- March 4, 2001 (Day -4)
- March 6, 2001 (Day -2)
- March 7, 2001 (Day -1)
- March 8, 2001 (Day 1)
- March 10, 2001 (Day 3)
- March 11, 2001 (Day 4)
- March 12, 2001 (Day 5)
- March 13, 2001 (Day 6)
- March 14, 2001 (Day 7)
- March 15, 2001 (Day 8)
- March 16, 2001 (Day 9)
- March 17, 2001 (Day 10)
- March 18, 2001 (Day 11)
- March 19, 2001 (Day 12)
- Time Check: Day 12
- March 20, 2001 (Day 13)
- March 21, 2001 (Day 14)
- March 22, 2001 (Day 15)
- March 23, 2001 (Day 16)
- March 24, 2001 (Day 17)
- March 25, 2001 (Day 18)
- March 26, 2001 (Day 19)
- March 27, 2001 (Day 20)
- March 28, 2001 (Day 21)
- March 29, 2001 (Day 22)
- March 30, 2001 (Day 23)
- Time Check: Day 23
- March 31, 2001 (Day 24)
- April 1, 2001 (Day 25)
- April 2, 2001 (Day 26)
- April 3, 2001 (Day 27)
- April 4, 2001 (Day 28)
- April 5, 2001 (Day 29)
- Time Check: Day 29
- April 6, 2001 (Day 30)
- April 7, 2001 (Day 31)
- April 8, 2001 (Day 32)
- April 9, 2001 (Day 33)
- April 10, 2001 (Day 34)
- April 11, 2001 (Day 35)
- Time Check: Day 35
- April 12, 2001 (Day 36)
- April 13, 2001 (Day 37)
- April 14, 2001 (Day 38)
- April 15, 2001 (Day 39)
- April 16, 2001 (Day 40)
- Time Check: Day 40
- April 17, 2001 (Day 41)
- April 18, 2001 (Day 42)
- April 19, 2001 (Day 43)
- Time Check: Day 43
- April 20, 2001 (Day 44)
- Intermission
- April 21, 2001 (Day 45)
- April 22, 2001 (Day 46)
- April 23, 2001 (Day 47)
- April 24, 2001 (Day 48)
- April 25, 2001 (Day 49)
- April 26, 2001 (Day 50)
- April 27, 2001 (Day 51)
- April 28, 2001 (Day 52)
- Time Check: Day 52
- April 29, 2001 (Day 53)
- April 30, 2001 (Day 54)
- May 1, 2001 (Day 55) – Part I
- May 1, 2001 (Day 55) – Part II
- May 2, 2001 (Day 56)
- May 3, 2001 (Day 57)
- May 4, 2001 (Day 58)
- May 5, 2001 (Day 59)
- May 6, 2001 (Day 60)
- May 7, 2001 (Day 61)
- Time Check: Day 61
- May 8, 2001 (Day 62)
- May 9, 2001 (Day 63)
- May 10, 2001 (Day 64)
- May 11, 2001 (Day 65)
- May 12, 2001 (Day 66)
- May 13, 2001 (Day 67)
- May 14, 2001 (Day 68)
- May 15, 2001 (Day 69)
- Time Check: Day 69
- May 16, 2001 (Day 70)
- Time Check: Day 70
- May 17, 2001 (Day 71)
- May 18, 2001 (Day 72)
- May 19, 2001 (Day 73)
- May 20, 2001 (Day 74)
- May 21, 2001 (Day 75)
- May 22, 2001 (Day 76)
- May 23, 2001 (Day 77)
- May 24, 2001 (Day 78)
- May 25, 2001 (Day 79)
- Intermission – Part II
- May 27, 2001 (Epilogue)
May 5, 2001 (Day 59): Regal Princess, mouth of College Fjord – 8am
Health: OK.
Morale: Fair.
This has been the one day on this trip with prohibitively bad weather. Pulled open the curtains at 5.30am and there was nothing to see. There was low cloud cover and a steady traffic of blowing snow. I dashed up for a quick bite of breakfast before we went much further. Rachel, the naturalist, would be on the bridge narrating over the PA system, highlighting various sights and I did not want to miss a thing.
