We started our adventures this morning at Texas Bar, a trapper’s hut beloved both for its quirky name and alluring setting. A series of hikes led up a ridge, with lovely views out towards the Monaco Glacier at the summit. Purple saxifrage in full bloom and vibrant green mosses lent color to the scene, while pink-footed geese, burbling snow melt streams, and the sweet song of the snow bunting provided the soundtrack.
After our hikes were finished, we returned to the ship for a cruise through still-dense ice to the face of Monaco Glacier. Sunshine illuminated low wisps of clouds and the brilliant blue of the ice as a lone minke whale made a quick pass. What better place to do the polar plunge? In the end, twenty-four plungers braved the cold Arctic waters.
