GLACIER BAY, OLD ICE NEW LAND

PART1 It seemed the rain would never let up my first three weeks working for the National

Park Service, Glacier Bay. I moved our gear and food with another ranger to Dundas Bay, where

I would spend the next four months as a boat ranger, and explore hiking and climbing

throughout the fjords from Muir and Tarr Inlet to the outer coast. The year was 1972, and I had

just finished graduate school in Wildlife Science at the University of Washington. I have

returned since that amazing summer to Glacier Bay many times over the past 46 years,

including acting as a naturalist for Lindblad National Geographic Expeditions, A guide for a

private company, and on my own. My most memorable trip was bringing my children as a single

parent dad to Glacier Bay in 2001. I had rented a 32-foot Nordic Tug out of Juneau, and

managed to get to Hoonah with my friend Steve Ignell, then on my own for the next two weeks

exploring the Bay with many mishaps, laughter, and incredible adventure. I have written several

books on Glacier Bay, the first one in 1975, and the latest in 2014 entitled Glacier Bay Old Ice,

New Land. My website is www.glacierbayoldicenewland.com

INTRODUCTION from GLACIER BAY, OLD ICE NEW LAND 2014 by William D Boehm

A dramatic landscape shaped by natural forces exists within the vast coastline of southeast

Alaska, a remote wilderness of mountains, ice, forest, and sea known as Glacier Bay. A

magnificent setting of wild beauty, it is a place of massive peaks draped with glaciers, most that

have retreated leaving newly emerged bedrock and alluvial plains. And there are verdant-green

temperate rainforest and muskegs, rugged beaches and headlands facing the immense Pacific,

vertical fjords, and far-reaching passages that penetrate deeply into its heart, forging a blend of

land and sea intimately woven together. Amidst the setting of glacial advance and retreat, the

cycles of tides and the rhythm of seasons, an abundance of living organisms find sustenance.

This same abundance of life sustained local native fishing cultures for generations, including the

harvest of sea otters that by the 1700’s attracted European explorers from other continents.

Coastal Tlingit songs once chanted by the elders of Hoonah describe ancient sealing and

fishing camps upbay almost a millennium ago that became covered by advancing ice. The

English navigator George Vancouver confirmed this glacial advance two centuries ago and

discovered a massive ice front that filled present day Glacier Bay. Since 1790 the ice has

retreated dramatically and by 1889 John Muir had documented and explored the lengthening

fjord of Glacier Bay, a rock barren landscape that was emerging midbay from a rapid glacial

retreat. The ice continued to recede for another century leaving a penetrating open arm of the

sea, a deepwater fjord 65 miles (105 kilometers) long with extended fingers that integrate

intimately with newly emerged land, a contrast from forested Icy Straits to the raw landscape of

glacial moraines. Nowhere else on earth has such a dramatic glacial retreat been documented

within the past several hundred years.

My first journey to Glacier Bay began in May of 1970. I boarded a twin-engine otter in Juneau in

pouring rain, and after a bumpy take off the pilot headed west within a seemingly endless

turbulent southeasterly storm. It was the typical pounding ride through rain-bearing clouds as we

flew over Icy Straits. Within 30 minutes the pilot steeply descended through a grey, disorienting

mist before leveling off just above a patchwork of spruce and snow-covered muskeg. My

adrenalin was high white-knuckling this flight until it ended with a hard landing in cross winds.

Once down, I slumped in my seat bathed in a cold sweat of relief. I had arrived in Gustavus, a

small community surrounded by a vast plain of meadows and spruce within the southern

boundary of Glacier Bay National Park. The forest and meadows were emerging from lingering

snow of a late spring, and exiting the plane I could hear the calls of Sandhill Cranes in the

distance, temporarily resting in the Gustavus flats from their long migration to artic nesting

grounds.

GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK Journal May 2010

May 20 Hosted by my close friend Steve Ignell, who worked for NOAA in Juneau, I rested well

and got up early and read Romans 7 & 8, then prayed for the kids. Steve lived off the water

near Auk Bay, and I rode with him to work at the new NOAA Auk Bay lab building, and met with

several of Steve’s research staff and learned more about the ‘boy’ Steve “you are what you

eat.” Oil is the energy stored in baitfish and the energy of the sea, Eulachon, capelin, sand lance

and herring. The superabundance of copepods concentrations filled with body oils is near the

glacial faces. Their presence is a function of cold-water temperatures that holds oxygen, and a

salinity mix of fresh and sea water, nutrients, and mineral content in the freshwater runoff,

extended growing season and long summer daylengths. Capelin smolts here are able to survive

better since they must 1. Grow and 2. Store enough oil to survive the first winter fast. Sand

lance are deep water, capelin are at mid-trophic level. Chris shared about chum, pinks and coho

salmon straying from home natal streams in lower Glacier Bay. Emerging streams midbay have

Coho, chum and pinks salmon also colonizing. Chinook are not colonizing nor able to establish a

population mid or upbay. Brown bear feed on chum with a little more oil, leaving pink salmon

alone with less oil. In general the population of pink, chum and Coho salmon are increasing

exponentially in Glacier Bay. Sockeye are established NM Berg Bay with lake, and Muir Inlet off

Gull Lake in Wachusett Inlet with Gull Lake and Tyndall Creek.

