Our Legend… (Wait for it) …Dary Alaskan Cruise 2017

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After cruising up Stephens Passage, we made it to Holkham Bay, the confluence of Endicott Arm and Tracy Arm. Tracy Arm is over 30 miles long. Sawyer Glacier splits, and enters the fjord in two different places.

 

Expedition boat coming to pick up passengers to take them close to the glacier.

 

Expedition Boat Heading Into the Fjord

 

 

 

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For most of the season, cruise ships were not allowed to go up Tracy Arm, due to too much ice at the entrance. They traverse Endicott Arm instead. We were only the second time the Carnival Legend went up Tracy Arm this season.

 

Whale Tail?

 

 

 

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Entering Tracy Arm Fjord

 

I went up to the observation deck forward on deck 8. The temperature there was cold to start with. Add a 30-knot wind to it and it was frigid. It gave a great view as we went up the fjord.

 

 

 

 

After seeing just how small a black bear is, I do not understand what is so scary about them.

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Scouting the Fjord

 

 

 

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After a while, I headed back to the cabin to warm up.

 

 

 

 

 

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DW showed up after a while. We pent the rest of the cruise up the fjord looking at it from our balcony.

 

 

 

Intense Photographer

 

 

 

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We made it to South Sawyer Glacier. The excursion boat gets even closer to it.

 

 

 

 

 

The Carnival Legend made a slow turn port-side to get ready to head back out. It was hardly noticeable that the ship was turning around. In the meantime, the excursion boat returns to drop off passengers from the excursion up the fjord. They pick up more passengers to head back down the fjord.

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The Carnival Legend made a slow turn portside to get ready to head back out. It was hardly noticeable that the ship was turning around. In the meantime, the excursion boat returns to drop off passengers from the excursion up the fjord. They pick up more passengers to head back down the fjord.

 

 

 

 

 

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Harbor seal taking the easy way down the fjord.

 

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The St. Peter Returning From The First Excursion

 

 

 

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The Seabourn Sojourn heading down the fjord.

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Agnes had a gift for me for tonight's dance! Thanks, DW, for a wonderful picture!

 

 

 

 

After dinner, we went to the British Invasion show. Jen held a pre-show trivia contest on the British Invasion. SIL won a medal for answering a trivia question.

 

 

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absolutely breathtaking photos!

 

Thank you.

[NWACruiser]

Skagway and The Yukon

 

Today was the first port day of the cruise. It was also the longest day of the cruise in several ways. The sun would be out from 4:09 AM to 10:04 PM. Twilight would be much longer. Also, we were in port from 7:00 AM until 9:00 PM.

 

Welcome to Skagway

 

 

We woke up early to eat breakfast on the Lido deck before our adventure to Carcross, YK. Everyone was doing the same tour. Fortunately, all tours going on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad would meet in the Follies Theater. We had to be there before 7:30 AM. The Carnival Legend arrived in port as we ate breakfast. We finished breakfast, and headed down to the theater. Here we met up with our shipmates.

 

It was a foggy, drizzly morning in Skagway. We headed out to the port, stopping for a photo shoot or two. We met our bus driver, Glen, right outside the ship. He took us into town to board the train. We would be on the train until we get to Fraser, BC.

 

 

After everyone was all aboard, the White Pass & Yukon Railroad train departed for Fraser. The cars had large windows, and, an open area at the front of each car. This would help photographers.

 

DW & SIL

 

DC & DCF

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Off We Go!

 

 

 

 

The train made a few stops to drop off tours at different locations, along the way. Most of the tours were hiking. One tour was a biking tour.

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Unnamed Creek

 

 

 

 

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The rock slid down the hill and crushed two workers to death. They remain buried under the rock.

 

 

We travelled from cloudy skies to some major fog!

 

 

More Fog

 

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Looking back at the train behind us.

 

 

 

 

Heading into a Tunnel

 

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Glad we did not use this part of the track!

 

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This Trestle Looks A Little Safer

 

 

Into Another Tunnel

 

 

 

Reaching the Summit

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US/Canada Border

 

White Pass Summit and Summit Lake

 

 

 

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At Fraser, we had to put away all electronics, cell phones and cameras while customs came through. We also had to hold our passports out in a certain position. The customs officers walked through the cars while quickly looking at the passports. They never touched one. After they went through, we had to exit to the right side of the train only.

 

 

 

 

 

The Girls at Bernard Lake

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We met Glen and loaded onto the bus. We had to go through the customs checkpoint again. This time the agent waved us through. We were on the way to the Yukon.

 

We stopped at the Yukon border for a photo opportunity.

 

 

 

 

We spotted a couple Dall sheep on the mountainside.

 

 

Tagish Lake