Alaska Journal--Day 4 | auroraborealis's Blog

Today did not start out eventful.   I woke up at four and I sat out on the fore deck and watched the scenery go by for a couple of hours until breakfast, then I went back to bed to lay down for a while and ended up sleeping until noon.    I got up just in time for lunch.    The announced at lunch that we would be stopping at Glacier Bay National Park--very few ships get to stop here, we are one of the lucky few!!!    There is a lodge here and a few short trails.    The longest is 4.5 miles, so I decided to take that one.   We were supposed to be docked for two and a half hours and I figured I'd have plenty of time.    I figured wrong.   I got lost.

I don't know how I did it, but I got onto a game trail that led straight out of the park!   I ended up hiking 10-12 miles!   I hiked eight miles out of the park.    At one point on the path there was a puddle about 10 feet long and 18 inches deep and I tried to cross part of it on a log, but I slipped, hurt my ankle and ended up in the drink.    So I had to hike the last three miles hurt and soaked.    I eventually made my way to the highway and hitchhiked back to the cruise ship.   I had absolutely no idea where I was and the guys didn't want to give me a lift--I talked them into it.   I didn't have it in me to find my way back to the ship!    I was over an hour late getting back, but fortunately they waited for me!    I did get a bit scared at the end, but I kept my wits about me and everything turned out just fine.    It was one hell of an adventure, and that's what I went to Alaska for!!!!!!