Alaska - Day 8

Our 8th day on the water brought our 3rd morning of sunshine and it was spectacular! Andy and I were the first out of our tents and were lucky enough to spot a loan whale cruising by our campsite. We only caught two brief glimpses as the whale surfaced twice for air before diving deep. Unfortunately, not enough time to get our fellow campers out of bed.

Our campsite on Pakenham Point was one of the best. It boasted unbelievable 360º views, an endless supply of firewood, and smooth rocks perfect for tent sites and lounging around the fire. It was also the perfect place from which to mount a day trip to Harriman Fjord, a fjord further to the west and home to Harriman glacier, Barry glacier, and Cascade glacier – just to name a few. We enjoyed a leisurely and delicious breakfast and then prepared for a day trip up to Harriman Fjord.

After paddling almost 3.5 miles into a stiff wind, we stopped at a small, sun-warmed beach for a bio-break. We hadn’t planned on staying for lunch, but the beach was very comfortable and after the passing wake of a tour boat caused some excitement and led to me having one wet foot, we decided to stay for lunch. Our relaxing lunch on the warm beach almost turned into an even more relaxing nap, but another tour boat zoomed by and we rushed to get the boats into the water before the waves from the wake arrived.

We reached the fjord and turned into the shorter arm toward Barry glacier. There was a lot of activity in this area – glacial, animal, and human. Though not as large as Harvard, Barry glacier was much more active with near continuous calving. Along with its roar of thunder, every fallen piece of ice set off a ripple of waves. When we entered the arm, we spotted three porpoises making their way through the ice and Dan headed off in pursuit. As we watched all of the activity, a helicopter flew into the fjord and along the glacier. What a way to put things in perspective! The helicopter looked like a tiny red toy compared to the dramatic face of the glacier.

Another group of kayakers was camped on the beach next to Barry glacier and we headed in that direction as it was the only good option for a much needed bio-break. From the sandy beach, we had an excellent view of the falling ice and surging waves and had to plan our departure accordingly to miss some of the bigger swells. As we were headed back out of the fjord, a porpoise came up right next to Dan’s kayak! Incredible!

When we started back, we had already paddled nine miles, so we knew it was going to be a long trip back to camp. As we headed out of the fjord, a storm came in over the mountains. Very quickly it became dark and soon after it started to rain. We pulled on our rubber rain gear and began the nine mile paddle back to camp. Our good weather charm held and the storm blew over quickly. Within an hour the sky had started to clear but it remained windy and the water was choppy. After a quick stop at the lunch beach to refill on water, we paddled the final three miles to camp.

What a day! We had paddled a total of 18.5 miles, but happily came home to a warm, comfortable, and mostly dry campsite with more dry wood than we knew what to do with. We quickly got a fire going, and before we knew it, we were happily eating lentil soup and warming our toes by the fire. Not a bad way to end an epic day…….