Capturing the Moment

  My hiking group, feeling accomplished, after hiking to the face of Meares Glacier, here in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Meares Glacier is a beautiful, yet mysterious glacier at the head of Unakwik Inlet in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Unlike nearly all of the other glaciers around here, Meares glacier is advancing. It has steadily moved forward since it was first described in 1905. As it pushes a mound of earth in front of it, the glacier bulldozes through old growth forest, upending trees with abandon. Today this is the wild area that we were exploring on our expedition cruise. Even though it was late May, it felt like winter in Alaska has hung on a bit too long. That didn't dampen our spirits, in fact, after our morning adventure we all took a refreshing dip in the waters of the fjord. But first it was adventure time, and we could choose between kayaking, skiff tours, or a bushwhack hike through the forest, to the face of the glacier. The winter rains and snow melt made our f...

  Sometimes the best photos take a bit of prodding in order to happen. I told the group to do their best Abbey Road impression. The mountains behind and the reflection in the alpine pool just add the the scene. Waterfalls, alpine lakes, snow capped peaks, river crossings, and not a soul in sight- that is what we had today while hiking Knight Island here in Prince William Sound. Coastal Alaska can provide some intense hiking experiences. With hardly any upkept trails, other than game trails, it can be more like bushwhacking than hiking. I am leading adventure tours this week all through Prince William Sound, one of Alaska's best kept secrets. Today started out with 80mph winds and sideways sheets of rain. I postponed the activities and led several presentations onboard instead. Everyone appreciated staying cozied up with their hot coffee, while still getting immersed into the area. During lunch, the landscaped changed dramatically as the weather shifted. The rain stopped, the wind w...