Day 29 ~ Sanford Cove, Endicott Arm to West Arm of Ford’s Terror

We woke with excitement knowing that we were off to a new adventure and a navigational challenge. The fog had lifted and it was still raining lightly, which meant that we were all systems ago. As we cruised deeper into Endicott Arm our path became more and more cluttered with bergie bits. The squalls lifted and we decided to move to the bridge as it would give us a better visual advantage. Our evening celebration plans included having cocktails with bergie bits, so we were on the hunt to capture one. Dad maneuvered us towards a prospective bergie which we declined because it was too big. Then we approached another with success, we got the bergie bit in the net and lifted it onto the bow!!!  We had 40 pounds of clear 1000 year old block ice on the Simbalaut.

We worked our way towards Dawes Glacier weaving in and out of the bergies. Then we made a determination that we didn’t have enough time to get to Dawes Glacier and back in time so we turned around and headed towards Fords Terror which we nicknamed as Ferd’s Terror. As we rounded the point, Wendy observed the busy rapids and declared them not yet able to be navigated. This was as expected, since according to our charts we were early.

Dad carefully kept the Simbalaut in the safe waters as we waited for the rapid to subside. We were in a narrow lagoon with a 45 degree turn into the rapids with a large waterfall flowing down the side. The center of the lagoon was extremely deep with uncharted rocks on the sides. While we waited we ate lunch, then the rapids calmed and we determined that it was time. It was a bit unnerving to enter the rapids because the navigation software listed it as uncharted and we were unable to see the bottom due to the milk turquoise color of the water. Basically Dad went where the current wanted to take us, while Wendy and I served as bow buddies. One can only imagine who decided at what point to attempt to go up the rapids because beyond them lie beautiful amazing country.

After we crossed the shallow entrance we wound our way back into the West Arm where we were met with a high falling waterfall. After assessing our options, we picked a place to anchor.  We tried to set our stern anchor at the footing of the waterfall and it simply wouldn’t bite. So we moved closer to the shoal and tried again with success! 

After Dad’s nap we went on our traditional dinghy tour of the East Arm and the long resided Brown Glacier. We were able to get far up into the arm before we were met with a shear granite wall. This area is so amazingly beautiful with its high granite walls; it makes us want to take a course in geology. The walls are 5200 feet straight up from the water. Unfortunately, our cruise was interrupted with rain fall. It was coming down so hard that Dad raced us back as fast as he could.

Back on the Simbalaut we tossed our wet clothes into the dryer and put on our Becca Bottoms, actually Dad put on Judy’s. The ice maker had made so much ice over the past month that it was starting to malfunction. We feared not, because we had a bergie bit on the bow. Wendy went and got it and dad started chipping it apart. Then we all had a bergie bit cocktail. As the night fell, the clouds came in and wrapped the walls like cotton candy. Here we sat totally disconnected from the world listening to Dad’s music pick, Johnny Cash.