Cold (27 degrees F), relatively calm 10-15 knots, overcast
We are losing 20 minutes of daylight every day. Winter is approaching with the ground freezing and some ice flows starting to fill in the shoreline. This fjord sits in the mouth of the Foster Bay.
After breakfast at 7:30, we check out the bridge. It is quiet until the first musk ox is sighted on shore in the path of where we will start our morning walk at Blomsterbugten. There is also an option to kayak instead of hiking with a real risk of taking on some icey water along the way.
We start our 3 mile hike with a short climb up the bank to find a trapper’s hut to our left. Continuing upward, bear prints are spotted in the snow and ice. And there begins our trail up the fjord toward the lake. As we walk the rocky terrain, there are additional prints identified as fox tailgating behind the lumbering bear.
4 musk oxen are spotted on the ledges. They remain lounging while we continue to climb higher for a better view.
The rocks have a definitive red color probably contributed by iron in the area. There is a significant unconformity identified in the mountain side. As we approach the interior lake, the reddish cast becomes predominant off the water.
Moving upward, we are treated to a big white hare (rabbit) sighting. We circle around the tableau and return to shore via the bear paw trail. The snow is moving in and the visibility is lowering.
By lunch, we are passing several icebergs as we reposition for the Walter Shausen Glacier. The calm bay provides an opportunity for us to enjoy a zodiac ride to view some ringed seals and gulls. The aging of the glacier provides blue veins of newly formed ice among the well established walls of white.
After recapping the day, we are treated to a dinner of Philippine fare followed by a party with music from the Shackleton Band.
Rizbee On The Road 