The Fairweather Visitor Guide 2021
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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Summer 2021 VISITOR GUIDE Trails ...........................page 5 Boating & Camping...page 22 Wildlife ..................... page 30 Table of Contents Welcome to Glacier Bay General Information. 3–13 Explore Glacier Bay highlights Welcome to Glacier Bay Parks are about shared ownership, working together National Park and Preserve, as a nation and world to care for a treasure we want Park Science . 14–19 a place defined by beauty to pass on to our children. Successfully dealing with Discover stories behind the scenery and hope, change and the pandemic requires much of the same: collective resilience. These are familiar action to preserve what is precious. Collaboration is Guide to Park Waters Map . 20–21 concepts reflected in the especially important for our vulnerable populations: challenges we face with the the tribal elders who hold so much of Tlingit culture, Traveling, Boating & Camping . 22–29 pandemic and our shared or the people who worked so hard to create the Plan your adventure efforts to protect what we communities and protect the areas you are visiting treasure. and who still live here. Please join us in helping to keep this special place special and to ensure the safety Wildlife . 30–36 If you are here this summer, then you successfully and well-being of yourselves, your fellow travelers, Look, listen, and protect navigated the gauntlet of new requirements, and our local communities. restrictions, and fears of travel. You might even have For Teachers . 37 a better appreciation for the challenges faced by those There is a memorial coin beneath each of the four Share Glacier Bay with your class in the past who came to visit this special place. house posts in Xunaa Shuka Hit (page 6), the Eagle and Raven poles outside, and the Healing totem (page By now, we had all hoped that we might be further For Kids . 38 8). These coins have a statement, engraved in Tlingit along in our ability to freely visit our National Parks. Become a Junior Ranger and English, that drive every decision and every We also feared that finding a vaccine and a path out action this park takes: Stay Connected . 39 of the pandemic might take much longer. Instead, we now find ourselves in the middle place. Alaska’s Support your park communities and travel industry are excited to start to welcome people back, but the lack of herd Additional Information. back cover Haa yátx’i jeeyís áyá immunity requires us to be cautious and many remote Emergency, Medical, and Contact Us communities here are justifiably concerned. Luckily, For Our Children Forever. many of the best experiences in Glacier Bay – such The Fairweather as breathing in the quiet beauty rather than the air of a crowd – are found outside and can be enjoyed Produced by: responsibly so our most vulnerable are protected. Philip Hooge, Superintendent Enjoying these places requires flexibility in thought and action. You may find your mid-summer trip Designed by: National Park Service and Alaska Geographic occurring when many restrictions have been relaxed and local and regional COVID-19 cases are very low, Park Coordinator: Laura Buchheit Editor: Matthew Enderle or you may find yourself in a time of rising numbers Graphics: Sean Tevebaugh and tightening restrictions. Contributors: Michael Bower, Laura Buchheit, Brian Buma, Kat Connelly, Sara Doyle, Lisa Etherington, Chris Gabriele, Margaret Hazen, Philip Hooge, Emma Johnson, Tania Lewis, Dan Mann, Sandy Milner, Mary Beth Moss, Janet Neilson, Steven Schaller, Melissa Senac, Lewis Sharman, Scott Gende, Ingrid Nixon, and Darlene See. Special thanks to the following photographers: Kaytie Boomer, Michael Bower, Brian Buma, Sara Doyle, Janene Driscoll (inside cover), Chris Gabriele, Tania Lewis, Dan Mann, Craig Murdoch (front cover), Janet Neilson, Sean Neilson, Steve Schaller, Sean Tevebaugh, and NPS seasonal staff. The Fairweather is published by Alaska Geographic Association and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. ©Alaska Geographic Visitors to Bartlett Cove can still experience the wild, glacial Glacier Bay offers a myriad of opportunities to “Find Your Park.” landscape of Glacier Bay. 3 Explore Bartlett Cove Trails Bartlett Cove is the only developed area within the wilds of Glacier Bay. The forests and shorelines offer great opportunities for hiking and exploring. Maps are available at Glacier Bay Lodge and the Visitor Information Station (VIS). Forest Trail Distance: 0.7 miles (1.1 km) one way Time: 30 minutes–1.5 hours This leisurely stroll meanders through a lush forest that grows atop a glacial moraine. A wheelchair accessible boardwalk takes you part of the way, leading to two viewing decks that overlook a serene pond. Return along the shore The shores of Barlett Cove offer opportunities to