The Beardslee Islands

The Beardslee Islands sit just north of the lodge and are accessible via the “cut” at high tide. There is a three hour window where the magical waterway exists and brings you to the wondrous islands. The beautiful feeling of isolation begins just after high tide when the waterway vanishes. There is no turning back.

Saturday evening, Paul and I are floating through the cut in our blue kayak. Our paddles rest across the kayak and our momentum drives us forward. The vegetation from the shore to the forest is lush, and the variety of soft, green tones and quiet curves reminds me of a watercolor painting. Bald eagles soar in the skies.

The cut reminds me of a slow-paced shallow river, except for the orange and red-toned starfish that clutch to the rocky sea floor below us. Aside from the melodies of bird songs and the gentle splashing rhythm of our paddles in the water, the world is silent.

Grand Pacific glacier carved the Beardslee Islands over 250 years ago when it reached its glacial extent outside Bartlett Cove in Icy Strait. The glacier carved an undulating profile in he glacial till of its terminal moraine. When the glacier began its glacial retreat, the undulating profile of the carved earth was exposed, and after seedling dispersal, succession, and time, the Beardslees became encased with vegetation.

The regular strokes of our paddles turn the distant blur of green vegetation on island 42 into discrete trees and a surrounding definitive ring of grasses. An orange glow from the final rays of sunlight animates the rippling water. An unnamed island the size of a small house catches our eye and becomes our destination for the night.

The Beardslee Islands are known for their population of black bears. For hundreds of years, bears have walked their same routes on the mainland and regularly swim between the islands to forage for food. Setting camp on a small island gives us initial comfort, but the well-trodden bear trail through the trees combined with the numerous piles of bear scat tell us otherwise. As the the tide continues shifting outward, two landbridges emerge connecting us to the other islands. We are in bear territory.

Mid-morning we unzip the tent door to a glorious day of sunshine. Drinking rich coffee strained through my bandanna, we greet the day watching a humpback whale regularly surface between underwater feedings. Having just reared their young in Hawaii and fasting for eight months, the humpbacks in Glacier Bay are solely here to feed. They eat over 20 hours a day.

The wildlife sightings in the Beardslees are always numerous and spectacular. Kayaking past Spider Island is a favorite paddle of mine. The network of tiny islands that comprise "Spider Island" form an ideal habitat for pupping harbor seals and consequently a site frequented by pods of transient orca.

Floating with the tide, Paul and I clutch our paddles and gawk at our surroundings. Layers of mountains stretch from the horizon in every angle around us. Dozens of seals dive into the water and circle us with heads breaking the surface of the water, popping up and diving under with childlike curiosity. Th blow of a humpback behind us competes for our attention. Flocks of birds jump into flight from their rocky rookeries along the beach creating the ideal framing for a picture with their silhouetted bodies against the blue sky. A raft of otters too numerous to count flutterkick a frenzy of water as they swim along the surface of the water beyond the overwhelming wildlife scenery.

The trip ends waiting for the "cut," our realm to reality to re-open. We hike to Secret Bay and see the oddly colored red water surrounded by bizarre thick-cuticled sea grass that leaves snow-angel-like bodily impressions after an afternoon nap. Upon awaking, we watched a black bear on the opposite shore flip rocks looking for food.


The perfect trip ended with "Alaskan IPA" beers on the deck of the lodge, overlooking the sunset and the Fairweather Mountain range. Alaska truly is phenomenal.