Matanuska Glacier

After the summer spent in the Kenai Peninsula, we meandered along the Cook Inlet to Glacier View near the Matanuska Glacier.  We had a Grand Time at Grand View RV park.  Across the highway was Sheep Mountain where we would watch the Dahl Sheep on the mountainside.  Indeed, we saw 13 sheep one morning, just grazing on the mountainside.  We enjoyed our short stay there and explored the Matanuska Glacier.  The Glacier is 27 miles long, 4 miles wide, and travels about a foot a year.  Surprisingly, the glacier has seen little change in the two decades.  You can see the Glacier from the highway, but we wanted an "up close in your face" experience on this glacier.  You can pay $20.00 per person and go walk on the glacier, just not the ice.  Huh? Isn't a glacier all ice?  For that price you can hike on the moraine.  We went with Matanuska Adventures for their Glacier Trekking.  It was another awesome experience!

The moss that grows on the ice

The ice at this level is clear with air bubbles.  The Blue ice is up higher (we hiked to it, but the sun caused the blue to not be as brilliant).

A water hole showing the muddy debris on top of the glacier

 A large rock in the glacier.  The large rocks work their way back to the glacier from the moraine.

We thought we had made it as far as the hike goes, but our guide had other plans for us.

The receding glacier revealed this remnant of the ocean floor, when the area was covered with sea water.  

A glacier lake at the foot of the glacier

A crevasse in the glacier.  You could hear the water flowing and percolating below

It got a lot steeper, but Jasmina our guide was confident we could do it

The view at the top

Woohoo!  Only 10% of the guided treks reach this point.

The bright sunlight made the ice slippery.

The beginnings of a crevasse

Love the patterns in the ice!

After the hike, we enjoyed a grilled steak and corn on the cob for dinner.   A glass of wine and we were exhausted.  Early to bed and early off to the road to Valdez.  

Yep, Fall is in the air!  It was 30 degrees in Glenallen.  Time to go!

Fish, alive and dead in the river

When we arrived in Valdez, we settled in then headed over to the Solomon Gulch fish hatchery.  Word has it there are several bear in the area getting all the fish.

Feral bunnies run amuck in Valdez

A little black bear on the way to the hatchery

Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery.  Millions of sea birds!

The Sunset from the Fish Hatchery

The same black bear on the way out

He wasn't very big, but we gave him some distance

We learned shortly after arriving that our much awaited Glacier charter was not what we paid for.  The boat was supposed to be a 35 foot boat with a galley, a head, and lots of room inside and out dependent on the weather.  Well, 'that boat is not really running, but I can get you out in a small aluminum fishing boat.'  We went and looked at it at the dock and oh my!  The hull had a flap missing, no safety gear, no head, no galley, and was not yet cleaned.  It was like renting a Cadillac and getting a Yugo.  He wouldn't budge on the price, so we passed.  Waiting on a refund on our credit card.  It seems bait and switch is a common thing here, as seldom are things as advertised.  We went ahead and booked a commercial charter with Stan Stephens.  I'll post this trip later.