We leave the Kodiak Harbor pilot at the harbor boundary. Take a look at the pilot boat pulling up to our ship. There is a moment where everything is lined up just right and the pilot leaps toward the crew in green on the deck of the pilot boat!
"Awake," on the cruise schedule we set up for ourselves, our room service steward arrives with a light knock at 06:30!
Andre, the fitness specialist on this trip, is excellent and showing up each morning gets our day started perfectly. Too bad we can't take him home in our suitcase.
The first morning of the cruise 17 fellow passengers show up for the class. The last morning....there are 6 of us.
Then it's off to the main dining room for breakfast.
Ok, yes, we did cave for the chocolate croissant.
On this "sea day" we read a little and play a little ukulele in our cabin. It's grey and cloudy outside as we slip across the gulf at 17 knots. The sea is smooth.
There is a polar bear swim scheduled at 1:00 p.m.
I consider joining the event. First it's off to test the temperature of the aft pool. It was very warm when we left Seattle...
Ohhhhh....not so warm today?!
But....the midship pool covered by a retractable roof is very warm....
....a thumbs up! And the hot tub is...
...a double thumbs up!
So my decision is...go to lunch with our traveling companions, Don and Lynn, Lori and Scott....and then...a nice tropical, "not polar bear swim!" (In retrospect, I hear that the polar bear swim is really fun, Santa shows up...and dumps ice cubes in the pool....dang! Missed out on this one!)
By 3:00 p.m. we head into the bay / inlet where we are amazed by the Hubbard Glacier, a 7 mile wall of packed ice that towers 350 feet from sea to sky.
Yes, it's spitting rain. We appear on deck with camera ready....and gloves, hats, down jackets, rain jackets, jeans, socks and shoes.
Steve is ready....as he tucks his camera into a rain jacket too!
Closer and closer we get to the face of glacier. A loud "boom" gets our attention and the ice begins calving, or....crashing into the sea! It sounds like loud shots echoing across the water.
And....around the corner...the ice continues....but we must turn around. Floating for a bit at the end of the inlet, it's time out of time, as I wonder about the 400 years it takes for this ice to begin and end it's journey traveling with the glacial ice pack and finally falling into the ocean. Here stand Nan and Steve, both of us dancing around the birthday years of 70....and think about how long that is in the life of a glacier.
Then it's time to turn slowly west and continue our voyage toward Sitka, leaving the blue ice in our wake.
I watch the ice for a long time. Something about this surprises me. We are the only vessel visiting the glacier and having this experience is awesome.
We are glad to share it all with our cousins Don and Lynn! This place is far from the lake in Northern Minnesoata....and far down the road of life....like 60 years!
It is light this night until 11:45 p.m. Still time for a great dinner, and then it's up to the Crow' Nest bar for continuing views of dramatic mountains...oh, and maybe a martini!
Lynn steps out there with a Blue Glacier special! Lori goes for the Chocolate martini option.
It's a 0010 Orange one for us!
We just keep watching the mountains....and then an awesome sunset....amazed by the light...at 11:00 p.m.
On our way back to our cabin we can't help but stop for a photo and another few laps around the deck.
Ahhh....only 6 hours until our wake up knock on the door....and the gym....
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