We helped unload the kayaks we were going to use, and this is where John went through a few safety tips and pointers on what to do in case the kayak rolls over out in the water. We got dressed in our life-jackets and "skirts", which was a huge relief to us as it was very windy and cold. We were instantly warm with the gear on!
John helped us in our respective kayaks and fit the "skirts" around the edge to keep spray water off of us. He gave us a nudge, and we were off into the water. I was weary about getting my camera wet with the water spray, so I didn't any pictures of us getting to the glacier and how big the waves (yes, waves) were due to the wind. I did however get a picture of myself being towed in, like a wimp, after battling to keep my kayak straight through the waves. I just had no energy left and could not feel my arms anymore. I'm sure that the wind was blowing so hard that I was not making any forward progress anymore and had actually seen myself going backward...So, I wimped out and finally called for the tour guide to tow me, haha!
I tried to keep the slack off the rope he was using to tow me, so he wouldn't have any more burden than was necessary. I was able to keep up with John in that respect, and it was a HUGE relief knowing that after all the effort I was putting into paddling that I wouldn't end up back where we started.
Finally, we caught up to Sean, which everyone knows is good at nearly everything he does, haha! He had turned around a few times to check on me, but was having his own problems paddling through the waves himself. At this point, we are right next to the glacier.
This was where Sean untied the rope holding my kayak to John's, and we all took a needed rest for a few minutes. Then we were soon off to explore!
There were many waterfalls through the ice, which are referred to as "glacier plumbing" that releases some pressure built up by melting areas. There are also lots of caves, but due to the instability of the ice it wasn't safe to explore those areas. So, we kept our distance and got some photos.
We were astounded by the blue hue of the glacier ice. It is the deepest sky blue! This apparently is due to refraction of all the other colors except for this beautiful blue color.
Sean and I never realized that the glacier ice is covered in small rocks and dirt. This happens when the ice rubs against the rocky edges of the mountains where it slides. Over time this ice makes its way down to the water's edge and you will sometimes see what you think are islands, but in fact are icebergs that move with the wind.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back. This is what all of us were waiting for because now the wind was behind us! It took us about an 1 1/2 hours to make it over to the glacier, and about 5 minutes to make it back to the parking area. Now that's more like it!
We helped get everything back over to John's truck. Sean and I lingered in our lifejackets and "skirts" until the last possible second because it was still a bit chilly, haha! Thanks again John! It was a wonderful and beautiful trip. And, sorry you had to tow me in, lol!
Sean and I were racing back to the motorhome to take hot showers and relax a little before walking around the small boat harbor and Valdez. That's where we found the perfect description of Valdez: "Switzerland...the Valdez of Europe."
The boat launch was super busy again, which we figured would happen being it was Saturday. After that we had a lazy day!
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