Ever since moving to Alaska I have been mildly obsessed with glaciers. The idea of being up close and personal with such a massive natural wonder, a living, moving, uncontrollable object is pretty awe inspiring.
Thankfully, I've been able to visit over five different glaciers since moving here. The first was Byron Glacier, which required a short hike that my three kids managed without any difficulty! Because of the season, we didn't get too close to the ice (though we did get too close to the snow walls :P ) as calving events are scary and dangerous!
When my sister and her children came to visit one summer we spent time visiting all the sights along the Turnagain Arm (the Alyeska Tram in Girdwood, The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and Winner Creek Trail with her glorious blueberries...all great kids activities!). We also took the short, very affordable boat tour across Portage Lake and got amazing views of Portage glacier from a safe distance. Should have brought more layers though -- even in summer, the wind blowing down off that much ice makes everything pretty chilly!
My third trip took me to Whittier, Alaska. This strange little harbor town is the starting point for a half-day boat tour of over 20 glaciers that dot the coastline of Prince William sound. We were able to watch a fantastic calving event that certainly proved to be the highlight of the tour.
The fourth glacier encounter was a bit more terrifying. We hiked out towards Worthington Glacier near Valdez and were enjoying the views of the sheer ice wall when a series of boulders slide off the face of the glacier and tumbled down towards us. There were guardian angels around for sure and other than some cuts and scrapes from flying shards of shattered boulders, we were ok. But we learned our lesson! No more close encounters with glaciers during the summer!!
The fifth glacier tour was with a guide and all the proper equipment (hardhats, flashlights and a healthy respect for the ice.) After trekking across Root Glacier in Kennicott, Alaska (an amazing national park!) we hiked down to the base of the glacier where a cave had opened up. Still traumatized from the previous summer's near miss, I had a hard time remaining calm during our tour. I went in, took pictures and then hightailed it out of there : ) I have nothing but good things to say about our amazing guide Gus, and the St. Elias tour company!! Worth every penny (and it was many pennies...but this was a splurgy trip : )
The last encounter that I had with a glacier was at Matanuska Glacier. About 2 hours from Anchorage, this glacier is well loved by locals. The daily tours are excellent and ensure safety during the experience. I was able to make a video of this trip and it remains one of the highlights of our time in Alaska!
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