explore... for an easy one-mile loop. If you just have a few hours... If you have a half day... Tlingit Trail Distance: 0.5 mile (800 m) one way Stop by the Visitor Center: On the second floor of the Hike to the Bartlett River: See trail details, page 5. Time: 30 minutes–1 hour Glacier Bay Lodge is the National Park Service (NPS) Explore the intertidal zone at low tide: See map Enjoy this easy stroll along a forested shoreline. information desk and exhibits. Open daily when lodge page 5. View the Healing Pole and a traditional Tlingit is open. Educational materials and souvenirs available canoe, admire a complete whale skeleton, learn for purchase from Alaska Geographic. about common native plants, and take in the Walk the Forest Trail: See trail details, page 5. If you have a full day... Raven and Eagle totems, as well as the exterior of the Tribal House. Go for a beach walk: See trail details, page 5. Hike to Bartlett Lake: See trail details, page 5. Join a Ranger Program: See bulletin boards or park Go for a paddle: There are several options for kayaking Bartlett River Trail website for schedule of activities happening during around Bartlett Cove. Take a guided kayak trip, or rent Distance: 4 miles (6.4 km) round trip your visit. your own from Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks. Time: 4–5 hours Explore a dense spruce-hemlock rainforest. The Visit the Whale Exhibit: See one of the largest Become a Junior Ranger: Kids can pick up their free trail through the forest ends at an estuary near humpback whale skeletons on display in the world. Junior Ranger Activity Book from the NPS information the mouth of the river. Each summer, spawning Located near the Visitor Information Station. desk at the Glacier Bay Lodge, or from the Visitor salmon attract otters, eagles, seals, and bears. Information Station (VIS). See page 38. View the Tribal House and the Healing Pole: Anglers enjoy fishing there, too. Walk along the Tlingit Trail to explore Huna Tlingit Explore Glacier Bay on the Dayboat: Spend the day connections to Glacier Bay. See pages 6–8. exploring Glacier Bay to observe wildlife and tidewater Bartlett Lake Trail Distance: 8 miles (16 km) round trip glaciers. Stop by the lodge for availability*. Time: 7–8 hours About ¾ of a mile down the Bartlett River Trail you will find the lake trail, a branch trail that climbs the moraine. This primitive trail is a rugged day-hike, with rewards of solitude and a Get the Latest Schedule of Events tranquil lake. Bring water, food, and rain gear. Please see the NPS Visitor Explore the Shore Center information desk in the Glacier Bay Distance: varies Lodge, the bulletin board in front of the The shoreline beyond the docks continues for lodge, or the Visitor Information Station miles past the campground. You may observe (VIS) near the public dock for updates and land and marine wildlife. Look for birds, listen information on available services. for whales, and watch for sea otters feeding near shore. This is not a maintained trail. 4 5 Xunaa Shuká Hít Xunaa Shuká Hít stands proudly on the shores of Bartlett Cove. Dressed in the beaded vest of a Tlingit elder, tribal throughout Glacier Bay prior to the Little Ice Age. interpreter Don Starbard shares with visitors: “There’s Although villages inside the bay were overrun by Tribal members dance and sing during the August 2016 Tribal NPS cultural interpreter shares messages represented within the a good balance now. Yes, our young people are going glacial advances in the 1700s, the Huna Tlingit re- House Dedication. Raven and Eagle totems. off to college to become successful. But our language established fish camps and seasonal villages soon now stands proudly on the shoreline of Bartlett Cove. sides of Xunaa Shuká Hít. In August 2018, these poles is strong. Our dance is strong. Our canoe culture is after glacial retreat. Establishment of Glacier Bay Dedicated in August 2016 and opened to the public in were joined by Yaa Naa Néx Kootéeyaa (Healing Pole). strong, and, most importantly, our connection to National Monument in 1925 (and later National Park) summer 2017, it now draws thousands of visitors from This totem, collaboratively designed by NPS and HIA, Homeland remains strong.” All summer long, visitors and implementation of laws and park regulations led around the world. reveals the story of the journey through a painful past gather at the Tribal House. They listen to traditional to a period of alienation and strained relationships A team of clan leaders, craftsmen, planners, architects, to a healthier, more meaningful partnership. Xunaa stories and explore the intricately carved and painted between tribal people and the NPS. Time and new and cultural resource specialists designed Xunaa Shuká Hít is a place of learning, growth, inspiration, building. Cultural interpreters working for the National understandings have brought much healing.