July 27, 2018

Over the last several days, we have done quite a bit of hiking and took a tour of the Alaska Sealife Center.

We also finally met another couple that are on the RV.net website. They are from Texas staying here at Stoney Creek.

Our hikes started out at Bear Lake which had quite a bit of bear scat, but no bears. However, I can see why the bears like this area as there were quite a few salmon spawning.

We then hiked around the 1st and 2nd Lakes. It was an easy hike with nice views of the small lakes.

Our big hike was yesterday up to the Harding Ice Field. Wow that was a pretty tough hike, but well worth it. Over all it was 10 miles with over 3,000 foot vertical gain. The views were spectacular. However, we are paying for that hiking today! I really hate hiking downhill as it hurts my knees and toes.

We also were blessed with four more bears. A mom grizzly and her two older cubs, and a pretty large black bear. That puts the 2018 total bear count at 53. Woo Hoo!! I now suspect a new world record as we still have the drive down the Alcan.

1st Lake

2nd Lake

Salmon in Bear Lake

 Pano of Bear Lake

 Lunchtime view from the Harding Ice Field

 Harding Ice Field

 Emergency Shelter near top of Harding Ice Field

 Mom Griz and her two very large cubs

 The cubs see us!!

 Black Bear with Exit Glacier in the background

We had to cross a dozen snowfields like this

July 22, 2018

Lucky for us we have the opportunity to choose which days we do things. When we arrived in Seward on the 19th, it was cloudy with a little rain. The extended forecast indicated that the Saturday the 21st would be sunny all day. Then clouds and rain for the next 10 days.

The way the valleys are shaped here in Seward, a rain forest environment is created. And every time we come here it is proven a fact.

Because it appeared the 21st was the only foreseeable sunny day, we rushed down to the docks and reserved a Kenai Fjord Tour. We have done this every time we come up here as it gives us an opportunity to see marine wildlife, Glaciers and the Kenai Fjords National Park.

What a great time. The weather started out a little foggy when we left but cleared up nicely. They never let us down. However, we did not get any full breaches this year as we have in the past. Oh well, the Humpbacks at least gave us a little tail.

Horned Puffins

 Another Horned Puffin

 Holgate Glacier

 A little Calfing at Holgate Glacier

Humpback

 Some Humpback Tail

 Kittiwakes

 I guess the one branded is being studied

 Are they mad?

 Common Murres not Penguins