from $1,945* per person	7 Days	July
Comfort accommodations		Exertion level: 3
Operator: Sierra Club Outings		10 people max

Experience the grandeur of southeast Alaska on the most intimate type of nature "cruise" possible: in a group of sleek, stable sea kayaks. We will travel in this time-honored manner, peacefully exploring small inlets, creek mouths, a tidewater glacier, and some open water to better view sea otters, seals, whales and other Alaska wildlife. The fjord walls of Endicott Arm rival any in Alaska for their beauty and steepness. We'll have time to notice if hundreds of jellyfish happen to float past, pulsing with color and symmetry. We'll have passage quiet enough to hear the keening of sea birds, the yelping of sea mammals, and the splashing of playful fish, otters, and seals. We'll move slowly enough to watch a bear amble along the shore or a bald eagle preening in its aerie. However, there will also be the excitement generated from the roar of a nearby calving glacier. We'll carry our food and camping gear with us in dry bags inside the kayaks. It's amazing what you can fit in a kayak!

The trip conveniently begins and ends in Juneau, a city with a range of airline connections and hotels. We’ll pick up and drop off our kayaks in Juneau. After loading our boats onto a water taxi on the first morning, we travel southeast down Stephens Passage, looking for whales, to Holkham Bay where we enter the Endicott Arm Fjord. This rugged glacier-crowned region, designated a U.S. Forest Service wilderness area in 1980, has metamorphic rock walls that rise dramatically from the ocean. As we approach our drop-off point near Ford’s Terror, we usually encounter the first of many small icebergs coming from a distant glacier. Here we exit the water taxi and unload our kayaks and gear. We’ll set up camp, make lunch, and get oriented to the area and our equipment; and later enjoy a kayak paddle near the start of Ford’s Terror Fjord. Ford’s Terror was named after a U.S. Navy crewman who paddled into this narrow waterway connected to Endicott Arm in 1899. He was caught in surging tidal currents for many hours, as blue icebergs surged past his boat. He survived the ordeal to tell many others, and since that time the narrow waterway has been known as Ford's Terror. Today this small fjord is frequently and safely navigated by kayak during slack tidal conditions. We’ll spend two days within the inner sanctum of Ford’s Terror. With the cooperation of the weather, we hope to have views of waterfalls coming off high-altitude glaciers, and possibly mountain goats, as well. Perhaps we can also be successful with a bit of fishing near camp to enrich a dinner, after a hike in the old-growth forest.

Returning to the main channel of Endicott Arm, we paddle for one day and set up camp at North Dawes Inlet. This is a great place to view wildlife and we'll have plenty of time to do that. The following morning we break camp, paddle up the towering fjord, and then set up base camp near the face of Dawes Glacier, a blue moving monster and one of the longer tidewater glaciers in Alaska. Days will be spent watching the glacier calve and seals sail by on icebergs, as well as taking exploratory paddles from base camp and short hikes to learn about this fascinating area. On one of the days we plan to volunteer for several hours to work on a service project as we learn about the area from US Forest Service kayak-based rangers. The visual draw of the purple and red wildflowers, in front of the icebergs with their unlimited shapes, rich azure colors, and ever-changing movement, will transfix us. We’ll return by kayak up the Arm and finally be met by our water taxi and transported back to Auke Bay where we return our kayaks. A short shuttle brings you back to Juneau for a hot shower at your hotel and a final night no-host dinner.

This trip is designed for hardy individuals and novice-to-intermediate sea kayakers who have had some prior sea kayaking experience. We may paddle by kayak up to 10 miles in a day through mostly protected waters, so proper pre-trip conditioning is important for your enjoyment and safety. The weather in coastal Alaska can be rainy (that is why wildflowers are so abundant and tall!). You need to be very well prepared -- both with personal equipment and attitude/expectations about the weather. Proper raingear and tent are essential. When the sun comes out we peel off the layers and the landscape will be even more surreal. This is a shared experience so all participants join in carrying group food and gear and in meal preparation.

Your Sierra Club leaders have over 10 years of kayaking experience each and have led many trips into the wilds of Alaska. They are very willing to share their love and knowledge of Alaska, and help you become a more confident and inspired kayaker.