Story

We were past the Chilkoot River and running out of road when I spotted this yellow boat. The apparent owner was sitting on the bay side of the road (house on the other side). So we turned around and I stopped close to his drive and walked over to ask if he minded if I went on his property to take a photo of the boat. He said, “I thought you stopped to see the bear.” What bear? There was a grizzly, sort of young and a bit bedraggled, in the shallow water about 50 feet to the right of the boat and I never saw it. At that point I asked if I could shoot both and he sort of smiled when he said yes. Another tourist! We had a nice visit with he and his adult daughter who was home to visit on her annual trip from Seattle.

Rolling

The clouds came swirling over the mountain and in a few minutes we were engulfed in the rain and the wind. The circumstances can change quickly in the mountains.

“When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.” Proverbs 10:25 NLT

What's for Dinner?

I know, lets have salmon!

Thar She.... (two photos)

This humpback signaled his presence with a huge spray and then dove in front of us. It was only a few dozen yards off shore. We were on the way to the Kenai Fjords National Park on the Park Service tour.

Upper Falls

We left the village of Banff on the Bow Valley Parkway to a hike in Johnson Canyon. This was a very unique walk deep in a steep canyon with lots of suspended walkways on the side of the canyon. We hiked to the Upper Falls. I don’t recall how far it was but the sound of the water in the canyon made it hard to talk to each other. The water was the glacial green and, in the early summer, was flowing fast and deep.

Just Us, pt two (2 photos again)

After the first two navigated the ridge and just as they were headed out of sight, a sibling and the mom appeared. The walked the same path and, for the second time, posed at the top. What was especially neat was that there were no other people around for miles. No one saw nor photographed the brief family parade. No one else holds that moment’s memory. Just us.

Just Us (2 Photos)

Cindy and I hiked up the Cathedral Mountain in Denali about 3 miles. Not to the top. As we turned to start down, still high on the ridge above us a male Dall Sheep appeared and stared out over the valley. After a couple of minutes he was followed by a young sheep as the male waited patiently viewing every step the young sheep took. But that was not the end. Stay tuned to this channel same time tomorrow.

Cold & Fast

Water from the Victoria Glacier flowing toward Lake Agnes in Banff National Park, Canada. The hike to this point is about 3.5 miles and about 1400 feet elevation gain. The views are spectacular and, if we had left a bit earlier and had known about the snow field, could have done a bit further and another 700 feet up to an even more all encompassing viewpoint. Next time. Loved this area.

On Wing

Near Haines, Alaska along the Chilkoot River this mature American Bald Eagle swooped out of a pine tree in front of us and dropped into the marsh.

“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NLT

Fisherwomen

This lady and three of her friends caught all these on a day of fishing for their annual” ladies off fishing” excursion. They were happy and headed to dinner shortly. In Homer, Alaska. I see salmon and halibut don’t know the rest.

Thunder

Roaring falls off a trail near Valdez, Alaska. Long hot hike that afternoon in clunky boots because of the mud and water on the trail. Oh, and bugs. But we saw seven of these falls. Tradeoffs.