Kenai Fjords National Park: Aialik and Holgate Glaciers

 

Yep, its pretty beautiful out here. This is our counterparts on the skiff tour, in front of a hanging glacier.

This morning we took our guests aboard the expedition ship Safari Explorer, deep into Kenai Fjords National Park, here in Alaska. It was day 1 of our brand new Aleutian Islands itinerary, where we spend 10 days going from Seward to Dutch Harbor. We will travel more than 800 miles, explore countless bays, share hiking trails with massive bears, and trade coastal temperate rainforest for wind strewn tundra.

After bringing the guests from Anchorage to Seward, we met the Safari explorer in Seward harbor. After a quick boarding and drill, we cast off our lines and headed out on our inaugural Aleutian Islands trip. A regal looking bald eagle sat on the channel marker as we left the harbor, signaling good things to come.

After a night of sailing we arrived in beautiful Kenai Fjords. The sound of ice, scraping down the side of the boat woke people from their peaceful slumber. I had told everyone the night before to wake up early, grab a cup of coffee, and head to the bow. So, the guests started trickling up to the bow, coffee in hand, aweing at the amazing glacier in front of us. The captain continued to pick our way through the ice to give us the best view of Aialik Glacier.

We woke up in front of Aialik Glacier, and had to go through pretty dense ice to get a closer look at the face.

During breakfast, we transited back out the fjord a little, and turned right towards Holgate Glacier. This is another tidewater glacier that we planned to do kayaking and skiff tours at. The conditions were great, with mirror-like water and blue sky. We complete a four mile kayak to the glacier and up and down both sides of the fjord. Everyone got to see some giant pieces of ice, calving off the face of the glacier. Seals and otters swam past, and some fun marine birds showed up as well.

Almost mirror-like conditions in front of the glacier this morning.

Towing our skiff behind us, as the Safari Explorer cuts a path through the floating ice.

Allen and Jeanne, joining me for a stunning kayak at Holgate Glacier this morning.

Setting out with calm seas and blue skies!

Enjoying a tidewater glacier and ice filled fjord by kayak is one of my great joys.

After several calvings, and kayaking across the entire face of Holgate glacier, we finally made our turn back towards the boat.

Our group, enjoying stellar conditions in front of a tidewater glacier.

I found a nice hood ornament on our morning kayak. Jaguar's got nothing on me.

I took the group through some pretty fun floating brash ice with our kayaks. You have to make sure not to hit the bigger ones too hard, or you might end up on top of them!

Another view of my hood ornament and Holgate glacier. Researchers say that Holgate is advancing, judging my the recent appearance of a glacial moraine in front of the glacier.

The views and scenery this morning, here in Kenai Fjords, was breathtaking. This was also Day 1 of our brand new itinerary out to the Aleutian Islands from Seward.

On our way to the glacier, we paddled under thousand foot cliffs with waterfalls tumbling off them.

I'm always looking for caves and waterfalls in the cliffs.

This was a beautiful hanging glacier, trapped high up the valley, off to the side of Holgate Glacier.

David and Marie Kay, kayaking in front of a glacier.

A stranded piece of ice, left by the receding tide, awaits being picked up and floated again.