June 20, 2022 Day 24: N Arm of Dundas Bay to Reid Inlet Glacier Bay National Park: 93 miles- 1985 total miles
We got up early this morning, before 6:00 AM so we could get good tides, wind, and hopefully time the Glacier Bay Lodge breakfast. As we were pulling up the anchor Chris and I saw another bear. (The kids were still sleeping.)
As we were leaving Dundas Bay the fog was starting to roll in. It was beautiful how it was hitting the mountains. Once we got into Icy Strait the fog was in full force. We had to slow down because we couldn’t see anything. The slower we went the more likely I wouldn’t get a nice hot breakfast that I didn’t have to cook or clean up after. Luckily the fog lifted a bit and we were able to go fast again!
Breakfast ended at 9:00 AM and we got to Bartlett Cove at 8:20 AM. We had to dock, go to the bathroom and figure out how to get to the lodge, but we finally made it at 8:30 AM! The breakfast was like a hotel buffet style. It did have eggs, potatoes, meats, pancakes, cereals, oatmeals, bagels, muffins, fruit, yogurt. I was very glad we made it in time! Ryan said that it was just what he needed! My kids love pancakes, waffles, french toast, etc., but they like it all with syrup. I decided before we left on our trip that our boat would be syrup free so they were excited to have syrup at the lodge!
After breakfast we found out that they do in fact have showers and laundry for boaters. The laundry is quarter operated, but you have to pay for the shower in the gift shop. When you pay they give you a key that unlocks the room to the shower. We got everything we needed for showers and laundry and went to find them. They are both in the same room behind the lodge. We all took turns showering and did our laundry. While we waited for laundry we hung out in the lobby of the lodge to use the internet. After laundry we got gas. To get gas we had to radio the lodge and then they sent someone down. It did take a bit of time. Then for some reason we couldn’t pay there, Chris had to go to the gift shop inside the lodge to pay. He surprised me by getting some sandwiches that they sold in the gift shop for lunch a little later today.
After all the chores we were off to explore Glacier Bay National Park! We decided to anchor in Geikie Inlet in Shag Cove for lunch. We saw a black bear walking around the beach there. We anchored just past the bear and we started eating our lunch. As we were eating the bear got closer and closer to us. It was fun to watch this guy climb over big boulders, get on his hind legs trying to reach berries, and use a tree to scratch its back. He was close enough that we could watch him without binoculars, but from the safety of our boat.
After we ate we pulled anchor and started to leave Shag Cove. I noticed another black bear up on a hillside sitting in the snow there. He looked just like a little dog lounging around. This was our 24th bear, on our 24th day of our trip! How perfect!
The kids also loved that a hummingbird got really close to the boat window and just hovered there. I don’t know if we’ve had a more perfect lunch spot!
We made our way to Reid Inlet so we could anchor there for the night. There is a glacier there, Reid Glacier, that once was a tidal glacier( where it comes all the way to the water, and bits of it break off to form icebergs) .It’s not quite a tidal glacier anymore, but you can dinghy over to the shore and walk to the glacier. Most people highly recommend it, so it was a must on our list of things to do in Glacier Bay.
On our way to Reid Inlet there were a lot of humpback whales that were fun to watch.
We got to Reid Inlet and the glacier was just right there. While a lot of our other anchorages were very scenic with the snow capped mountains and lush forests, this one felt more otherworldly. There was some vegetation, mostly little bushes. There was a ton of dirt, rocks, and boulders. It was impressive to see what this glacier has done to the landscape.
At Reid Inlet there were 4 other boats at the anchorage where we anchored at, and 1 more at the other anchorage in the inlet. We anchored at the anchorage further from the glacier. There were a few big nice boats anchored there. Then there was one small boat that was mostly open to the outside. The people in that boat put up a tarp over their boat (as it started to rain) and slept that way. We aren’t more luxurious than many boats, but I was feeling pretty good about our boat after seeing that. There were also two tents set up on the beach.
Bear Count: Today: 2 Total: 24
Ryan’s Thoughts: We went to Glacier Bay and found a black bear. It stood up on its hind legs and it got close. And we saw a hummingbird super up close. I’m so happy!
Lillian’s Thoughts: Today was good, so we ate breakfast and saw a lot of bears and ate lunch, then goodnight.
