Capturing the Moment

Me and Dirk ready for adventure   There are only two real ways to get around Southeast Alaska; a boat or a float plane. Boats here range in size from tiny fishing charters to jet boats screaming up shallow inlets to some of the most massive cruise ships on Earth. But float planes on the other hand are pretty much all tiny and not for the faint of heart. Due to a last minute guest cancellation, my buddy Dirk and I were able to score a ride in one of the smallest float planes that offers scenic tours. Huge Icebergs below   The tight quarters inside our amphibious ride could hand a pilot and passenger up front, with 2 more passengers in the back. The company is Pacific Wings and their pilots provide great commentary along the way. I found the windows were much better to photography out of since they weren't as curved and reflection filled as scenic helicopters I've been in. We were all excited to have a beautiful, clear day for this impromptu adventure. I made sure ...

  In awe of the glacial blue   It is the middle of summer which means Alaska is heating up, both in temperature and in wildlife sightings. And with all the kids being on summer vacation it is a great time to expand their world view with a trip to the Alaska wilderness. The Safari Quest is our smallest vessel in the fleet, with 22 passengers and 10 crew, making it perfect for an extended family vacation. The last three weeks have all been private family charters on the Quest. Not only has it been amazing to see families spending such amazing quality time together, but getting the kids unplugged from wifi and internet means the wilderness experience can really take hold.    Exploration Time   This week we had 9 kids on ranging from 17 to 5 years old. The activities ranged from bushwhacking past piles of bear scat, skiffing up rivers into glacial lakes, to kayaking around ice while watching a tidewater glacier calve into the water. Each activity p...

Ice Garden at LeConte Glacier Bay  LeConte Glacier is the southernmost tidewater glacier in the United States. It empties about 12 miles southeast of the fishing town of Petersburg. The fish packing plant at Petersburg gained prominence early on for using the abundant ice breaking off from the nearby glacier to pack the fresh fish and ship it to far off places like San Francisco.   LeConte glacier has receded about 9 miles from its terminal moraine. Now, a very shallow mud bar is all that remains to show how far the glacier once advanced to. This bar is a worry to boats trying to navigate through these waters, but it creates a pretty incredible sight just inside of it. All of these huge icebergs created by the actively calving glacier get grounded on the shallow bar and remain stuck inside the bay until they finally break apart or melt away. It was my goal to anchor safely outside the bar, then use small zodiacs to zip in and among the icebergs. I call this area the LeC...