Alaska cruise and land review June10th-17th

[JoRoy218]

Thanks for your gorgeous pics! We're taking our first Alaskan trip in Sept. on Coral Princess, same itinerary. Bought new Canon w/ serious zoom

lens, learning that now. You did a fantastic job w/pics and narrative.

Much appreciated! :)

[yayvacation!]

Shutterbug - great photos! Your trip looks amazing! This is making me very excited for our trip!

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post!

[Terry & Gail]

Shutterbug, I could post after each set of pictures you post, they are just so beautiful. The color of everything is so rich. Thank you many times over.

Gail

PS Glad someone asked about being seasick. That would be me, gotta get my patch and dramamine.

[kageyone]

Shutterbug, thanks for posting, just awsome. Cant wait we leave for Alaska HAL Zaandam, Aug 9 Toronto to Seattle, Aug 10 to Fairbanks and then Denali Park and then to Seward for trip down to Vancouver with stops in Haines (taking fast ferry to Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Since we have been to VAncouver before we are heading for Vancouver Island, Victoria and Tofino and then back to Toronto. Now with a couple of things you did makes me want to change what I am thinking about, but my wife isnt too good on small boats, but we will see. On the way to emerald lake, did they give you a problem at the border?:D

[shutterbug285]

Thank you everyone for your very kind comments. I'm enjoying reliving my vacation. Thank you also for your patience for the delay in postings. Only two more days left to post the marathon day when we glacier climbed at Matanuska glacier and of course Denali National Park

 

Kagyone- We had no issues at the border, although he did leave an additional half hour of time in our tour, to make sure we were back in time.

I would leave that amount too

[kageyone]

Thought so, the border is always a problem, I guess even in North (LOL).

[shutterbug285]

Thought so, the border is always a problem, I guess even in North (LOL).

 

lol Yes we breezed right through, but I guess you never know. and it better to plan for it and not need it :)

[lotsofkids]

GREAT thread! Not only am I enjoying the pictures, but your blog has me completely engaged! A+

[lotsofkids]

In fact, tonight I bit the bullet and purchased an expensive zoom lens for my olympus Pen (micro 3/4 system) for my Sept Alaska cruise w/NCL. You most certainly inspired me!

[shutterbug285]

In fact, tonight I bit the bullet and purchased an expensive zoom lens for my Olympus Pen (micro 3/4 system) for my Sept Alaska cruise w/NCL. You most certainly inspired me!

 

Congratulations!, you will have a lot of opportunity to use that lens in Alaska! I had my 70-300mm lens on most of the time. except after I killed it! :(. The pen looks like a great camera too, very compact but still usable in manual. How do you like it?

Confession time I bought another camera our first day in Anchorage and it wasn't an Olympus, thats just because they didn't have any Olympus in stock. I will still replace my Olympus body ( after I pay off this one) ....................... I was weak!!!! lol

Edited July 12, 2011 by shutterbug285

[Jrabbit128]

Your pictures are AMAZING!!! I have a Nikon SLR that I have been playing with so hopefully I can take pictures half as good as yours when we go on our cruise in 2 months.

I enjoyed all of them but there was one that I looked thought you photoshopped. Picture#5 on post#93....at first glance, I thought you photoshopped a shark to the right side of the lake! When I looked back, I realized it was a glacier! Had myself a good laugh!

Can't wait to keep reading about the trip and the rest of your pictures!

[fancycroozer]

Great review and photos. We are really excited as we leave in 17 days for a 12 night cruise tour aboard the Radiance. We are doing a 5-night land tour and 7-night Southbound cruise.

 

Are you doing cruisetour #2 by chance?

[rascalious]

Are you doing cruisetour #2 by chance?

No, we are on cruisetour 12.

[pattyj 1204]

I watched a program about Alaska about 2 months ago and they showed some photos of underwater cold water sharks!! Yes you read that right sharks in Alaska. They come to feed on the salmon. It was awesome photography and lots of information. Think it was on the National Geographic channel. Amazing.

[shutterbug285]

We spend the first day In Anchorage visiting. We picked up a rental car and also went to Best Buy. They had no Olympus cameras in stock. I then scoured the internet and the Olympus site. No one in Alaska stocks Olympus cameras. now I'm pouting.........just a little . After some more time visiting and some convincing we go back to Best Buy and I buy a Nikon 5100 with a 55-300 mm lens. I said I wasn't going to buy another, I would just wait till I got home and replace the body.... temptation got the best of me! We had a great dinner at the Moose's Tooth great pizza and a whole range of beers.

 

The next morning we got up early, we are glacier climbing at Matanuska Glacier. We are ready very early Buds sister in law suggests stopping by Thunderbird Falls. She said its a pretty hike about a mile in to get to the falls view. As its only 630 am, we decide to check it out.

 

 

 

 

Very pretty walk, easy trail, don't forget the insect repellent!!! We did lol

 

 

 

[shutterbug285]

The drive to the glacier was beautiful, as are all drives in Alaska

 

 

It was a cloudy morning, but no rain so far.

 

 

 

 

 

[shutterbug285]

 

 

 

got a little carried away snapping pics as we drove but the scenery was so gorgeous

 

 

 

 

[shutterbug285]

 

 

Then we spy Matanuska Glacier, It almost looks fake when we see it, it stands out so brightly against the cloudy backdrop

 

 

 

 

[shutterbug285]

We arrive at MICA guides, we are still early. we are greeted by two employees, very pleasant. They recommend a restaurant right down the street to grab coffee or a snack. I believe it was called the Long Rifle Lodge. Cute place very friendly people there. We order two sandwiches.

 

When we get back, we meet our guides, Natalie, a young woman very friendly and bubbly. Noah very personable young man who actually goes to mountaineering school in Patagonia! and Richard our lead guide and extremely nice man from New Zealand.

 

They give us all the gear we will need, rain pants, mountaineering boots, climbing harness, waterproof gloves and crampons, there are six of us on this excursion. We jump in the van,as gracefully as you can in mountaineering boot (alot like ski boots) and drive up to the glacier parking lot

 

 

I know it looks like you can walk straight out to the face of the glacier but there is actually quite a drop off from this view. I also found out that the glacier is not just the blue ice, there is a ton of ice in front of it that looks like regular ground.

 

this is the walk to get to the glacier face

 

 

this is the start of ice we need crampons for and Natalie letting us know

 

 

 

footwork lessons with Natalie

 

[jennat]

You are killing me......I want more!

This is the part of your trip I haven't seen! Quit your job and post more pictures!

[shutterbug285]

You are killing me......I want more!

This is the part of your trip I haven't seen! Quit your job and post more pictures!

 

I would love to quit my job, but I really like living indoors, so.............

I can't .

[shutterbug285]

 

 

 

 

 

OK time to climb. Natalie is going to belay ( she will have control of the rope we are climbing on) some people express concern that she will not be able to handle their weight if they should fall. Bud and I have been to a rock climbing gym before so Richard asks Bud if he will go first.

 

[GweninTX]

OMG --- I could never do this -- but do not stop with the story! I am loving every post! :p

[shutterbug285]

 

 

 

 

 

and Richard ( who from this point on, I call spider man) asks me if I want him to take some pics from the top. I say sure, so he basically walks up the side of the glacier we are climbing with ropes!!!!

 

 

spider man setting up another climb

 

 

Edited July 13, 2011 by shutterbug285

[shutterbug285]

I guess you can't use the word for the superhero that can shoot webs from his wrists ??? can I say spidey?