Tracy Arm

Ford's Terror Wilderness, Alaska

was designated by the United States Congress in 1980 and is located about 45 miles south of Juneau. The pristine area covers 653,179 acres and consists of two deep and narrow fjords: Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. Both fjords are over 30 miles long and one-fifth of their area is covered in ice. At the end of Tracy Arm is Sawyer Glacier

The area takes its name from a U.S. Navy crewman named Ford who in 1899 paddled into a narrow waterway connected to Endicott Arm. For six hours he was caught in surging tidal currents, surrounded by massive, crashing icebergs. He survived the ordeal and since then, this finger-shaped waterway has been known as Ford's Terror.

The captain sailed the 700' ship 14 miles up the fjord until we were very, very close to the glacier. I was duely impressed when they expertly turned the immense vessel around in the narrow Fjord and sailed back out. The upper deck was 4 people deep as we approached the Sawyer Glacier, but as we turned around I had the upper decks all to myself. Ahhhh, a nice Grey Goose on the rocks, my camera gear and this amazing scenery unfolding before me for 2-1/2 hours until sunset. The sweet light of the end of the day enriched the ethereal colors and set a serene and even spiritual mood. Does it get any better than this?