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Trip 1: Granite Bay and West Side of Columbia Bay or Columbia Glacier: Sail the WindRider single person trimarans or kayak among the icebergs watching for wildlife to Flent Point. (1a) Kayakers may enjoy walking the cobble beaches looking at the wide variety of glacial erratics deposited on the beach while sea otters and harbor seals often escort us offshore playing peek-a-boo behind the icebergs; we then walk back through the myriads of flowers in the peatland bogs and old growth forests. Photographers like this route for the wide variety of scenery and great views of Columbia Glacier and Chugach Mountains rising above the green bogs and forest. (1b) Experienced kayakers may wish to paddle to the west side of Columbia Glacier's moraine along a geologically interesting shoreline featuring arches, contact zones, and glacial features plus several bald eagle nesting sites. (1c) On WindRider trips, we stop here for a snack or lunch before sailing through the ice towards Heather Island and Columbia Glacier's old terminal moraine. The sail back to camp is an exhilarating downwind sail on the afternoon glacier breeze. If Columbia Glacier's new inner bay becomes ice free, we will sail to the new face of Columbia Glacier. Map

Trip 2: East side Columbia Glacier; Heather Bay: This is a combined sailing/kayaking/hiking trip to the east side of Columbia Glacier's old moraine to explore the newly created bay and recently deglaciated lands. Many of our guests regard this as the high point of their Alaskan trip. We leave the camp about 8am and motor 2 hours to Heather Bay where we anchor then kayak to Columbia's old terminal moraine. At the moraine, we kayak among icebergs and take about a 2 hour rt. walk to a scenic overlook of the new fjord created by Columbia Glacier's drastic retreat. Along the way you'll have a opportunity to see birds nesting on the moraine, the arrival of new plants, and glacial landscape features such as eskers, kettles and kames. It's fascinating. The photographs you take of this area will become historic documents as in 5, 10, 20 years from now this area will look dramatically different. If conditions are favorable, we'll sail back to camp arriving between 5 and 6 pm. Minimum: 2 guests, maximum 6. (This is an 8-10 hour trip; guests must be overnighting at the camp) Map

Trip 3: Sailing to Long Bay: From mid-July to late August, the best wildlife watching is at Long Bay's salmon spawning estuary. We sail about 2 hours to Long Bay, then kayak around the head of the bay (3a) where we have an excellent chance of seeing lots of harbor seals feeding on the milling schools of salmon and black bears wandering down to the streams to fish for salmon. Sometimes as many as 50 bald eagles line the trees. This is a good trip for novices, as it does not involve a lot of paddling. Stronger paddlers might also enjoy visiting a mining adit and the scenic basin at Billy's Hole with hikes to nearby lakes. We usually visit these latter areas in June and early July before the salmon return to their natal streams. Minimum: 2 guests, maximum 6. (This is about an 8-10 hour trip; guests must be overnighting at the camp) The above trip to Billy's Hole can also be done in a one day by WindRider or hardshell kayak. Map

Trip 4: Eickelberg Bay : Explore the world's most northern rainforest against a backdrop of glacially scoured granite peaks - a good place to observe harbor seals, black bears, and bald eagles feeding on salmon. Strong paddlers can make this twelve mile round trip excursion in a day, but it is best done by sail or on an overnight trip. A perfect one day's WindRider or hardshell kayak trip. Map

Trip 5: Circumnavigation of Glacier Island: A full day's sailing trip on our 40 ft sloop with opportunities to see Granite Sea Caves, Steller Sea Lions hauled-out at Bull's Head, humpback and killer whales feeding areas, cormorants, pigeon guillemots and puffins in the Pillow Basalt Sea Caves. Enjoy sailing around icebergs, tacking up Glacier Passage and running along the island's coast (23 miles) Minimum group size 2, maximum 6. Experienced sailors can make this trip in a long dayby WindRider. Super kayakers can also do this trip in a day. Map

Trip 6 : Eagle Bay: A leisurely full-day or a more energetic half-day kayak or Windrider trip to Eagle Bay and Lagoon (6 miles). Along the way we stop to observe black oyster catchers and bald eagle's feeding their young, to walk beaches and explore the trails of river otters, to explore the remains of a turn-of-the century fox farm, or to drift and watch sea otter mothers and pups. A short hike to the top of Eagle Island offers a dramatic panorama of Columbia Glacier, the high Chugach Range and Long Bay. If the timing of the tide is right, we will visit Eagle Lagoon - a large embayment with swift tidal currents in its narrow entrance.The trip can be extended to include a short, but highly scenic hike across Glacier Island to Chamberlain Bay, or a longer paddle to Jackson Hole. Strong kayakers may wish to portage from Jackson Hole to Jackson Cove (1/4 mi), paddle around to Chamberlain Bay and portage back across to Growler Bay (1/4 mi) for the 2 mile paddle back to Growler Island Camp.(Double portage trip is 10 miles total). Map

Trip 7 : Growler Bay: A leisurely full-day or more energetic half-day kayak or Windrider trip to Growler Bay with its extensive peatland bogs that invite short exploratory hikes, numerous river otter trails to spot, nesting Canada geese and bald eagles to watch, and heavily eroded shoreline with hidden sea caves to explore. A short scramble up ridges cloaked with alpine tundra offers dramatic views of Columbia Glacier. For the more energetic, there is a short hike or portage to Chamberlain Bay. Strong paddlers can make the double portage described in route 6 above in reverse or after portaging proceed around the tip of Glacier Island following route 8 back to the camp (13 miles). Close encounters with curious sea lions and sightings of numerous puffins typify this route. The rugged relief of the southern shore of Glacier Island with the ocean swell pounding into the numerous sea caves create a dramatic effect. This route is weather dependent. Map

Trip 8 : Finski Bay and the outer coast of Glacier Island: A leisurely full-day or more energetic half-day kayak or WindRider trip to Finski Bay and/or the outer coast of Glacier Island. High points include paddling among ice bergs and visiting the pillow basalt sea caves in Finski Bay and along the outer coast. This trip offers many optional activities including exploring 1898 Gold Rush era mining prospects and moss-covered cabins; hiking to inland lakes with patches of blueberries (August); watching eagles, cormorants, guillemots, kittiwakes and murrelets feeding; or exploring tidal pools and old growth forests. As described above, strong kayakers can portage from the head of Growler Bay across to Chamberlain Bay then paddle along the rugged shoreline exploring numerous sea caves, visitng a sea lion haulout, cormorant and puffin caves and return to the camp via Finski point.

 

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