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An Alaskan Adventure : July 1 - 29, 2026

Part 9 - Glacier Bay (Gustavus)

July 22: Anchorage to Gustavus

Between weather and fuel availability I faced a few challenges getting to Gustavus. I flew VFR with low ceilings to a fuel stop in Valdez, then IFR to Juneau to fuel again. Leaving Juneau, reported conditions were good at Gustavus, but they deteriorated by the time I got there. I landed after picking my way through some pretty marginal VFR conditions... then found out the scheduled Alaska Airlines flight did not make it in on their IFR approach due to the low clouds, and they ultimately wound up returning to Juneau! I was a minor celebrity at the lodge that evening as the pilot who made it in when Alaska Airlines couldn't.

Girdwood
Looking southeast towards the end of the Turnagain Arm
Placer River Valley
Portage Lake Tunnels

Portage Lake
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Anton Anderson Tunnel entrance
Portage Glacier

Portage Pass
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Whittier
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Low ceilings crossing Esther Bay
Looking up Columbia Bay
Going up the Valdez Arm

Shoup Bay
Mineral Creek
Valdez oil terminal
Valdez

Final approach at Valdez
Looking back at the Chugach Mountains
The Fairweather Range, probably
An appropriately decorated Rans S-20 Raven

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Flying along Shelter Island
Getting gloomy crossing Howard Bay
Cabins at Glacier Bay Lodge

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Humpback Whale skeleton

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July 23: Glacier Bay Cruise

It started out foggy on the bay for the glacier cruise, but conditions improved north towards the glaciers. As a result of the previous day's cancelled Alaska Airlines flight, we sailed with less than half of the expected 70ish passengers. After the cruise, I walked the short Forest Loop Trail.

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Sea otter
Red-necked Phalaropes

Black-legged Kittiwake
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Glaucous-winged Gull
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Tufted Puffin
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South Marble Island

Steller Sea Lions
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Marbled Murrelet
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Pelagic Comorant
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Steller Sea Lions
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Pigeon Guillemot

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Pelagic Cormorant
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Horned Puffin
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Campers in the mist
Common Loon
Surf Scoters
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Kayaker pickup on Sebree Island
Great Blue Heron

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Surf Scoter
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Black-legged Kittiwake juvenile
Black Bear
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A horizontal tree
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Gloomy Knob

Bald Eagle
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Mountain Goat
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Interesting optical effect on a distant island
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Reid Glacier

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Looks like an otter?
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Harbor Seal with some otters
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Lamplugh Glacier

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Lamplugh Glacier with Mt Parker
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Peregrine Falcon
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Bubbles in glacial ice

Johns Hopkins Glacier
Gilman Glacier joins from the left
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The Norwegian Encore
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Looks like a ship?
Lamplugh Glacier with Mt Parker
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Marbled Murrelet
This pair has much more white

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Humpback Whale
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Bald Eagle
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Another kayaker pickup
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NPS ranger transfer from cruise ship
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Huna Tribal House

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Common Raven

Forest Loop Trail
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Sea otter with a crab
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Dark-eyed Junco
Lingit trail marker

July 24: Glacier Bay

I had some time in the morning before the shuttle to the airport, so I walked the beach and Forest Loop Trail again. Things looked a little different with blue skies and sunshine.

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M/V Serac, the cruise ship transfer vessel for park rangers
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Bonaparte's Gull
Dark-eyed Junco juvenile
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Pacific Blue Mussel
Flat waterslater (?)
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American Robin
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Varied Thrush
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Pacific Coralroot
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Hey, that plane looks familiar!