Travel – Page 22 – A Darker View

A Tidewater Glacier

A wall of ice, hundreds of feet high, towering above the water with jagged teeth waiting to crush any hapless vessel below under blocks of ice the size of minivans. The stuff of adventure novels and endless nature documentaries. Such places do exist, where the power of nature is seen raw and in full glory. Witnessing such a spectacle is worth making the effort to get to one of these remote places, where rivers of ice meet the sea.

The towering face of Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, 28 June 2004

At the northern end of Glacier Bay several glaciers still ride on the tide. This entire fjord was once filled with ice. When the early European explorers first sailed into Icy Straight they were met with a wall of ice where the mouth of Glacier Bay now sits exposed. The ice has retreated over sixty five miles, and a number of the glaciers no longer reach tidewater. But those that do provide a show worth sailing up to see.

The show is generally best on a rising tide, as the sea level increases the face of the glacier is lifted and the most unstable pillars of ice come crashing down. Watching from a safe distance gives a chance to see the process in action. No guarantee of a large collapse, no way to predict what will fall on any given day. One can only try to time their visit with high tide to allow the best chance of seeing ice collapses.

When one of the towering seracs does collapse it generally gives warning, small ice falls around it increase in frequency. Something that large does not move fast, but collapses with a slow motion slide into the water. A photographer with a ready camera will have ample opportunity to grab a few frames as the avalanche of ice comes down. The collapse will create a large wave that threatens any nearby vessels, wise to stay well back. Even half a mile away the waves created by the ice will rock any vessels in the fjord.

Postcard from Alaska – Float Plane

The weather was forecast to be perfect, no clouds, blue skies and warm. Unusual weather for Juneau, even the locals were commenting on the hot days. Given the forecast I set up arrangements for something I had wanted to do, take Deb on a float plane trip over the Juneau Ice Field.

We had wanted to do this last time we were here, but the weather supplied a day with sullen grey skies and drizzling rain, stopping the plan. This time we had a whole morning available, an opportunity not to be squandered.

The float plane itself is part of the treat for those who love aircraft. A DeHavilland Otter is a legendary aircraft. Asking the pilot I find that this one was built in 1958, quite a bit older than I am.

The pilot looked at my six foot height and offered me the most spacious seat in the aircraft, the co-pilots seat, a rare treat and the best seat in the plane for photography. But I had done this before, riding the co-pilot’s seat of an even older DeHavilland Beaver. I asked him to put Deb up front in my stead. She owes me.

Taking off we bounce over the water and between the towering cruise ships crowding the harbor. The takeoff is surprising fast, we quickly soar above the city and head south for the Taku Glacier. My camera had a fresh 4Mb card and battery, but I aim and fire repeatedly. I will have to change the card before this flight is over.

A beautiful flight over stunning terrain, I have over 200 photos to go through. Ice as far as we could see, the plane carrying us into a world so different from what we know in our daily lives. If you visit Juneau, and the weather cooperates, I highly suggest you take this plane.

A DeHavilland Otter built in 1958, used to fly air tours out of Juneau

Juneau

Today we land in Juneau. It is a little wierd, I have been to this northern city so many times. A place that I have never lived, but know my way about reasonably well. The ritual is always the same… Check the boat, go over the shopping list, drive about town to buy the mountain of supplies it takes to spend a week or two exploring and fishing. Fred Meyer, Costco, Western Marine… The places where I can find the mutitude of items on The List.

The Nordic Quest underway near Tenakee, AK

Between stops for groceries, there may be a trip or two to the airport to meet a flight. Not that Juneau Airport is any trouble. Three gates, one baggage claim, you can park just a few yards from where your folks are grabbing the bags. An uncle, a good family friend, the rest of the crew for the trip. Another run down Eagan drive to Aurora Harbor.

Errands completed, grocieries stowed, we will finally slip the lines and head down Gasineau Channel. The desination is Icy Strait and Glacier Bay. We will not make it all the way there, getting started too late in the day. Where will we anchor for the night? Swanson Harbor? Funter Bay? Depends on how late we get started, how long the light lasts.

Postcard from Alaska – Arriving Juneau

Arrival in Juneau is always pleasant. This is a very small airport, far smaller than even Kona or Hilo. As a result there are no long lines, no mile long walk to the rental car agency, no shuttle vans or snarled traffic awaiting once you do free yourself from the terminal. Walk from the gate down one flight of stairs to the single baggage claim. Forty feet from the luggage you find the rental desks, where you pick up a key and walk out into the parking lot just outside the terminal for your vehicle. A complete contrast to our experience with the enormous labyrinth that is SEA or PDX.

The jet was a 737-800 Combi model, the front half was air cargo, with a bulkhead just over the wing. We boarded and debarked by walking across the tarmac to stairs at the tail of the plane. I expect to walk across the flightline in Kona, but at SeaTac?!

