Let's Just Go Somewhere: Glacier Bay Part 1: Reid and Lamblugh Glaciers

(Note: Since I took over 360 pictures and 11 videos today, I decided it might be easier to read and look at the pictures and videos if I broke up it up into 3 smaller posts. Enjoy!)

On Thursday morning, the cruise ship arrived very early at Glacier Bay National Park. Three rangers from the park were brought out to the ship at about 6 am. The boat carrying the rangers pulled up alongside the cruise ship which had slowed down to about 3 knots. The ranger boat tethered to the cruise ship and the rangers climbed on board via a ladder.

Glacier Bay National Park covers over 3 million acres and is so interesting not just because of its beauty and wildlife but because it is a relatively new glacier area. Prior to 1750, the area surrounding Glacier Bay was inhabited by the Tlingit tribe. Then, the glaciers expanded out to the ocean forcing the Tlingits to move away. Since 1750, the glaciers have receded back 65 miles to where they are today. Some of the glaciers in Glacier Bay are still retreating; but others are staying about the same.

Glacier Bay National Park has over 400,000 visitors a year...most of them via cruise ship (like us)!

As you can see from the pictures in this post, Glacier Bay is one of the main reasons to get a balcony room if you have the opportunity to go an Alaskan cruise. All of the pictures were taken from the balcony deck off our room except for a few pictures I took up on the upper decks when the ship was turning around.

While it was foggy behind us...

the weather was nearly perfect in front of us and for the entire day in Glacier Bay: a little cool, a little cloudy, but no rain and no fog.

We completely enjoyed watching the quietness, beauty, and solitude of Alaska's immense wilderness as we sailed deeper into the bay.

Chuck scanned the shore through the binoculars hoping to see a bear or a moose.

At this point, we started seeing tiny icebergs that had broken off the glaciers.

I had brought part of my breakfast back to the room. I even enjoyed a cup of coffee and a chocolate-filled croissant on the balcony while we were touring Glacier Bay. You can tell from my red nose that it was it was a little chilly outside (46 degrees).

Around 9 am, one of the rangers began a "audio tour" of Glacier Bay National Park speaking over the ship's intercom system and television pointing out the different glaciers and many interesting features about the park. One of the first things the ranger suggested, was to try to find a quiet place on the ship where you could, for the short time we had in Glacier Bay, just sit back and watch the beauty of this incredible place...exactly what we wanted to do!

In the pictures below, is Reid Glacier.

Reid Glacier a retreating glacier that is currently 3/4 mile wide, 150 feet high (at its peak) and 10 miles long.

When I zoomed up the lens, we could get a better idea of how big Reid Glacier was.

Occasionally, the sun would peep out and I was able to get some really awesome pictures of the mountains.

How's this for the perfect "room with a view"?

As we approached the entrance to John Hopkins Inlet, we could see the Lamplugh Glacier, which is also about 3/4 mile wide but is 16 miles long and about 150-160 feet tall at its peak.

The ranger informed us we would go into the John Hopkins Inlet where we would be able to see the John Hopkins Glacier on our way back out of Glacier Bay. There was another cruise ship following behind us and we had to "take turns" going to the different glaciers.