Glacier extravaganza!!
OMG. Yesterday we drove to Whittier (not very far from Anchorage..maybe an hour or so away). We were gonna stop at Portage Glacier along the way but we missed the turn and couldn't really turn around. I sill saw Portage Lake and I was like "OMG!" when I saw the icebergs floating in the water..wasn't expecting that haha. I saw the glacier around the mountain though (and other hanging glaciers driving there too). The only way to drive to Whittier is to go through a tunnel built into the mountain..and it's only one lane so every 30 minutes for 15 minutes they let cars go out (and trains have to use it too). Whittier was on the other side..it's tiiiiiny..and there's almost NOTHING to do in town. Less than or around 300 people live there and most live in this one apartment building. And it's cloudy and rainy all the time. The glacier cruise was in the afternoon..while we were waiting it started POURING rain. They said cloudy days are good days to view glaciers cause you can see the blue well. As we left the harbor the forest ranger guide pointed out a glacier and we were lucky to see it cause the clouds weren't obscuring it (I THINK it might have been Billings Glacier). We then headed to College Fjord! We didn't go all the way in the fjord for some reason..but I still saw Harvard Glacier!! I've soo been wanting to see that one!! There's also Yale Glacier and a bunch of other ones. Harvard is advancing and Yale is retreating. Then we went to see Surprise Glacier (and passed Barry Arm on the way. Mom said she saw Barry Glacier calve!). OMG we got up SO close to Surprise Glacier!!! I was shaking and it was NOT from the cold haha. And then..WE SAW IT CALVE!!! AND I got it on video!! OMG I was thrilled haha. That was addictive..being up close to the glacier face like that haha. Then we headed to Barry Arm (had to think of Margerie guy since he went there :P). Three glaciers are there..Cascade, Barry and, Coxe. We couldn't get in all the way to Barry Glacier cause of all the ice. We did get rather close to Cascade though. Then we stopped at a kittiwake rookery (they look like seagulls) and then went back to the dock. Fastest 4 hours or so of my life. :P Then we just went back to the hotel
Today we woke up to the storm someone said would come..it was crazy windy, raining, the water was choppy and there was some thunder. We were hoping the weather would be better on the other side of the tunnel where Portage Glacier was..buuut nope. They were still doing boat rides though so we decided to go. It was less windy by the glacier. We got up close to Portage also!! It was FREEZING haha. We saw Portage calve too!!! I was like "WHOOO YEAH!! *jumps up and down*" I think I heard it creaking or cracking. There was this one big piece of ice that had a crack in it and I was just waiting for it to calve off (I was begging.."PLEASE CALVE PLEASE CALVE!!" haha) but it didn't before we left. When I went back inside the boat I was SOAKED. :P Getting up close to tidewater glaciers = WIN. Then we drove to Seward. It was raining there too. :P Though it's bigger and nicer than Whittier. We brought our stuff to the hotel (it's called Exit Glacier Lodge!) and then drove to Exit Glacier. We put on plastic rain poncho things and hiked up to the glacier. We took the trail to the river valley that takes you to the very bottom of the glacier where you can touch it but I just couldn't get over a river channel (unless I wanted to get my shoes wet). We got to the top and we were the closet I've ever been to a glacier. Wowwww. We got back to the bottom and I was just ITCHING to touch the glacier. I tried to cross the river channels again. I was trying to use rocks and this big stick to get across. I was DESPERATE. Finally I was like "whateverrr" and just got my feet and pants soaked and finally got across ("WHOO YEAH I MADE IT!!"). Though I still had to cross another channel before I could get to the glacier but I finally, finally made it. I touched Exit Glacier. :D I was at the side of the glacier and I heard these people talking about it being unsafe cause of rockslides and I look behind me and see this big rock on the cliff RIGHT above me and I was like "yeaaah I'm leaving now." :P When I was going back I realized I was walking on the terminal moraine! I was HUNGRY after doing that haha. WE ate dinner and went back to the hotel where I am now
We go back to Fairbanks tomorrow..I work Tuesday..so I'll try to get my pics up when I have time. Wooo exciting glacierness! :D
Skipping the definition of the day :P
Today we woke up to the storm someone said would come..it was crazy windy, raining, the water was choppy and there was some thunder. We were hoping the weather would be better on the other side of the tunnel where Portage Glacier was..buuut nope. They were still doing boat rides though so we decided to go. It was less windy by the glacier. We got up close to Portage also!! It was FREEZING haha. We saw Portage calve too!!! I was like "WHOOO YEAH!! *jumps up and down*" I think I heard it creaking or cracking. There was this one big piece of ice that had a crack in it and I was just waiting for it to calve off (I was begging.."PLEASE CALVE PLEASE CALVE!!" haha) but it didn't before we left. When I went back inside the boat I was SOAKED. :P Getting up close to tidewater glaciers = WIN. Then we drove to Seward. It was raining there too. :P Though it's bigger and nicer than Whittier. We brought our stuff to the hotel (it's called Exit Glacier Lodge!) and then drove to Exit Glacier. We put on plastic rain poncho things and hiked up to the glacier. We took the trail to the river valley that takes you to the very bottom of the glacier where you can touch it but I just couldn't get over a river channel (unless I wanted to get my shoes wet). We got to the top and we were the closet I've ever been to a glacier. Wowwww. We got back to the bottom and I was just ITCHING to touch the glacier. I tried to cross the river channels again. I was trying to use rocks and this big stick to get across. I was DESPERATE. Finally I was like "whateverrr" and just got my feet and pants soaked and finally got across ("WHOO YEAH I MADE IT!!"). Though I still had to cross another channel before I could get to the glacier but I finally, finally made it. I touched Exit Glacier. :D I was at the side of the glacier and I heard these people talking about it being unsafe cause of rockslides and I look behind me and see this big rock on the cliff RIGHT above me and I was like "yeaaah I'm leaving now." :P When I was going back I realized I was walking on the terminal moraine! I was HUNGRY after doing that haha. WE ate dinner and went back to the hotel where I am now
We go back to Fairbanks tomorrow..I work Tuesday..so I'll try to get my pics up when I have time. Wooo exciting glacierness! :D
Skipping the definition of the day :P