Alaska Air Combi — Alaska Air flight 61 unloads cargo and passengers in Juneau

Another Hop Across The Pond

It is always a little wierd… I am just starting a vacation, in a plane of folks who are ending theirs. Thus is the strangeness of living in Hawai’i. Talking in the gate with fellow passengers I get asked how was my vacation, “Don’t know yet, I am just starting out”. The reaction is always the same, a little surprise and a little envy, “Oh! you live here!” A good way to start a conversation, we all have little else to do but kill time.

Eastbound — Alaska flight 804 eastbound over the Pacific, bound for Seattle.

One part I never look forward to is the first part of the trip, the five hour hop to the mainland. This will make the third time in a month counting last months trip to visit family and attend Oregon Star Party. Four times in two months, then I stay home for a while.

The flight does not start well, a loud thud and a lurch are all we get when we should be rolling back from the gate. It seems the ground crew has broken a tow-bar. The delay turns the pilot’s promise of an early departure into a fifteen minute delay as they inspect the nose landing gear for possible damage.

This time I remebered to pack a water bottle and some munchies. A bag of cajun spiced trail mix keeps hunger at bay. At least until I can get a quick dinner in the terminal at SeaTac. That will have to do, arrival in Portland will not occur until a bit before midnight.

Overnight in Portland, a chance to have breakfast with my mother before heading to the airport and another flight. This time the destination is Juneau, flying with my Father to pick up the boat.

The tickets were booked far enough ahead that I had my choice of seats. A window seat as usual, I do enjoy the view. This time we went right over the cauldera of Haleakula. I set up the GoPro to do a timelapse using a suction cup mount in the window, it should be a nice bit of video. I hope to use the GoPro in a little creative fun, inspired by some of Mark’s latest projects.

Five hours to Seattle. Three of those hours are now gone as I write this. Two more hours in this seat. At least the inevitable crying baby is far enough forward that the screams are muffled. I look up from typing at a seemingly endless expanse of water and clouds. Pretty, but the sight of land and the end of this flight will be welcome.

Approaching PDX

About now this is probably the view I will have out the window…

PDX Approach — The propeller of a Bombardier turboprop glowing in the landing lights while on approach to PDX

Gone Fishing

Again we are taking the boat out, another voyage on the Nordic Quest. This time the destination is Icy Strait, Glacier Bay and other points west of Juneau. It has been a few years since I have been through this area, it should be fun. There are old favorite sights that I can see over gain, there are a few places I have meant to check, hopefully there will be opportunities to do so.

Gone Fishing may be a misleading title, I pack no fishing gear. I do pack plenty of camera gear. If past trips are any indication there will be plenty of photos as a result of this journey.

Never fear, no internet does not mean a lack of posts here on Darker View. I have scheduled plenty of material to post while I am traveling. I admit some of these are old articles, yes, there are reposts. But they are good old articles! I am still moving stuff from the old blog, and this is as good an excuse as any to move over some more Alaska posts and photos. There is also some really old stuff, some things salvaged from my old website that predates the blog. I have put some of this under a new category, Fish Tales.

I hope to return to civilization eventually. Hopefully well supplied with Salmon and Halibut. Until then, enjoy a little visual beauty…

Nordic Quest 2011 from Andrew Cooper on Vimeo.

Streaming

Postcard from Hawaii – Alaskan Halibut

One of the dividends of an Alaskan cruise is the fish we brought back. Processed, vacuum packed and frozen while on the boat, the fish was packed into a cooler and checked for the flight back to Hawai’i. It is a bit nerve-wracking, waiting for the cooler to appear on the baggage carousel in Kona. Appear it did, all of the contents still frozen solid as we loaded it into the freezer at home.

Thirty five pounds of coho salmon, halibut and picked dungeness crab. Light on the salmon, I gave much of it to my brother. Heavy on the halibut, on orders from my wife. We did well on crab, I pulled up full traps several times and we picked crab for hours on the back deck as we cruised along. Pick half a crab… eat a leg! It was a tasty way to go.

Last week I noted the market had frozen wild-caught dungeness crab, at $26 a pound. Halibut was a bit more expensive at Costco. Figure there was about $900 worth of seafood in that cooler. We will be eating well…

Pan Seared Halibut — Pan seared halibut in garlic, onion and pepper, over brown rice.

Tracking the Aurora Borealis

As our Sun continues through the current solar maximum we should have plenty of opportunities to view one of the most sublime of all natural spectacles, the Aurora Borealis.

While traveling in Alaska and other northern regions there is always a possibility of a good showing. To make the most of the opportunity a little information cane be useful…

Solar Activity

Solar activity waxes and wanes in an eleven year cycle. When active there are increased numbers of sunspots and solar flares. It is this activity that can have such a dramatic effect here on Earth. A strong solar flare can be accompanied by a release of enormous quantities of material from the Sun. Called a coronal mass ejection (CME) this material streams outwards from the Sun. If the Earth happens to be in the path this material will strike the Earth’s magnetic field, causing the field to distort and reverberate with the impact. Charged particles are channeled into the atmosphere along the magnetic field to create a glowing spectacle.

Our current solar maximum should run through 2013 and into 2014 providing excellent auroral viewing conditions for the next year or two.

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