A little breezy today, but the fog and rain from yesterday
was gone. We got a late start and headed for Margerie Glacier, at the head of
Tarr Inlet.
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| Departing South Sandy Cove |
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| Random Glacier Bay view |
The trip up was long but beautiful. The sky wasn’t totally
clear, but the clouds were high enough that the views were still good.
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| Check out this tunnel! |
Getting to Margerie Glacier was easy since there wasn’t much
ice in the water. On the way in I checked out an “anchorage” that I’d heard
about. It’s on the south shore, so close to Margerie Glacier that it’s plainly
visible. The views were stunning—the calving face of the glacier was just a few
miles away—but it didn’t seem safe. The bottom was deep, steep to, and poorly
charted. Drifting ice could hit the boat. I so wanted to stay the night, but
heading out to Reid Inlet was the safer option.
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| Following Airship |
We watched Margerie for about 45 minutes and saw a bit of
calving. Compared to Dawes Glacier, which I visited four times this summer,
Margerie is much larger but in many ways less dramatic. The setting is
magnificent to be sure, but it’s not as intimate as the fjord that holds Dawes.
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| Margerie Glacier |
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| Margerie Glacier. Can you find Airship? |
The trip back out to Reid Inlet was easy, but anchoring in
Reid Inlet was kind of wild. Reid Glacier is at the head of Reid Inlet. It’s no
longer a tidewater glacier, so there’s no calving ice and it’s a safe
anchorage. But the outflow winds sometimes blow strongly from the glacial
valley. Today was one of the windy days, steady 20 knots, gusting to 30. I got
the anchor set and Airship rafted
alongside. We quickly realized this plan wouldn’t work. The anchor held, but
the conditions were just too rough. So I pulled the anchor up and we moved
outside Reid Inlet. I re-anchored in the lee of the Reid Inlet bar in much
calmer conditions.
55.81 nm today
2055.62 nm total
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