Boarded the Catalyst and got underway 7.5 knots under overcast skies with a long run to

Glacier Bay through Icy Straits. Winds picked up coming around Mansfield Peninsula from the

SE and large seas and swells in Cross Sound through Icy Straits. The boat pitched with spray

blasting over the bow, before we turned and experienced a dramatic roll, then following sea.

The boat doesn’t do well in a quartering sea. Odd weather pattern that indicated we were at

the edge of two weather systems. Anchored off of Admiralty after a long 10-hour run.

May 21. Calm in the bay but raining. Seas were calm at the beginning of an ebb tide at the

mouth of Glacier Bay. Depth finder indicated high krill concentrations at the surface down to 80

feet depth…and there were about 10 humpback whales feeding, in pairs or singly, lunge feeding

as they erupted out of the sea with rostrum pointing skyward then fall back with throats

bulging with sea water bursting out of their baleen. Amazing to watch them krill feed.

Met the NPS staff at Bartlett Cove and talked to Greg Streveler by phone..been a long time. We

motored past Sitakaday Island upbay and inside Willoughby Island, rocky but covered with

scattered spruce and alder. There were young hemlock, quite a change from 1972 when I first

worked as a park ranger at Glacier Bay. Snow on the island produced lots of waterfalls.

Anchored in S Finger Bay where we encountered sea otter, harbor seals, then two black bear

foraging on clams and mussels on the beach at low tide. Kayaked that evening to a forested

stream and quiet bay with sounds of varied thrushes, and splashing of goldeneye, common loon

and a pair of common mergansers. Kayaking I spotted a large moving rock along the beach, and

it moved: a rare Glacier Bear, a black bear with rare grey blue coloring on its fur. The bear was

totally unaware of my presence. It had a black face and grizzled, brown, tan and grey coat color.

We just drifted and I videoed the bear, unfortunately left behind my camera. Great fellowship

tonight and the skies cleared with a beautiful sunset of yellows to the west. Thankyou lord for

an amazing day.

May 22 Saturday. Fingers Bay. Quiet morning, peaceful. Water like glass, reflecting puffy white

clouds and a blue sky. Varied thrushes called, mixed with ruby crowned kinglets, and the

occasional exhalation blast of a sea lion that carried across the bay. Thankyou Lord for the

peace in my heart that you alone bring. Left the bay and encountered humpback whales

feeding on krill. They are amazingly agile, surfacing with open mouths, roll on their sides to

expel water out of their baleen. Very maneuverable turning quickly arching their bodies and

using their large pectoral fins.

Motored up Geike Inlet and saw mountain goats along the rock cliffs. Black bear seen along the

beach at shag cove. Waterfalls, snow covered slopes, lime green new leaves and growth from

alder and cottonwood. Nice color tones with rays of sunlight illuminating the foliage in the early

morning. Passed the entrance to Hugh Miler Inlet and viewed the peaks of Scidmore Peak, and

the sun breaking the fog along the snow covered, forested foothills to the west. Nice day as we

continued past scidmore bite, where clouds intersected with the peas off the head of John

Hopkins Inlet Wilber and Orville peaks. There was a dead and decomposing humpback whale

carcass on the beach with a brown bear on it. Lots of bald eagles perched in trees next to the

whale. Wondered why it died? Mostly likely struck by a cruise ship. Another humpback feeding

nearby on krill.

We entered John Hopkins Inlet but anchored off of Reid Inlet near Ibach Point. It was warm and

sunny, with the mountain tops shrouded in clouds. Snow on the beaches here, but the alder

was leafing out with new foliage. Streams were full descending from melting snowfields,

cascading in a series of waterfalls towards the beach. Turquoise glacial water and I recalled

wonderful memories of taking my kids here in 2001 on a Nordic Tug. Pigeon guillemots and

scoters rafted nearby, but there was almost no ice. Reid glacier appeared the same as 9 years

ago, neither advancing or retreating. We had fun exploring the streams and icefield looking or

gold with Clara, Ethan, and Philip. Spent an hour hiking along Ibach point walking through snow

and emerging beach rye grass. Lots of Canada geese here and wolves have come here at this

time to take the occasional molting goose. Three wolves were seen last year here taking a

goose, and ended up playing in the snow. Heard and saw a willow ptarmigan. Male had the red

cere, and like the female, mottled winter white and summer brown plumage and feeding on

willow buds. Also saw white crowned sparrows, immature yellow warbler, and a flock of either

Swainsons or hermit thrushes. There were a pair of oystercatchers near the water’s edge,

irritated at my presence, and short billed dowitchers near the glacial face feeding on

crustaceans at the tide zone.

In evening we motored back to Scidmore bite to see if there were more bears on the whale,

and there were four. A sow and her cubs were feeding on the carcass while two others were on

the beach. It was beautiful low light as the sun broke through, but it was pretty dark for

photography. We drifted within 40 feet of the head of the whale, now at high tide, and

photographed a huge bear. But within a few minutes this bear was chased off by an even larger

boar brown bear that waded out and began to strip the whale’s skin and blubber off with its

teeth. Meanwhile the bear that was chased off worked its way up the meadows and scratched

its back on a spruce tree. Amazing interaction seeing so many bears next to an abundant food

supply, not unlike their tolerance in fishing streams. Became overcast and cold on the way back.

