Capturing the Moment

  There are so many beautiful glaciers here in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Many are high in the mountain valleys, hard to reach without some serious rock climbing ability. Others spill out of the mountains all the way down to the ocean. These are called tidewater glaciers, and are best explored by boat or kayak. There are a few, however, that allow a different kind of adventure. Meares Glacier is one of these. It is a tidewater glacier, but it is currently advancing through the rainforest on its sides, presenting a unique way to experience this glacier with a hike. There are certain parts of the glacier that you can actually walk up touch. It is a dynamic environment, always changing, so this adventure won't always be an option. But right now, it is an adventure not to be missed. We landed on a gently sloping rocky beach, perfect for a skiff beach landing. We crossed a small stream and entered the rainforest on a well-used bear path. We stopped for a few photo opportunities of th...

  I don't think that is the easiest way, David. There is a past time here in Alaska called 'bushwhacking,' that outsiders are astonished with at first. Bushwhacking is kind of like hiking, except that there is no trail. Today our bushwhack came with a destination, although sometimes its just the experience of nature's obstacle course that is the goal. Today we were going to try and summit a massive, rocky knob, sticking out atop the Alaskan rainforest fringe. We were in Knight Island, on the western side of Prince William Sound. This island was hit hard by the Exxon Valdez oil spill back in 1989, but now you would have to really try to find any residual oil. We landed on a rocky beach at extreme low tide. We had to try hard not to step on any of the bright red sea stars in the shallow water. After saying goodbye to our small boat dropoff, we scrambled up a small cliff into the forest. The way up was a combination of river crossings, open boggy areas called muskegs, and ...

  The low tide had placed this piece of ice perfectly atop this rock inside the cave. View from the back of the cave. The goal of today's paddle was to head to the face of a very active glacier, called Chenega Glacier, and see if we could witness some calvings. However, I don't want to miss all the amazing nooks and crannies of the shoreline on the way. There can be surprises around every corner if you slow down and take the time to explore. I love paddling around ice and watching glaciers calve from water level, but I think going back into crevices and caves in the cliffs can be just as fun. And it can be very photogenic. Today was an extra special kayak. The group included my sister and brother in law. We had incredible weather, calm seas and sunshine. The glacier itself was very active, with a few huge calvings. We were able to paddle through the brash ice, bouncing off big growlers. It sounded like rice krispies all around us. And we got to check out some really cool sea ca...