SATURDAY, JULY 27

SATURDAY, JULY 27:

     We did our Glacier Trek today, on the Matanuska Glacier.   We were kind of tickled that it had this name, as our first ferry trip was on its namesake, the Matanuska, which began our Alaskan adventure.  (At some point in riding the ferries, we realized that all of the boats were  named after Alaskan glaciers.)

       Left a little after 7:00 to be sure and get at the guide outfit’s location by 9:15 (our tour was for 9:30).  We’ve learned that you need to always allow extra time for road repair almost anywhere in Alaska (and northern Canada).  There’s deer season, moose season, salmon season, and road repair season up here! 

     When we left Glennallen, it was warm and sunny.  About half-way there, we were totally enveloped in fog!  Little change in elevation – so must be something about the configuration of the valley.  Anyway, by the time we got there, was pretty foggy & misty, and cool.  Really glad I grabbed my heavier jacket at the last minute – just in case!

     Got us outfitted with crampons and helmets.  When I told the girl who was fitting me for crampons that we were from St. Louis, she volunteered that she was from southern Illinois and asked if I’d ever heard of a place called Camp Ondessonk.  That’s where Beth went to camp for 3 or 4 years, with good friend Becky Somers.  The last year they went, they were workers/counselors and were there for several weeks.  It turns out that they and this gal were there at the same time!  She thought the name sounded a little familiar, but couldn’t place it.  I’ll ask Beth if she remembers a girl named Claire.

       Met our guide, Chris, and the others in our hiking group – a man and his college-aged son who live in Girdwood (near Anchorage), his sister (visiting them from Florida), and another young couple from Colorado.  Hopped in the van and drove for about 10 minutes.  Then got off at a parking lot and started our trek over some rocks and mud, part of the glacier’s terminal moraine (material which was deposited by the glacier as it came down the valley and then was left behind as the glacier receded).  

 

 

 

Chris remarked how eerily beautiful the glacier looked enshrouded in fog.  He said that he’s only seen it that way a couple of times.  

 

      We worked our way closer and closer to the glacier’s surface, soon getting on top of the ice.  As we hiked, Chris gave us some facts about this glacier:  This is the largest glacier in the U.S. which is accessible by road.  A valley glacier, it’s considered the smallest of Alaska’s “big” glaciers:  27 miles long, 4 miles wide.  The ice is probably nearly a mile thick at the top, and about 3-400 feet thick near the terminus, where we were exploring. 

 

  

 

 

 

Chris chopping up some ice to make it easier for us to walk.  

      Chris guided us around for the better part of 3 hours on the glacier’s surface.  He pointed out interesting formations and features of the ice, especially some different views of the most prominent feature we got close to –the ice fall, with its improbable sharp edges and pinnacles jutting upwards.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Was a wonderful experience getting to see what a glacier looks like up close -  exquisite blue colorings in places, streams of melting water called “moulins,” which empty into swirling cavities underneath the top layer of ice, deep crevasses,  distinct black lines drawn into the ice (result of gravel freezing when carried by rushing water through tunnels in the ice when the glacier was actively forming), large areas which reminded me of an old-fashioned quilted satin bathrobe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last place Chris took us to was a small lake formed by the melting ice water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw a couple of different groups of ice climbers.

 

 

MICA tours also offers ice-climbing adventures.  But we thought that was probably a little beyond what we could comfortably do.   We chose the perfect tour for us – a good physical workout, only slightly challenging, paced just right for all of our group.  Never felt rushed or hurried.  Our favorite mix of being educated while thoroughly delighting in  taking in wondrous sights.  And, Chris had a great dry sense of humor, which I really enjoyed.
 

Last looks at Matanuska Glacier:

     As were hiking, the sun was burning off the fog, and by the end of the trek, most of us were quite warm – off with the heavy jackets!  In fact, when we got back to the outfit’s home base, I stripped off all of my warmer clothes and put on a T-shirt I’d brought!  I think it hit over 80 today.

     Had some nice views of the glacier from a distance on our way home . . . on the way in, was too foggy to see it.     

 

 

 

     Got back about 3:30, just in time to pick up a few groceries for our trip to McCarthy & Wrangell-St. Elias tomorrow, and then for Bill to go get the new tires put on the truck.  The guy was extremely helpful in explaining to Bill why those 2 tires in particular took such a big hit on the Alcan, and how he could mitigate that down the road (literally).

     A lovely, balmy evening for grilling salmon and eating outdoors again.  But the mosquitoes are really bad. 

     Seems as if it’s staying lighter longer again – last night, when we went to bed around 11:30, still twilight!  Can’t figure out why, when a couple of weeks ago, it seemed darker at 10:30  . . . as Bill says, “I’ve given up trying to figure out Alaskan weather.”