Scenic (REALLY SCENIC!) Cruising!

Now that all the rigmarole is behind us…… it’s time to sail!

Embarkation took about 6.37 minutes, and we were on the ship, ready to find where all the food is kept! It was a good thing that most of us had some experience with this particular class of vessel so straightaway we headed for Deck 16, the epicurean mecca for any and all sorts of eatables.

                                After sampling a few items whilst sitting on the aft deck, we promptly did the next obvious thing and that was to get ready for dinner! We elected to stay up there and ‘graze’ as there was way too much variety to pass up and it was easy for us to find room for the nine of us. The Dining Room will be for a later day.

                                The next two days are what is called ‘Scenic Cruising’ which sometimes means just a Day at Sea (which for Cruise Lines means no Port Fees and other such expenses) so days at sea tend to be built into itineraries not only for the fact that the ship needs to move between ports, but for over-all profitability.

                                But…… THIS IS SCENIC CRUISING!!!!

                                The Coastal Range that lines the shore of the Alaskan Panhandle is just incredible! Paula had done this cruise back in ’06 and is our ‘Guide’. She knew enough to book us on the Port side as we were sailing Southward and that side is the one that faces the land….. and this coastal range, which is named……. the Coast Mountains.

C’mon you guys! You’ve got really cool names up here…. Denali, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka….. and all you can come up with is the Coast Mountains???!! For a mountain range that rivals some the biggies? Anyway…. this range is the highest (and still climbing) coastal range on the planet. Mt. St. Elias tops out at over 18,000 feet and it starts at sea-level! For reference, Mt. Everest starts at about 17,000 feet of elevation (base camp) and climbs another 12,000 feet from there. Which makes Mt. St. Elias quite the climb in its own right!

                     I could go on and explain why it is so high, but I did promise a minimum of Plate Tectonics Lessons on this trip in order to get you all to come along! But, just keep thinking Plate Subduction and you’ll all be just fine  😊

So now comes the Moment of Unveiling as all that’s left to do is show you all some photos. Some will be in B&W as they just render better that way. It all has to do with Blue Haze and how difficult it is to make things visible when the most common color in the skies gets in the way of the scenery! I hope you agree!

                     Hey! Ansel Adams did his best work in B&W!