Highlights: Enter what some consider the most difficult, perhaps least accessed, yet most rewarding inlet to explore in SE Alaska. Fords Terror has been described by some as the most beautiful spot on the face of the planet! And those who have made this journey through a narrow entry that opens to a world dominated by sheer vertical walls and abundant flowing waterfalls would not consider that an overstatement...
Taking Moxie to shore before our early departure for Fords Cove...
Departing Tracy Arm Cove, still lingering large icebergs despite weeks of near-record high temps...
Looking out Seaquel's port window...
Sumdum Glacier as seen cruising along Endicott Arm...
We have lost track of how many whales we have seen. Since arriving in Alaska, we have probably averaged two to three sightings per day of Humpback Whale, and perhaps a couple of sightings of Orca per week...
But lately, the presence of icebergs is nearly constant...
This cruise ship annoyingly altered it's course into our way forcing us toward shore. Below, Journey and Beyond have raced to seek shelter from potential cruise ship wake behind a large iceberg...
Imagining the cruise ship tour director over the ship's intercom: "And over to our starboard side you can see three lovely little tugboats, which give you some scale to see how big the icebergs are..."
Cruise ship passengers: "Hey, look at those cute little tug boats by the iceberg!"
Back on our way Southeast into Endicott Arm toward's Fords Terror...
The approach to Fords Terror...
Fords Terror derived its name based on the legend that a crew member of the Patterson, in 1889, entered the narrows in a dinghy to explore, got caught inside, and spent a terrifying six hours until the tide reversed. Knowing this history, we were being very diligent to time our entry into the narrows...
After circling the approach into the narrows of Fords Terror for an hour studying the currents and awaiting for the precise timing of high tide slack, our flotilla takes the plunge into the entry...
Fords Terror shown below by our Garmin Chartplotter. The unique challenges of transiting these narrows: 1) Huge body of water flows in and out twice daily through a very narrow pinch-point that can generate a 2 to 3 foot waterfall during spring tides; 2) The outer entry is guarded by two rocks that dry at low tide; 3) There is a charted rock in the center of the narrowest part of the curve leading into Fords Terror; 4) Timing of tidal changes in this area can be unpredictable and can push up to 25 vertical feet in elevation difference from low to high tide; 5) Such a remote location with such soaring vertical walls of cliffs that often even satellite radio reception is not even available (and no VHF radio reception), so weather info may not be available once entering...
A snapshot of the tidal changes within Fords Terror in Endicott Arm. Note that the High Tide will be 18.4 feet vs. a Low Tide of -3.6 feet for a total variance of 22 feet on this particular day. That is a LOT of water that has to flow through a very narrow funnel!
Seaquel in front of the large waterfall just inside the narrow entry inside Fords Terror.
The beautiful sailboat Northern Phalarope followed our flotilla into Fords Terror. We became friends with Richard & Anne Caulfield, who shared his catch of Spotted Prawns with our flotilla and with whom we exchanged pictures of our boats inside Fords Terror...
Waterfalls flowed from almost every crevice among the towering peaks rising up from Fords Terror. I counted at least two dozen waterfalls...
Seaquel's tracks within Fords Terror upon accessing the far left "West Arm Anchorage" in which the best anchorages can be found...
We had been blessed with remarkably great weather for most of the 39 days we had been on this journey to date, so it was hard to complain about the rain. But in Alaska, when it rains, it POURS! For the 3 days/2 nights of our time in Fords Terror, the weather alternated between mist, rain, hard rain, and downpour...
Working a stern tie around the huge boulders at the West Arm Anchorage proved challenging, and we moved Seaquel to the opposite side for our 2nd night on anchor in Fords Terror...
Anchoring is difficult in Fords Terror because shoals shallow out immediately beyond a depth line of between 80 to 100 feet. With even a 3:1 scope it is easy to swing over the shallow shoal area and find yourself on the hard. Below, Seaquel is in around 20' of water mid-tide and the stern tie keeps us from swinging across the shallows that can be seen at just 2' of depth...
Towering cliffs that scratch the sky at 5,000 feet dwarf Seaquel anchored far below...
Waterfalls of every size and shape highlight the stunning views of this cliff-buttressed paradise. The rain could not take away from the awesomeness of being in this very special place...
Whew... we are THROUGH the narrows and INTO Fords Terror!
Fords Terror is a maze of towering mountains that cascade into the sea, and the route to the end where we can find anchorage follows the zig-zag path created by these cliffs touching the water...
Journey - past the narrows, pausing to take in the awesomeness of the course before us...
Glen, aboard Journey, can hardly hold back a satisfied smile (and sigh of relief) to be past the narrows and knowing that the visual spectacle of Fords Terror is now within our grasp...
The glacier-sculpted rock faces within Fords Terror are so dramatic as to almost look fake, and the misty clouds only enhance the mystical appearance...
Sheer rock cliffs, waterfalls, and trees perilously clinging to life in implausible places dominate the landscape of Fords Terror. We have seen so many spectacularly scenic locations so far on our Alaskan adventure, but one of the reasons Fords Terror feels so special is knowing that you have "earned it" and not many make it into this remote and difficult corner of the Inside Passage...
The four other boats anchored at the head of West Arm Anchorage...
Rainbow in Fords Terror framing in the beautiful sailboat "Northern Phalarope"...
~Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment