Showing posts with label st jonsfjorden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label st jonsfjorden. Show all posts
St Jonsfjorden: Gaffelbreen Hike
Tuesday, 12 July
Latitude at Wake up: 78°31’06” N
Temperature at wake up: 38.7F (3.7C)
Two fjords; two hikes! Boy did they make us work for our dinner today! Actually, they made us work for our lunch too!!! No complaints, though; after all the good food and drink of these past days, the exercise was warranted :-)
our itinerary today includes St Jonsfjorden and Isfjorden; we’re getting awfully
close to the star, which marks our debarkation port.
[MAP ON THE TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF THE SPITSBERGEN-SVALBARD WEBSITE;
MAP ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF THE NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE WEBSITE]
Our first destination of the day was St Jonsfjorden, named for the apostle John. We woke up as Silver Explorer was entering the fjord from Forlandsund, the body of water that separates Spitsbergen from the island of Prins Karls Forland (named after Charles I of England).
The skies were overcast; nothing unusual about that. But this time, there was quite a bit of fog hiding the scenery on land from our curious eyes. So much so that I thought the planned hike might have to be cancelled since the guards would be unable to spot any bears near the landing site. Luckily, a short while later, the fog started to lift, leaving just the tops of the mountains wreathed in thick mist that occasionally parted to give us glimpses into what remained hidden.
The fog lifts to reveal our hiking destination.
Being the last group to disembark today worked out exceptionally well for us. Not only did we get to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, but we watched where those ashore were going to determine the path to reach Gaffelbreen (Fork Glacier). Oh my! Talk about steep!!! No matter; we weren’t about to be scared off.
Once ashore, I dropped off my backpack near the life vest bin so I wouldn’t be carrying any excess weight as we followed the steady stream of red jackets that were but mere specks ahead of us. Colorful flowers along the way gave us an excuse to roll around on the tundra to take photos and disguise our frequent catch-your-breath-stops. (Just amazing that thimble-sized flora can flourish in these harsh Arctic conditions.) Views, shrouded in fog that thickened one moment and thinned to mere wisps the next, also encouraged frequent stops on our way to the top.
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The tiny specks of people at the top of the ridge (left) and on the beach (right)
provide perspective for distance and elevation.
Moss Campion (top left); Saxifrage (top right); Arctic Bell Heather (bottom left and right);
and Polar Campion (center) — bits of color on the tundra.
At the top, we were greeted with the disappointing news that we would not be able to continue on towards the glacier. The fog was simply too thick. Though we didn’t have to like it, we could understand the reason — safety first in bear country.
The lateral moraine on the other side of the patches of snow would give us a decent
view of Gaffelbreen, but with the fog moving in and out, it’s off limits to us. Or is it?
Having expended considerable energy to get up to the plateau, we weren’t about to just turn around and walk back down. Instead, we quietly wandered around, enjoying the vistas spread out well below us. It was so incredibly quiet; and so peaceful. Soon, there were just six of us passengers and Kara and Chris from the expedition team left at the top.
Then, a miracle! The skies cleared a bit to show patches of blue sky and the sun that peeked through burned off the fog around us. Yes, the far reaches of the glacier was still shrouded, but visibility was greatly improved. We asked — begged might be a better description — Kara and Chris to take us to the top of the lateral moraine for a better view. After getting permission from Robin to do so, our small band of happy trekkers took a short, but rewarding jaunt. (Don’t be misled by the lack of depth perception in the above picture; there was quite a gully to navigate before and after those patches of snow to make it to the top of the moraine ridge.)
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Left: Chris takes his job as a bear guard seriously.
Right: Mother Nature’s artwork can’t be beaten.
When the time came to head back down, we didn’t want to leave. But the promise of an afternoon hike finally lured us away from the ridge. Buoyed by the special treat we had enjoyed, we had a spring in our step as we began the descent. The walk down the mossy, springy tundra was relatively easy, except for the steep angle of descent. Soon we were back on the beach where the last passenger zodiac was waiting to return us to the Silver Explorer.
I wonder what pearls of wisdom I’m sharing as I brush the tundra mud off my boots?
Clearly beautiful!
time to return to the Silver Explorer!
Back aboard the ship, I couldn’t resist walking around Deck 6 for a few more pictures of the glacier and the scenery in general. After all, I could eat anytime; the landscape feast, however, would soon be gone.
Striations add interest to a melting berg that still has considerable underwater mass.
Gaffelbreen from a distance.
Looking deeper into the fjord; I think that’s Osbornebreen in the distance
(the biggest glacier in the fjord).
Filmy mists soften the jagged fissures.
It was a great morning. Now for a great afternoon …
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