Tracy Arm

[jtdlmc]

Is there a certain month that this ships are more likely or less likely to be able to get into Tracy Arm?

[Boiler Cruiser]

I don't think there are any guarantees about how much ice there will be in Tracey Arm on any given day. That being said, my DW and I went up Tracey Arm on our cruise in 2013 at the end of August.

 

I have attached pics to show how little ice there was. You can also get an idea of how CLOSE to the glacier we were able to go.

 

Hope this helps. Have fun!

[Glaciers]

As the NP reminds us, it's not a given time of year that makes much of a difference - rather, it's the weather conditions at the time of your trip. I've been all the way to both Sawyer Glaciers during each week of every month of the year, January through December.

 

The major factor in weather or not you can get near the glaciers is the amount of ice trapped in the fjord. That ice comes from the glaciers themselves. If you're lucky enough to see any glacier calving 1000 ton hunks of ice larger than your house, that's what's making it hard for the next boat to come see. Temperature and humidity differences between the face of the glacier and the surrounding air make up the largest factors for the glaciers to calve. Freezing and 40 degrees in March is the same difference (to the glacier) as 75 and 83 in August.

 

This is a pretty good post on accessing Tracy Arm. There is also information that there is sometimes not enough time for full transits of the arm to both Sawyer Glaciers. Sometimes, me thinks, it’s bunk. Regardless, Tracy Arm is a much better experience as an add on excursion.

[eclue]

We've gone in 2014 and 2015 in August on two different ships and neither time could be get anywhere near the glacier-----

eclue:rolleyes:

[Coral]

We've gone in 2014 and 2015 in August on two different ships and neither time could be get anywhere near the glacier-----

eclue:rolleyes:

 

I have gone 2x at the end of May and 2x in July and have not gotten to the glacier any of the 4x. 2 were with a small boat.

[DougH]

I've been to Tracy Arm on a cruise ship maybe 10 times in every month from May to Sept and never gotten closer to the South Sawyer glacier than the island where the channel splits.

One year back in 2007 on the Dawn Princess the Capt took us to the face of the North Sawyer but this is very, very unusual.

 

On the small boat Adventure Bound tour from Juneau (all May/June) I've made it to the face 5 of 6 times (Coral seems to be the bad luck charm at Tracy Arm)

 

If you're looking for a glacier sighting Glacier Bay is the top choice for never being missed. By cruise ship I'd listed them as Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, College Fiord then Tracy Arm

[Coral]

 

On the small boat Adventure Bound tour from Juneau (all May/June) I've made it to the face 5 of 6 times (Coral seems to be the bad luck charm at Tracy Arm)

 

 

Others have posted similar results! Look at Eclue right above.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Coral

[Boiler Cruiser]

I've been to Tracy Arm on a cruise ship maybe 10 times in every month from May to Sept and never gotten closer to the South Sawyer glacier than the island where the channel splits.

One year back in 2007 on the Dawn Princess the Capt took us to the face of the North Sawyer but this is very, very unusual.

 

On the small boat Adventure Bound tour from Juneau (all May/June) I've made it to the face 5 of 6 times (Coral seems to be the bad luck charm at Tracy Arm)

 

If you're looking for a glacier sighting Glacier Bay is the top choice for never being missed. By cruise ship I'd listed them as Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, College Fiord then Tracy Arm

 

I guess, then, that my DW and I were quite lucky on our cruise on the Grand Princess at the end of August, 2013.

 

As you can see by the additional pics I have attached here, we were less than a mile away at our closest approach...well past the island and the right turn in the fjord on the approach to the Sawyer Glacier.

 

As a matter of fact, as the Captain turned the ship and positioned it for our return, he said that our approach was the closest he had ever been to the Sawyer Glacier in the 25 years he had been sailing in Alaska.

 

Again, I count myself quite lucky, as well as fortunate. (The glacier even calved while we were there!:))

[CowPrincess]

>SNIP<

 

On the small boat Adventure Bound tour from Juneau (all May/June) I've made it to the face 5 of 6 times (Coral seems to be the bad luck charm at Tracy Arm)

 

>SNIP<

 

I can't remember which trip it was, but our cruise ship knew well in advance that we were not going to get to the glacier in Tracy Arm as the small boat tour radioed them that the ice conditions were so bad the small boat couldn't get through. So I don't think we can blame Coral for all the bad luck ;)

[ikirumata]

We went in Late May 2012 with Adventurebound and the weather was perfect! We got all the way to both sides and observed lots of calving (North side was a bit icy, but we got close enough). We consider ourselves very lucky!

 

South Sawyer Glacier by ikirumata, on Flickr

 

North Sawyer Glacier Tracy Arm Fjord by ikirumata, on Flickr