Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

(Read part one here)

EXIT GLACIER

Sunday (Fathers Day), our plans included Stella, as her husband and his dad were out on a fishing trip. We woke to partly cloudy skies, but the clouds quickly blew off as the day got warmer. We wanted to take advantage of the great weather, starting with a hike at Exit Glacier.

The road to Exit Glacier is about six miles outside of Seward. Admission is currently free to this park, and has been for several years now. There is tent camping about halfway down the park road. We saw bear warning signs posted throughout the campground. There is a secure food locker and eating area set a distance from the tent sites.  That’s a little too nerve wracking for me - especially in a tent. I’d never sleep a wink, and every snap of a twig would have my heart racing.

There are two trails to hike at Exit Glacier as well as a one-mile wheelchair accessible trail. One of the hiking trails takes you up to an overlook where you can see the face of the glacier. It’s moderately strenuous (some uphill climbs) and can be buggy in the summer. We didn’t have much of a problem with mosquitoes at all on Sunday.

The other trail is 7.4 miles roundtrip, and is strenuous.  The website says that “Hikers gain approximately 1,000 feet of elevation with every mile and there are several rocky sections in the first mile that may require a bit of scrambling.”  That is some serious climbing. You don’t have to go all the way to the top to enjoy awesome views, so even going halfway would be an experience.

The three of us walked the easier trail to the glacier face. It was rather warm when we left the ranger station, and quite chilly (and windy) when we reached the overlook.  I guess it would be, standing next to one huge ice block! Those who weren’t prepared with a jacket or even a long sleeve shirt didn’t stay at the top very long.  Layers are a necessity in Alaska in all seasons.

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ACROSS THE BAY

After our hike at Exit Glacier, we drove back to the area across the bay that Steve and I had visited in the rain earlier. Steve threw a line in, while Stella and I went off looking for photo ops.  What a difference a day - and the sunshine - makes.

There’s a large marshy area next to the gravely beach, and the gulls and other shorebirds seemed to enjoy flying from tree to tree, swooping down to the water until they were nearly touching their wings to it.

The view of Seward from across the bay is beautiful. It’s really a great vantage point for seeing the town nestled up to the foot of the mountains. The trail to the top of Marathon Mountain is visible even from that distance. I’m amazed that hundreds of people are able to run up (and down) this mountain.

I zoomed and cropped a photo to show that there is someone at the top of the mountain! There are also folks climbing the trail in another photo I took.

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ALASKA SEALIFE CENTER

The Alaska SeaLife Center is a wonderful place to visit. While it’s not a large facility like the “Sea World” type attractions around the country, the SeaLife Center is Alaska’s only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center.  Admission is $20/adult and you can get discounted tickets through the Seward Military Resort. There are also discounts available via AARP, AAA, and AK Resident.  Through the resort, we saved $5 per ticket.

My favorite part of the center is the Seabird Habitat. I love puffins and they are abundant here. I could watch these colorful birds fly, dive and splash for hours.

There are also many fish tanks. Some hold only fish, while others hold beautiful anemones and various other sea creatures.  There are three big tanks visible from both floors. Above, you can see sea lions and harbor seals sunbathing, and puffins and other seabirds preening. Below, you can see the sea lion and seals swimming, and birds diving.

A central “Discovery Pool” allows you to touch anemones, starfish, and other sea creatures. Steve seemed to enjoy it!

The murres and puffins are so graceful underwater. It’s as if they’re flying.

A short time after we left the SeaLife Center, Stella’s husband and FIL returned from their fishing trip. Both caught some halibut and enjoyed a sunny day at sea. After having their fish cleaned and put into the freezer, the three of them came to our campsite for dinner. Steve grilled his tasty hamburgers, and we had all the fixins to make it a yummy dinner.  We were all exhausted from our long day in the sun, so we called it a night shortly after eating.

Steve and I had to get up early for our fishing/wildlife cruise excursions, and we were fast asleep before 10pm. Nothing like sunshine and fresh air to wear a person out.

