If I Were Going...: Alpefjord Fjord, Gully and Sefstrøm Glaciers

Our morning's destination (with one of the few signs of civilization we saw)

The next morning started with a surprise. Before it was even light enough to take a decent photo, we got a PA announcement that Polar Bears were spotted onshore. It was darkish and they were far, far, far away. So far that you really couldn't see them with the naked eye.

Did I say far away? Photo: Scotty Sinton

It was a female and her cub, probably a yearling. They appeared to be eating from a kill. Because they were on a thin stretch of beach, it was most likely a Seal. I took a lot of photos, but most of mine wouldn't even give a forensic photo expert anything to work with.

Yep! Polar Bears!

The ship's photographer fared a bit better.

You can (kinda) see what they are doing; Photo: Scotty Sinton

So, we had seen tracks and actual Bears, maybe we'd get a better sighting later. Nope. Later, some hikers saw some even farther away. But, that was it for Polar Bears for us. Fortunately, I have seen them before.

Polar Bear, Kaktovik, Alaska, 2008, before I had a good camera and lens

Our Excursion

As the sun rose, the day was as beautiful as the day before.

Blue sky, snow-capped mountains, blue water

The Expedition Team started remarking that they had not seen weather this good all season and that, considering the terrible weather they experienced on the cruise immediately before ours, it seemed like a miracle. I'll take it.

Maybe paying dues in Iceland was worth it

This morning's adventure was Zodiac-based. We were cruising up Alpefjord Fjord.

Traveling to the glacier face; Photo: Scotty Sinton

Enjoying the ride; Top left: Scott Stevens

A narrow scenic channel in the Northeast Greenland National Park, Alpefjord was as deep as we would go into Greenland's fjord system.

Our first view of the glaciers

Based on the maps I am looking at, I think we traveled about a quarter of the way up the 18-mile-long fjord, which is fed by multiple glaciers.

I think we made it to where two glaciers converge; Map: Google Maps

It's always tricky on a guided tour to figure out exactly where you went, so I just have to guess by what I am seeing. It is complicated by the fact that not every place is listed on Google Maps and that many of the places in Greenland have multiple spellings: English, Danish, Greenlandic, Norwegian, Swedish, even German. So, forgive me if I am not completely accurate.

Alpefjord is known for its dramatic landscapes, including ...

The Gully and Sefstrøm Glaciers ...

... and the towering Stauning Alps

The Alps have numerous high rocky peaks, reaching more than 6,000 feet above the ocean, and active glaciers in almost all valleys.

In many places, the rock face goes straight into the ocean without a shore or beach

The mountains are made up of granite, harder in the northern ranges than in the southern subranges.

The hard granite makes the mountains in the north extremely craggy

Those in the south are more eroded and have a relatively smoother appearance.

A cleft in the mountaintop

One striking feature in the fjord is the striped cliffs made of layered sedimentary rocks.

More interesting geology; Photo: Scotty Sinton

I have always thought of fjords a narrow, which, compared to the open ocean, they are. But, Greenland's major fjords are pretty big.

The ship gives perspective

As we traveled up the fjord by Zodiac, we navigated by steep cliffs.

Almost straight up

Then, we reached a rock dike that seemed to be an underwater moraine.

Approaching the moraine

A closer view as we rounded it

Finally, we approached the faces of the glaciers, beautiful in the brilliant sunshine.

Classic tidal glacier faces

Although we heard some cracking and booming, I was surprised at how little calving we saw here or at any of the other glaciers we visited in Greenland, especially since it was sunny and (relatively) warm.

You can see small amounts of icefall

The ice in the water and piles of ice at the bases of the glaciers showed that they were calving. We just missed most of it.

There was a little action

It was in Alpefjord that we saw the only other hint of civilization outside of Ittoqqortoormiit, the village we would visit later. An airplane (perhaps a military transport or a research plane; certainly not a commercial passenger plane) flew over the mountaintops.