Alaskan Ruggedness - Yakutat Bay, Alaska

Almost all Alaskan cruises travel through the Gulf of Alaska (an arm of the Pacific Ocean), which has some of the most beautiful landscapes that exist. Traveling the Gulf treats you to a unique combination of mountains, forests and glaciers along the way, not to mention the numerous bays and inlets and the inside passage. The scenery along the Alaskan Coast is simply breathtaking. You could literally take a photo every five minutes and get different rugged mountains that rise from the waters of the Gulf. I took this particular photo just before the 16-mile wide entrance to Yakutat Bay on our way inland to view the Hubbard Glacier. The lush green forest that stops partway up these mountains contrasted well with the brown rock and snow- capped peaks.