Capturing the Moment

Exit Glacier Exit Glacier Exit Glacier is a quickly retreating glacier on the Seward side of the Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. It is also one of the easiest to access. There is camping nearby, a visitor center, and about a mile long trail that loops through the forest to a couple of overlooks where you can see the glacier in all of its fading glory. Sign post that dot the drive in tell you where the terminus of the glacier was at certain years in the past. It is pretty remarkable to see how far the glacier has retreated. Standing on a Glacier  Heidi and I walked the trail to the last overlook which is located on the hillside next to the valley carved away by the glacier. You can see up the glacier into the massive Harding ice field which is the driving force for all of the glaciers on the peninsula. Exit glacier was so-named because it provided an easy exit for intrepid adventurers exploring the ice field above. Glacial Melt   While we stood admir...

Arctic Terns at Potter's Marsh Heidi at Turnagain Arm The drive south from Anchorage to the seaside town of Seward takes you through 2 hours of some of the most scenic driving anywhere in the world. And that is only if you don't stop anywhere to explore more...which would be a shame. Heidi and I had already traveled by scenic train, safari bus, and motorcoach, now we had our own little rental car which can only be described as a micro (smaller than a compact), and were ready to tackle the road to Seward. Strolling thru the wildflowers Fresh Water out of the cliff   Just outside of Anchorage the vast fjord called Turnagain Arm comes into view. It has been called that ever since Captain Cook's sailing master, William Bligh (of HMS Bounty fame), was sent in to see if this 45 mile stretch of water could be the elusive Northwest Passage that Cook was after. Instead it only led to another dead end to which Bligh in his disappointment referred to as the "Tur...

Bus Safari through Denali  After taking the scenic train up to Denali from Anchorage, Heidi and I were ready to get deeper into the wilds of the park and check out some of the animals and hiking opportunities. It is an unusual set-up in Denali. There is just one road that winds through the park and you are not allowed to drive yourself. You have to get on either a tan tour bus, or a green jump-on jump-off safari bus. If you get a green bus you can have it drop you off wherever you want and set off on a hike. The freedom to go anywhere definitely embodies the Alaskan spirit, but makes you think twice when you are hiking through bear country.  On day 1 we took the green bus as far as we could. Wendy, our driver, was great about giving narration along the way as well as stopping and pointing out wildlife. We were looking for the Big 5; Moose, Caribou, Bear, Wolf, and Dall Sheep. We got pretty lucky and saw four out of the five. The wolf was the elusive one but we knew th...

Working Dog Sled Team The chosen ones Dog Mushing in Alaska    We couldn't come to Alaska without checking out some the national sport, dog mushing. Denali happens to have the only working dog sled team in any national park so we figured this would be a great place to start. They do a couple of demonstrations with the dogs daily out at the kennels so we jumped on a free shuttle from the visitors center to check it out.    After five minutes we were at the kennels. We were able to spend time with the dogs before the demonstration. They are all Alaskan Huskies, although they come in many colors, patterns, and only some had the typical blue eyes. Apparently they are bred based on demeanor, ability to work in a team, and pulling power. They were all so calm and definitely enjoyed a good pet or scratch which we whole-heartedly obliged.   When it was time for the sled demonstration we all gathered into the stands and one of the park rangers gave u...

My favorite spot on the train Boarding our train to Denali Scenic Train Through Alaska    I have long heard tale of this scenic train ride through the heart of Alaska’s wild frontier. The Golden Star Line heads from mile marker 0 at Seward up North to mile 470 in Fairbanks. Along the way it passes glaciers, bogs, snow-capped peaks, tundra, forest, rivers, ponds, and if you are lucky maybe the great mountain itself, Denali, will peek out from the clouds. Sharp eyes can spot moose around the lakes, bears ambling through the woods, trumpeter swans on their nest, and bald eagles flying above. Most of the time is spent cutting through the wilderness, although towns like Whittier, Seward and Talkeetna provided brief glimpses of human population pushing back the wild frontier. When combined with the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks, also located on the track, you can account for about 70% of Alaska’s population. It goes to show how important this railroad has been....