This morning I awoke at 5:45 to go on deck.  Temperatures were very cold and the wind on the bow was strong.  Why would I be this crazy you ask?   What kind of wake up call is this?  I assure you that I would only endure such conditions for a good reason.  Our ship went to see Hubbard Glacier this morning.  We cruised into Yakatat Bay at 5:00.  Moving closer, I saw the famous glowing blue white of a massive glacier.  The flow of ice on the water below me was like ice chunks clinking and banging together.  They call them burg bits.  We didn’t see any real ice burgs…they have to be 15 feet above the water to be considered a burg.  I did see some blue glowing burg bits as we got closer.  The mountains surrounding us were covered in dense forests with huge places that were barren.  The barren places are where the glacier ripped through them years ago. The peaks and valleys are dramatic in their distance apart.  Drastic changes in the mountains are a part of the landscape created by a glacier. 

The glacier itself is one of the largest rivers of ice in North America .  Ice calves off of it creating a thunderous noise that can be heard for miles.  Today we only got within about 4 miles of this enormous ice wall because of the ice flow in the water, but I could still hear the thunder.  Visually it is a stunning view…worth the early morning rise from bed.  I think God is the best, most creative person I have ever met.  Who could think of this kind of beauty but him?