Exit Glacier
I know you are never supposed to begin with an apology, but I know I'm going to have a hard time getting this one out. My words won't do it justice, nor will the pictures we took.
We had hesitantly signed up for this hiking trip knowing that it would be strenuous. We got fitted with helmets and crampons (little claw things that strap to your boots) and got dropped off with a guide at the base of Exit Glacier. I was feeling okay until he told us that we would start off by climbing 1400 feet in just over a mile. We were talking about skiing on the way up and I remarked that our climb was twice that of the tallest hill we ski on in Wisconsin.
The climb was tough - very steep in some places. We were well outfitted though. I'd never hiked with trekking poles before, but what a difference they make. They are basically ski poles that lets you use your arms to help you walk. It takes so much stress off of your knees and ankles. We continued to ascend to the high point of the hike. We stood on this mini peak and had this amazing 360 degree view. That spot became my new favorite spot in Alaska. The glacier lay off to one side, slowly sliding down the valley with another glacier spilling off the icefield over the top. Clockwise 90 degrees there was the lip of the icefield, another 90 degrees was the opposite side of the valley which we scoured for wildlife. And the final turn gave us a vast view looking out of the glacial valley at several other glaciers and distant mountains. I wanted to linger there forever.
We had to move on though. This was the point at which we left the marked and maintained trail and picked our way cross country through an alpine meadow. Walking up a stream a bit and then to the rock slide. "The what?" I asked my guide. "It's about 30 yards of shear hill with loose rocks that we'll just kind of slide down." This is where we donned our helmets and scratched and scooted our way down clinging to alder bushed that had a much firmer grip on the soil than did we.
And then we were there. . . Right at the glaciers edge. We cramped on the cramp-ons and took our first steps onto the ice. At first your not real sure where the ground stops and the ice begins, the edges of the glacier being to embedded with loose rock and debris. Eventually we got comfortable with out new spider man abilities and were criss crossing the glacier. I had kind of imagined that the glacier would by a solid sheet of ice that just kind of floated along, but it was nothing like that. It's covered in huge crevices, streams, waterfalls, moulons (deep round holes). It's this whole other world that's constantly shifting and changing. A stream will get redirected and break through a new place. The crevices open and close as the ice slides over rock formations beneath. There even its own ecosystem. The red algae are eaten by ice worms that are eaten by little marmots. Even the bears will make there way onto the ice. (Their cramp-ons are built-in)
And the view back down the valley was tremendous. The river pouring out and snaking along.
Going up the rock slide was a little easier than going down it, and our hike down was less strenuous than going up, but bone-jarring all the way. We stopped again at that fabulous 360 view and finished out out trip. Five hours of hiking, climbing, sliding, and cramping.
We drove all the way back to Anchorage last night and stayed in a little dive called the Caribou Inn. It wasn't very nice, but it had a desperately needed hot shower (The first since Saturday!).
We were blessed with this amazing sunset, which I hope the camera did catch. Orange and purple and blue with amazing clouds and a rainstorm in front of it. All along the Seward highway people had pulled off the road to watch it. I felt like Moses, I might die if I saw any more of God's glory. And to think, my eyes are still veiled!
On to Denali today. 4-6 hours of driving, then we'll set up our tent and board the bus up into the park tomorrow morning.
I know you are never supposed to begin with an apology, but I know I'm going to have a hard time getting this one out. My words won't do it justice, nor will the pictures we took.
We had hesitantly signed up for this hiking trip knowing that it would be strenuous. We got fitted with helmets and crampons (little claw things that strap to your boots) and got dropped off with a guide at the base of Exit Glacier. I was feeling okay until he told us that we would start off by climbing 1400 feet in just over a mile. We were talking about skiing on the way up and I remarked that our climb was twice that of the tallest hill we ski on in Wisconsin.
The climb was tough - very steep in some places. We were well outfitted though. I'd never hiked with trekking poles before, but what a difference they make. They are basically ski poles that lets you use your arms to help you walk. It takes so much stress off of your knees and ankles. We continued to ascend to the high point of the hike. We stood on this mini peak and had this amazing 360 degree view. That spot became my new favorite spot in Alaska. The glacier lay off to one side, slowly sliding down the valley with another glacier spilling off the icefield over the top. Clockwise 90 degrees there was the lip of the icefield, another 90 degrees was the opposite side of the valley which we scoured for wildlife. And the final turn gave us a vast view looking out of the glacial valley at several other glaciers and distant mountains. I wanted to linger there forever.
We had to move on though. This was the point at which we left the marked and maintained trail and picked our way cross country through an alpine meadow. Walking up a stream a bit and then to the rock slide. "The what?" I asked my guide. "It's about 30 yards of shear hill with loose rocks that we'll just kind of slide down." This is where we donned our helmets and scratched and scooted our way down clinging to alder bushed that had a much firmer grip on the soil than did we.
And then we were there. . . Right at the glaciers edge. We cramped on the cramp-ons and took our first steps onto the ice. At first your not real sure where the ground stops and the ice begins, the edges of the glacier being to embedded with loose rock and debris. Eventually we got comfortable with out new spider man abilities and were criss crossing the glacier. I had kind of imagined that the glacier would by a solid sheet of ice that just kind of floated along, but it was nothing like that. It's covered in huge crevices, streams, waterfalls, moulons (deep round holes). It's this whole other world that's constantly shifting and changing. A stream will get redirected and break through a new place. The crevices open and close as the ice slides over rock formations beneath. There even its own ecosystem. The red algae are eaten by ice worms that are eaten by little marmots. Even the bears will make there way onto the ice. (Their cramp-ons are built-in)
And the view back down the valley was tremendous. The river pouring out and snaking along.
Going up the rock slide was a little easier than going down it, and our hike down was less strenuous than going up, but bone-jarring all the way. We stopped again at that fabulous 360 view and finished out out trip. Five hours of hiking, climbing, sliding, and cramping.
We drove all the way back to Anchorage last night and stayed in a little dive called the Caribou Inn. It wasn't very nice, but it had a desperately needed hot shower (The first since Saturday!).
We were blessed with this amazing sunset, which I hope the camera did catch. Orange and purple and blue with amazing clouds and a rainstorm in front of it. All along the Seward highway people had pulled off the road to watch it. I felt like Moses, I might die if I saw any more of God's glory. And to think, my eyes are still veiled!
On to Denali today. 4-6 hours of driving, then we'll set up our tent and board the bus up into the park tomorrow morning.
posted by Doug at
11:45 AM
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