Some people worry about getting seasick on a ship. There are ways to avoid this entirely (the ship came prepared with patches, etc if you didn’t bring your own). However in the Inside Passage, most of the area is sheltered narrow channels and not exposed tot the open ocean, where the water was at the most mildly choppy and usually no more than you find on a large lake with a mild wind. So no issues.

On this day we were heading up Glacier Bay for our first excursions at the Lamplugh Glacier. Along the way the scenery was incredible. It was clear that this area had been glacier-carved with steep, rugged cliffs dropping directly into the bay’s waters. Waterfalls were everywhere from tiny rivulets (some so tiny that they were not visible until you got close) to rushing torrents. I think that I mentioned that it rains here, right? Juneau averages from 137 cm (54 inches) at the airport up to over 229 cm (90 inches) downtown every year.

The group excursions offered could include kayaking, bushwhacking, gentle walks, and on some days, free time to take a kayak or paddle board out on your own.

This day, we took a short hike along a rocky edge for a better view of the glacier and the bay. The plant life was very interesting to look at, different from what I am normally exposed to. It clearly was adapted to harsh winters, rocky slopes, minimal topsoil, and a lot of rain but little sun. In other words, very hardy.

A skiff took us from our ship to the shore at a point near the glacier. We hiked up a path (barely could be called that) where we could look down at the massive glacier below. We had a great view where the ice entered the water directly (called a tide-water glacier; most glaciers in Alaska no longer get to the water as they recede, emptying into streams/rivers that then head down to the bay).

It was beautiful looking out over Glacier Bay with the rugged mountains surrounding us, the glacier entering the water, and even a group of kayakers from our ship out in the bay.

Another interesting fact about the Inside Passage - they have a massive tide. When our skiff came back to pick us up for our return, the tide was going out. Surprise, it went out very fast. Suddenly our skiff wasn’t going anywhere, sitting securely on a newly found rock ledge. No matter how much the skiff captain and our guide pushed and prodded, it would not come loose. Finally, our guide jumped into the water and literally went out nearly up to her head. No wet gear or anything but she managed to pry our skiff loose. A big cheer for her. You would think with all of us with our really nice phone cameras, at least one of us would have captured that on video - nope! We were totally engrossed in watching her brave the cold waters for us (I think that I mentioned Uncruise has great guides?!)

What a great way to start our trip!