View from the back of the ship of Tracy Arm Fjord
This morning we sailed into Tracy Arm Fjord where the mountain ranges are high and close to the ship. The captain navigated through some sharp turns and narrow channels. As we proceeded up the fjord, there was more and more ice in the water.
These ice flows are from the Sawyer Glacier at the end of the fjord. The mountainsides in this area are steep and abundant in glacier-fed streams and waterfalls.
Some Dumb Glacier--No, I'm not kidding, that's REALLY its name!
Shopping in Juneau
There’s nothing like waking up in the morning, throwing open your curtain, stepping out onto your stateroom’s balcony, and being confronted with astounding scenery: white-glacier-topped mountains showing off their green slopes of pine trees dotted with rolling streams and waterfalls.
Some typical Juneau shops
As we first sail into Tracy Arm, we encounter a hanging glacier high up on the mountainside. Now, this glacier is not very different from hundreds of other glaciers in the area…except for its name. It seems there was a fellow wandering around in this area some time ago and got lost. When he radioed the park rangers for help they asked him to look around to see if there were any identifiable features. He replied that all he saw was “some dumb glacier.” Well, the name stuck, so this glacier is officially named “Some Dumb” Glacier.
Inside the famous Red Dog Saloon
In the afternoon we arrived at the capital city of Alaska: Juneau. There, one can explore Mendenhall Glacier, go whale watching, enjoy a salmon bake, or have many other Alaskan adventures. Juneau is a very busy city–ships, floatplanes, fishing boats, and airplanes are always coming and going.
Mt. Roberts Gondola (you can hike up and ride down if you want)
We chose to stay in town to do a little shopping and then checked on our group of clients hanging out at the Red Dog Saloon–where Jack London himself would sit and write many of his stories.
Float plane landing by the ships the Juneau harbour
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