Thankyou Lord for such a wonderful day.

May 23 Sunday. Cold, with glacial cold air from the Brady Icefield flowing down into Reid inlet,

but it was clear and the water like glass. Pulled up anchor and headed up John Hopkins Inlet

through shrouds of fog and low mist filtered through sunlight, revealing brief glimpses of

sunrise on the Fairweathers and the headwaters of the Inlet. Magnificent light, calm, clear, a

rare day here. Mt. Abbe, Orville, and Wilber were brightly colored mauve and yellow in the

early morning light, shrouded in light clouds, creating a mysterious mood to this beautiful fjord.

Motored close to the face the glacier as there wasn’t much ice. We then left for the Margerie

glacier and drifted near the kittiwake colony, hearing the occasional crack of ice as small pieces

fell into the inlet from glacial movement. The Grand Pacific spread before us flowing in a great

sheet of ice from Canada. We enjoyed the beauty of this place for several hours.

We headed south again on the east side of Tarr Inlet where there was less snow and western

facing slopes free of snow, and with large alluvial fans full of emerging vegetation favored by

bears coming out of hibernation. Had a great lunch of pizza and Italian salad when I spotted

another brown bear on west beach of Russel Island opposite the mainland Abdulla flats. Nice

looking bear feeding on beach grass.

The clear weather gave us great views into Rendu and Queen Inlets, and the Carol glacier.

Counted 13 mountain goats, three nannies with kids along gloomy knob, and viewed another

kittiwake colony there. North wind, and under clear blue skies, we anchored in Blue Mouse

Cove off the southern tip of Gilbert Island in Hugh Miller Inlet. Amazing afternoon in the cove

with a maze of islets which connect with Hugh Miller Inlet, and interconnected with channels

accessed by kayaks at high tide. Viewed two pairs of Harlequin ducks, and heard a common

loon calling across the bay. Alder and cottonwood newly leafed out, creating nice textures, and

could view the Fairweathers: Mt Bertha and the snow-covered foothills of the east sloping

peaks.

After dinner on the boat, we boated over to Scidmore bite again but this time in beautiful light

and a sunset that sent shafts of light streaming from the head of the fjord through clouds and

revealing the shadows of the Fairweather peaks. Evening light hit the beach, illuminating the

beach and turquoise blue of the water, and a large brown bear that moved from the carcass of

the whale to the beach. The trees were electric green and the water metallic blue and the

colors lit up like metallic hues I had rarely seen in a sunset. Incredible lighting on the bear, who

was rimmed with whale blubber fat along his lower half. Thankyou Lord for an incredible

evening, and to Randy for getting the outboard started when we drifted too close to the bear.

Top: Beardslee Islands looking north Tarr Inlet, Middle: Fairweather Range from Mt Wright,Bottom.Mt Fairweather

Boat Ranger Tarr Inlet 1972, Lindblad National Geographic 1984 Tarr Inlet, Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers

Glacier Bay 1972 cabin Dundas Bay, Brady Icefield 1972, Lindblad Natinal Geographic working as a naturalist 1984

Reid Inlet Glacier Bay, 2010

Glacier Bay Dundas Bay 2010, Rented Nordic tug with my children 2001 Rt and below

Spent the summer climbing/exploring Glacier Bay. Muir Inlet and Muir Glacier 1972, 8 miles retreated since to land

UPBAY MUIR INLET

Muir Inlet from Mt Wright 1972

Wachusett Inlet 2010. The Glacier had receded since mid inlet 1972 several miles inland

Wachusett Inlet looking midsection towards Mt Wright Muir Inlet

Casement Glacier north of Adams Inlet, Muir Arm of Glacier Bay

Adams Inlet and Mt Wright looking south from Hunters Cove

TARR INLET

Upper Tarr Inlet, John Hopkins Inlet, Margerie and Grand Pacific Glacier

Upper Tarr Inlet view of Mt Fairweather to the north

Margerie Glacier

Brady Icefield, the largest glacier in Glacier Bay on the east side of the Fairweathers, John Hopkins glacier w seals

Margerie Glacier at the head of Tarr Inlet

Brady Icefield looking south from Geike Inlet peaks

Blue Mouse Cove fingers Bay, Willoughby Island

Reid Glacier and pioneering Mountain avens Dryas drummundii growing on lateral moraine

Arctic terns feeding John Hopkins Glacier, mew gull on nest, kill deer and young, Pigeon guillemots

Tidal currents with upwellings that attract thousands of alcids and gulls, oystercatcher and young

Margerie Glacier

Harbor seals with pups on ice flows to avoid killer whale predation upbay

Marble Islands, nesting site of tufted and horned puffins, murres, and gulls, right tufted puffin

(S.Bailey), Wolf midbay

Brown Bear on whale carcass scidmore bite

Sunset Tarr Inlet