Instead of Rachel (the Naturalist), the Captain came over the PA and said that the weather had made visibility too poor to continue. The radar detected too much ice to safely proceed so the ship would stop and wait to see if things improved. It cleared up for a little while and the ship ventured forward slightly. Then, just as rapidly, the weather soured again. Certain that the weather would not improve enough to allow them to make this trip safely, we turned around and departed.
I understand their decision and accept it with regrets. Anna and I wandered out onto the open deck and could barely keep our eyes open against all of the blowing snow. About an inch or two of snow had accumulated on the deck making it very slippery. Two dozen or so people were on deck, huddled in the sheltered areas hoping for a change in the weather. If we continued forward in the present conditions, the number on deck would increase twenty-fold making the deck area potentially dangerous. Not being able to see through the snow would be the least of everyone’s problems.
At the mouth of the fjord, we can see stray bits of floating ice. It does not take much imagination to realize it is much more pronounced further in.
I temper my disappointment with the realization, heightened over the past couple days, that we will be coming back. Every day, in some cases every hour, has been like a new gift to open. Snow capped mountains emerging in broken rows from the sea. Like any fine work of art, viewing it from a different angle reveals a new picture. As we sailed out last night, I kept losing sight of the island we turned around because it appeared different at every angle. We watched storms move across the horizon, mixed with a clear sky. There are more bald eagles in the Gulf of Alaska than in the entire lower 48 states. I look forward to the time when I am indifferent when I see “another bald eagle”, but doubt that such a moment will ever arrive.
Gulf of Alaska en route to Glacier Bay – 2.30pm
Celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a lovely nap. Am now sitting upstairs, coffee in hand, watching the seas. The sky has now cleared leaving no hint that merely one-half hour ago it was snowing sideways. About one hour ago, the Captain made an announcement that the weather was expected to get worse. Due to the accumulation of snow on the deck, he urged caution when venturing outside. There was so much snow that the crew built a snowman on deck.
Still disappointed about College Fjord. This is probably my payback for giving the Denver folks a bad time about their recent freak snowstorm that dumped over eight inches of snow on them a couple days back. But these are the risks of traveling at this time of year.
The update from the crew describes the seas as moderate but hints that rougher water may be ahead. We were in Prince William Sound this morning and passed close to the reef where the Exxon Valdez ran aground. I consider us fortunate.
Despite the chilly weather, I am glad that Anna seems to be enjoying the cruise. Her enthusiasm for a return visit to Alaska is heartening. I know cold climates are not her cup of tea and this trip seems to have focused on them. She has enjoyed the lectures that Rachael, the shipboard naturalist, has given. Today the subject was killer whales. The talks have been interesting and she is sad that this is the last one for this trip.
Since Rachael is studying whales, humpbacks in particular, she knows a lot about whales in general. She had lots of fun information like how to tell porpoises from dolphins (spade shaped teeth vs. conical shaped teeth respectively). She reminded me of the two types of whales: odontocetes (with teeth) and mysticetes (baline whales). She also spoke of the different types of orcas. One type, transient orcas, is the biggest predators. She went on to describe how a group of five or six orcas preyed on a young blue whale. They started by biting off a chunk of the fin causing the whale to lose its ability to steer. Then they bit off parts of the fluke causing it to lose power. Finally, they bit into the blubber and began to peel the skin back. Pretty gruesome and very awful for the blue whale.
Evening
Another trivia victory (prize: stainless steel coffee mug) and a full table at dinner. Not a lot of discussion – although Ron tried to discuss astrology to limited success. We also went to the final production show tonight – sort of a rock and roll theme.
It is funny to think back to Helsinki and realize it is part of the same trip. It has been difficult to maintain; difficult to think of this as an 80-day trip. One portion segues into another. Düsseldorf hardly felt like a trip at all. Scandinavia and Russia melted into China, which blurred into Japan. It feels like we fell out of the sky and landed on this ship. Stockholm was a lifetime ago.
Excerpts from Anna’s journal included
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