Alaska is Glacier Heaven
Val Mallinson -- Jan. 2005
In the final great period of the Ice Age, half of Alaska was buried in the ice.
Today, about 10,000 years later, five percent remains locked in a frozen world.
More than 100,000 glaciers in Alaska continue to shape the landscape in every
way, carving mountains, depositing fertile silt in valleys, and crashing into the sea.
Once you experience Alaska's immense and powerful glaciers with all your senses,
you'll discover how truly alive they are. Your eyes take in towering vertical faces
of transparent blue ice, icebergs shimmering in the sun, and milky blue-green hues
of the sea tinted by glacial silt. The air feels crisp on your skin and fresh as
you breathe it deep into your lungs. You can smell the rich minerals of earth
and the salt-tinged ocean. The sounds of a glacier may be most startling of
all: the tremendous groaning and creaking of constant movement or the thunder
and splash of chunks calving into the water.
Basic Glaciology
The climatic conditions that form glaciers are ideal in Alaska - regions of
high snowfall in the winter and summers cool enough to prevent all of the
accumulated snow from melting or evaporating. A glacier grows as the snow
accumulates over time, compresses into ice, and begins to flow under the
pressure of its own weight. As a glacier nears the end of its cycle, it
retreats, dramatically changing the face of the earth it leaves behind.
It Takes All Types
Glaciers are generally grouped into two categories: Valley Glaciers
spread out and down as they carve around mountains and down into the sea, and
Continental Glaciers, or ice sheets, spread outward in all directions from a
central point. Of the basic types of glaciers, spectacular examples of nearly
all of them exist in Alaska. Princess' luxury lodges bring you close to
Alaska's many types of glaciers.
Mountain Glaciers
In the vast Alaska Range, including "the Great One" Mt. McKinley, snow perpetually
covers territory above 8,000 feet. Stay at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge and
take a summit flight tour by plane or helicopter to see Hanging Glaciers and Mountain
Glaciers as they grind down from the peaks, including Buckskin Glacier, Tokositna
Glacier, and Kahiltna Glacier, the longest in Denali National Park. Most of the
great glaciers, up to 20 and 30 miles in length, flow along the south and west
sides of the Alaska Range.
Add to your flightseeing thrills by landing on Ruth Glacier, one of Alaska's
most spectacular. Standing 5,600 feet above sea level, you have views of the
natural amphitheatre's granite walls with Mt. McKinley in the background. The
vast silence is broken only by the rumble of distant rock and snow slides.
Tidewater Glaciers
In Southeast Alaska, many highly-active Tidewater Glaciers calve daily, as giant
pieces of ice crack off the front of the glacier and fall into the sea. These glaciers
can also calve from underneath the water, shooting ice missiles through the surface
to fall back with tremendous splashes.
Not all of Alaska's glaciers require planes, boats, or kayaks to reach them.
Some of Alaska's most famous tidewater glaciers are within easy reach of the Copper
River Princess Wilderness Lodge. One of the most accessible is Worthington Glacier,
where a quick walk takes you right to the edge of the blue ice, through high alpine
tundra and postcard-perfect valley views.
You might choose to sea kayak in Shoup Glacier and visit Valdez, paddling around
the ice bergs in the bay and up to the face of the mighty Shoup Glacier, among the sea
birds, seals, and wildlife that hang out on the ice. Marvel at your otherworldly
surroundings and listen for the thunder of calving ice crashing into the still
waters of the protected harbor. Or cruise Prince William Sound to Columbia Glacier,
one of the largest tidewater glaciers in North America.
Surging Glaciers
Most glaciers advance mere inches a day, but there are a few that go through periods
of huge advance, galloping down mountainsides hundreds of feet daily. For example,
the Surging Glacier in Russell Fjord Wilderness takes off once every 20 years or so.
More than two-thirds of the surging glaciers on the entire continent are in Alaska.
Yanert Glacier surged in 2000 and 2001, then returned to a quiet phase.
Today, you can stay at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and take a helicopter
tour to land on Yanert, or trek past ice falls, crevasses, and glacial streams
with a professional guide (outerwear, boots, and crampons provided)!
Icefields
While it's certainly hard to choose, some of the most memorable adventures
take off from the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, including a glacier outback
tour, flying over Kenai Fjords National Park to the Chugach National Forest and
the massive Sargent Icefield. To capture a true Alaska tradition, take a glacier
dogsled adventure, landing on the Sargent Icefield by helicopter. Learn about the
art of mushing and ride on a dog sled across the snowcapped glacier. Nearby Exit
Glacier, on the Harding Icefield, is another wonder that can easily be reached
on foot.
Cold Ice, Warm Hearts
On an organized excursion, it's handy to have expert guides to guide you
safely through your glacier adventures and teach you interesting facts, such
as that a single ice crystal in a glacier can reach the size of a baseball, or
that glacial ice appears a startling blue in color due to how light waves pass
off and bounce through the thickest ice.
Wherever you stay, the chill of the glaciers is in direct contrast to the
friendly warmth of Princess' Alaskan Outfitters(SM), people who bring the benefit
of local experience combined with the Princess touch of impeccable service. They are
a wealth of information and you should call upon them for restaurant recommendations,
shopping tips, optional sightseeing tours, and to inquire about points of interest.
Their goal is to help you explore Alaska's glaciers-and the real wilderness and historical
cities of this bountiful state - your own way.
© 2005, Princess Tours. All Rights Reserved.
