I am sure that you must have wondered why there have been no posts for some time, eons in fact. Well, although I have been back on the “Amsterdam” on an Alaskan itinerary, try as I might, I have been unable to write a post owing to WiFi ‘challenges’ on the particular internet link I use.
It’s a long story, however the bandwidth on the particular link was been severely limited, so much so that I was unable to post a picture, let alone access my site to do so; after several attempts, over several days, the “wheel of death” on my computer screen became annoying, to say the least. I now write from the comfort of my desk at home, with the satisfaction of being able to download at lightning speed.
Having re-joined at the beginning of August and having set sail from Seattle towards Juneau; I spent the first 2 days in thick fog, not an auspicious start and leaving me wondering what on earth I was doing here 🙄
August remained mainly dull, with overcast skies and yet more fog, however September was another matter, blue skies and glorious sunshine for the month. The seasons seemed out of ‘kilter’, September is usually fraught with strong winds, yet there were none.
Our itinerary took us from Seattle to Juneau, thence to Yakutat Bay and Hubbard glacier, on to Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria BC and back to Seattle; 7 days of early mornings on the Bridge.
In the preceding years, I have been in Alaska for too many times to count, at least 15 ‘seasons’ of them, yet the beauty of the land always leaves in awe, it is, in a word, stunning.
Of course, I have always had my camera nearby; while at sea it sits on the Bridge, ever-ready and during jaunts ashore, it accompanies me. So, this post is a compendium of some of the places we visited.
I was so fortunate to have Sam, Anthony, Ollie and Emily sail with me and Karen 🙂
Juneau………..
Arriving Juneau, the Gastineau channel, shrouded by a fog bank, lies ahead.
Mt. Roberts tramway takes you from downtown Juneau to the top of Mt. Roberts
Fishing boats discharging their salmon catch at Taku fisheries.
Juneau in the early evening
Mendenhall glacier, a few miles north of Juneau.
A glorious sunset
Onwards then to Yakutat Bay, at the north end of which lies Hubbard glacier; the largest Tidewater glacier in North America. The photos, taken over several visits, have varying weather. Despite inclement weather in the lower Bay, Hubbard’s ‘Eco-climate’ always assisted in clearing the weather, when near the ‘face’.
As we turn into Yakutat Bay, 60 miles away lies Mt.St. Elias, 18,000 ft.
Our destination, 25 miles ahead
Brash ice and ‘growlers’ to negotiate to get there.
Almost there….
And this is what we came for………(When playing, click on the bottom right of the screen for ‘full screen mode’)
On Henke Island, a sea-lion rookery
Leaving Hubbard, our last visit of the season.
Onwards then, to Sitka……The “Fortress of the Bears” and some Fly-fishing for Salmon. Karen, (who was with me for 2 weeks); her Brother, Tom and his wife Lara.
No need to anchor anymore, a dock has been built…
“Forest of the Bears” sanctuary, where orphaned bears are cared for.
Everyone was successful, salmon galore, Catch & Release of course
Ketchikan…………
The ‘Lumberjack’ show, (Olly and Emily loved it)
“Time Bandit” of the “Deadliest Catch” series, she was apparently in for engine repair.
Creek Street, once the ‘red light’ district when Ketchikan was the salmon capital of the world
Dolly’s house is now a tourist attraction, with ‘ladies of the night’ still hang around the door
Some Wildlife photos…………..
On our way north, towards Hubbard, in the Gulf of Alaska, a pod of Orca pass
On our way to Juneau, pods of Humpback whales on the feed. Early morning and mist from their blows caught in the sun.
This one had just ‘breached’, however I wasn’t quite quick enough…
So, dear readers, after what seems an interminable length of time, I have achieved what should have been fulfilled much earlier. I some time off now and will be re-joining the “Amsterdam” in January 2019 for another Grand World Voyage. I remain optimistic that those WiFi challenges will have been put to rest and I will be able to take you around the globe (pictorially at least) again.
