Alaska on the Amsterdam Week 2


Day 10 June 16, 2015

Sailing the Tracy Arm

We sailed up the Stephens Passage all morning, and just after lunch we turned into Holkham Bay, past Harbor Island and into the Tracy Arm named after a Secretary of the Navy probably during Teddy Roosevelt’s time. He was the president who designated the Tongass National Rain Forest as a preserve. The day began very overcast, but the ceiling lifted about the time we turned into Tracy Arm, and within an hour the sun was out. There was very little wind, and it was much warmer than last week. Tracy Arm, as I said last week, is a true Fjord about a 1000 fee deep in most areas, and the walls rise up sharply about 3000 feet on either side. Many waterfalls on both sides add to the beauty and excitement. By 4:00 we were stopped very near the Sawyer Glacier which was magnificent in the sunlight with the “blue” ice rivaling the blue sky. Yesterday we saw three or four whales, and today there were many more in the Holkham Bay which is a active feeing area for the humpbacks. The sea lions were popular too, with many of females and their pups lounging on the floating ice. The ship stopped for about 30 minutes at the glacier, and slowly turned around and began the exit which took as much time as the entry since the ship is restricted to a speed of 8 to 10 knots.

The entire scene all day long is beyond description, and even with more than 50 pictures taken today, there is no way to capture the depth of the valleys, and the contrasts of the snow, the water, the sheer barren faces of the mountains. Supper was plentiful and more than adequate, and since I had not seen the movie: “The Theory of Everything”, that became our entertainment for the evening. Two miles were walked on deck after breakfast, and another two before supper. We are back in the Stephens Passage now at midnight and should arrive in Juneau about day break. Sunrise will be at 3:17am! There is still some light in the west! The shortest night is coming this week. 




Father Tom Boyer