NORTHBOUND FIVE: GLACIERS

Snowflakes deepen,

time seeks a path,

fearless, cold, flowing

In previous trips North, we became fascinated with the process of glaciers moving, altering terrain, creating formations. Witnessing the Earth at work can be spellbinding. There is a definite learning curve in terms of how they differ, how they behave as frozen rivers, their role on the planet, and how they are quickly melting out of existence.

The fascination created a path of its own for us.

Mendenhall Glacier was our first, near Juneau, Alaska in 2019. Observing the formations that occur with such slowness and twisting weight, all the gradations of blue ice with the moraine that marbles through it, is like watching time itself.

Centuries old ice that, on the surface, looks like an abstract painting.

The rocks we walked on were scarred by glacial scraping, from the ancient past, as it had advanced and then receded over time.

This drawing illustrates the types of glaciers, they do not occur all together

We visited Edith Cavell Mountain two years running, in Jasper, Alberta with its North-face glaciers. From the road we could see the cirque glacier that becomes Angel.

After our incredible steep, winding drive followed by the hike in, we reached it by 9am before the crowd. (note Gil on the trail).

Angel is the hanging glacier (upper right). In the 1940s it was still massively connected to the current Cavell glacier at the base of the mountain.

Looking across the pond to Cavell glacier. The dark lines are evidence of moraine which is picked up by the ice as it flows down mountains. This is then reflected in the pond or tarn formed as the ice melted.

The bergs that fall in look eerily like from another world; the reflection doubled them in morning light.

This one actually seems to hover.

While we visited specific glaciers that were accessible (by car and foot), most are not. We listened to an audio-book of John Muir’s Travels in Alaska, chronicling his late 1800s glacier studies. Such a storyteller, the account is riveting. He went along the coastal side of the lower Alaskan panhandle traveling by various boats. He reported over a hundred glaciers up one river alone. The crest of the mountain range divides the AK panhandle from British Columbia. We traveled parallel up the Canadian side of the same mountains.

Bear Glacier, BC

Meziaden Junction, BC

At Salmon Glacier, BC we were just miles from where Muir had ventured in by boat from the other side of the mountains.

These moraine tracks were made as the glacier squeezed between valley walls, scraping bits of rocks that continue along with the flowing ice.

We accessed Salmon Glacier on a twenty-mile gravel logging road out of Hyder, AK. It was a stunning drive along the deep valley.

The classic gray colored glacial river carries silt, or rock flour, the rocks literally ground to dust by the glacier bearing down the mountain. An aqua kettle pond where the minerals have settled to the bottom, reflects the rich color (lower right).

A hanging valley just across the river.

Rainbow Glacier at Chilkat State Park, near Haines, AK. (We also saw Rainbow from Rob’s deck, see Ch 4.)

Further North, Alaska and Yukon Territory share the international border along the mountain crestline.

Wrangell – St. Elias National Park & Preserve is on the US side, while Kluane National Park & Reserve is the Yukon side. Nature knows nothing of these human-drawn lines but both countries have chosen to protect the largest non-polar icefield in the world.

In 2019 we had an unscheduled ferry detour to Hubbard Glacier. We couldn't believe our luck. The bergs thickened the closer we got.

We saw this incredible tidewater glacier (seven miles wide and with 350’ face above-water) with Mt. Hubbard behind it (nearly 15k feet).

We knew then it was over seventy miles long and originated in the Yukon. Only this year did we appreciate its Kluane source.

This trip, we traveled along the permafrost heaves on the east side of the mountains.

Kluane Icefield (Klu-ah-nee)

Kluane National Park, YT from Destruction Bay Road before crossing into Alaska.

Chugach Mountains, AK

Heading toward Valdez

Remains of Worthington Glacier. We could only climb so far. The trail up to the high valley is now permanently closed due to fallen rocks (as the glacier recedes).

At Valdez we took the boat-cruise to see the tidewater Meares Glacier; rain or shine – we did not care!

We saw lots of wildlife here, as well as these natural ice sculptures. (see Ch 6).

Unakwik Inlet

Getting exciting as we passed Brilliant Glacier.

Meares Glacier

Leaving Valdez, our goal was to camp at Glacier View to celebrate our 40th anniversary.

En route, we stopped to have a final peek at the Wrangell-St. Elias Preserve from the west side. As the raven flies, we were only 160 miles from the road we had travelled up on the Kluane side. In between are four mountain ranges and over 3,000 glaciers.

Mt. Drum, only the tippy-top obscured by clouds.

Nelchina Glacier from the scenic Glen Highway route.

Matanuska, a valley glacier with source mountains nearly hidden in the thick cloudbank. We had a couple days to see Matanuska from different perspectives.

We were able to hike this close from our campground, Happy 40th!

KENAI PENINSULA

We started out in Portage Valley. We had previously taken the cruise around the lake to see the receding Portage Glacier.

As mentioned in Ch 1, it rained here constantly this trip. Though the valley is surrounded by glaciers, there was little opportunity to see any except Middle Glacier right above us.

Portage Valley glaciers

Middle Glacier above Williwaw campground

HOMER

Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park is home to many glaciers, just across the bay from Homer. The west side of the Kenai mountains feature glaciers fed from Harding Icefield. From our campground (star at left) we could see some of those shown here.

As we drove out East End Road, others became (sort of) visible under cloud cover. We had to guess which were which. Gorgeous.

China Poot Peak (far left); Doroshin Glacier (far right).

Grewingk Glacier, center

Portlock Glacier, hiding in the mist

SEWARD

Just before reaching Seward (on the other side of the Kenai Mountains), we hiked into Exit Glacier.

This graphic chart shows the valley carved by the glacier, and how far it has receded over the years from 1815 to 2007.

Kenai Fjords National Park features Harding Ice Field. The seven hundred acres of ice is a remnant of the Pleistocene ice sheet from 23,000 years ago!

While still thousands of feet thick today, some mountain peaks rise above the ice, called Nunataks. Harding Icefield is clearly visible here, (it feeds over thirty glaciers).