Friday: We entered Ford’s Terror about 25 minutes after Juneau high tide with about 3kts of current still flooding, pushing us in a little faster through as we dodged small icebergs that had entered with the flood. We anchored near where we usually do and started on dinner. We skewered and grilled up the spot prawns we’d caught that morning at Windham Bay and served them with a side of … Read more
Monday – We left Tracy Arm Cove this morning on the late side (for us – 10am-ish) to get to the entrance to Ford’s Terror by 1:30pm (high slack in Juneau). It’s been a few years since we took Kevin’s brother to Ford’s Terror, and he’s psyched to see it again. The flood current was rippin’ as we crossed the Tracy Arm Bar…maybe 4-5 knots against us. It was very … Read more
A downright leisurely morning in Tracy Arm Cove — we didn’t leave until just before 9am. The plan for today is to head up Endicott Arm to see how close we can get to Dawes Glacier, before turning around and heading for the entrance to Ford’s Terror so we arrive around 3:30-4pm. High slack in Juneau is at 4pm, so we should be able to transit the entrance somewhere between … Read more
After our trip up Lynn Canal and back, we met up with friends/flotilla folks Ralph and Jeanette (on Rubicon) and Scott (on Impulse) over in Swanson Harbor (where Lynn Canal, Chatham Strait, and Icy Strait all converge). We all got space on the dock and had a nice visit. In the morning, we cruised over to Flynn Cove for one night (Ralph and Jeanette caught a halibut!) and then split … Read more
High tide in Juneau today wasn’t until about 1:00p.m., so we wouldn’t be exiting Ford’s Terror until about 1:30p.m., which gave us some more time to enjoy this incredible place (and the fact that we had it completely to ourselves). In the morning, Kevin took the Mavic up for some aerials: The bear was back on the beach, but took a walk the other direction and gave the folks closest … Read more
Excitement ran high today in the flotilla – we are set to move to one of our favorite anchorages anywhere – Ford’s Terror. We have written about Ford’s Terror many times before. It’s an enormous hidden fjord, guarded by a narrow and treacherous entrance. We can enter only at high tide slack current, which seems to happen within an hour after high tide in Juneau. Any other time, there are … Read more
A few hours after we got to Auke Bay, two more friends arrived: Erika, who we went to college with, and Josh, her partner. The next day, with six of us aboard Akeeva, we headed to Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier, and Ford’s Terror. Even after 15-plus visits, this little section of Alaska delights. The combination of moderate travel distances, protected water, magnificent fjord scenery, wildlife, solitude, and a tidewater glacier … Read more
We had the anchors up by 5:45a.m. this morning to make our way to the rapids for high slack, which we thought would be around 6:30a.m. The rapids cooperated nicely and we had an easy transit. Exiting Ford’s Terror and motoring out of Endicott Arm always feels a little deflating. On the way in, the views get progressively more impressive. On the way out, the sheer cliffs turn into steep, … Read more