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CAPTAIN’S CHOICE TOUR - KENAI FJORDS

In the seven years that we’ve lived here in AK, I’ve taken cruises with Kenai Fjords at least 6-8 times. I always book with Kenai Fjords when guests come to visit, and with the exception of one unsatisfactory trip (for which they refunded my money), I have always been pleased with the cruise and the service.

On this trip, I decided to try the Captain’s Choice Tour.  The Captain’s Choice Tour is on a smaller boat (holds 22 people) and is geared toward photographers and birding enthusiasts. It’s a little pricier, but with the military discount, it cost about the same as the Northwestern Fjord Tour.

Our boat, the Misty, was captained by Sherry Cruse (sounds like cruise *grin*), with a young man named Curran holding down the duties as First Mate. Before boarding, Sherry asked all of us what we were interested in seeing. Several passengers were ‘birders’ and they wanted to go in search of local birds so they could check them off in their guide books. I was more interested in whales and harbor seals, as were a few other folks on board. We all wanted to see a glacier, so Sherry took us to Aialik Glacier.

The Captain’s Choice Tour has no set route or schedule. You go where the birds and animals are, and you stay with them as long as you want. The tour is 9 hours long and two small meals are provided. There are also granola bars, fruit, and beverages available throughout the trip.

For breakfast, a cup of yogurt with fresh fruit and granola was served. It was delicious and took the edge off of my growling stomach. We also were served piping hot vegetable soup, a deli sandwich of turkey and provolone with a small bag of chips, and a chocolate brownie as we made our way back to Seward. Coffee, tea, and water were available all day, with soft drinks also available ($1 - honor system).

We had sunny skies as we left the bay, and the seas were calm. I was so thankful for this, as I didn’t relish wearing rain gear all day long, nor having to protect my camera from getting wet.  I really enjoyed myself a lot, and preferred the intimacy of being on a small boat with less than 20 passengers, over the larger boats with hundreds of people pushing and shoving to get a position at the rail when wildlife is spotted.

There were some cons to this tour, but not enough to keep me from doing it again.  The cons:

• A smaller boat means more pitching and rolling, which can be a challenge when trying to photograph birds and other wildlife. If you’re prone to seasickness, this might be an issue.
• Indoor seating is limited, which isn’t good if it is raining.
• Children are allowed on this tour. I’m not anti-children, but I do think that there should be an age restriction in place. (Perhaps 12+?) There were four boys on this tour (under the age of 8), and several times the Captain had to chastise them for running. They also thought nothing of pushing through to get to the front of the boat, knocking into me (and others) as we tried to take photos.  It’s a 9-hour tour, and most children don’t do very well when cooped up on a boat for that long.  Two of the boys got tired enough to nap, and their parents lay them down on the only indoor benches available for passengers. Which means the rest of us had to sit outside in the wind.
• Because the majority of the passengers were birders, the bulk of the trip was spent going in search of birds. On one hand, I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to see and photograph birds I’ve never seen before, but I would have liked to have seen more whales (we only saw one humpback, but we did see a pod of Orcas).

Here is what I liked about the Captain’s Choice Tour:

• The Captain and First Mate are very attentive to your needs. They learn your first name and call you by it.
• No matter where you are on the boat, you’re able to find a good spot to stand for photographs, without having to jostle against hundreds of other passengers.
• It’s easy to meet and converse with fellow passengers, especially since they share the same passion you do (whether it be birding or photography).
• If you’re cruising solo (which I tend to do when in Seward), you won’t be the only one aboard who is.
• The boat can get closer to the cliffs and caves for a better view of wildlife.
• It’s only $20 more than the 9-hour “big boat” cruise.

Aialik Glacier Pano

I will definitely do the Captain’s Choice cruise again, and I would recommend it to anyone who prefers a more intimate experience, specially tailored to your wants and interests. This tour gets two thumbs up from me!

Coming up: Seward to Talkeetna and then home