Lee

Columbia Glacier Day Trip 6/20/14

On a day with a forecast of “100% chance of rain” we enjoyed hours of paddling, a sun that peeked through a cloudy sky, stunning sights and sounds, and a great guided tour of Columbia Glacier. This trip is not to be missed during a Valdez visit!!

Our day started with a lovely scenic cruise through the magnificent Prince William Sound.  Aboard the Alcyon, I was able to snap a few shots of some pretty up close and personal Humpback whale watching by those on fellow Anadyr water taxi, the Bluff Watch.

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After about an hour and twenty minutes of cruising and sightseeing, we were dropped off at Heather Bay, where we kayaked along the shoreline and passed a beautiful water fall. We also took a short hike to check out a pretty alpine lake and stretch out our legs for a bit.

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Guide manager and water taxi captain Scott Hocking dropping us off for our kayaking adventure
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A view of Heather Bay
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Beautiful sight and sound!

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Returning to our kayaks, we headed into Columbia Bay, a massive ice field of impressive, natural ice sculptures!

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For our lunch stop we hiked up a small hill to catch a pretty incredible view of the bay with Columbia Glacier in the distance.

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Anadyr guide Morgan Ahearn is a true New Yorker who also happens to be thoroughly wilderness savvy and an incredibly experienced waterman.

I really appreciated the warm drinks provided by our guide Morgan!!! She also gave us a really interesting natural history of the area, using maps to show us the movement of the glacier over time.

After our lunch break we were all excited to get back to paddling around large, beautiful ice bergs. A day full of activity and beautiful sights. Prince William Sound is a truly special place.

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