Exit Glacier, Alaska

To take advantage of the good weather, we decide on a side trip to Exit Glacier. This glacier is one of many spawned off of the Harding Icefield which covers over 300 square miles, 1100 square miles if all the glaciers are included. It was created during the Pleistocene Epoch and it's over half a mile deep.

Exit Glacier was named in 1968 by the first expedition to ever cross the Harding Icefield as they used this glacier to exit the icefield.

Side trip to Exit Glacier

Entrance to Kenai Fjords National Park

Miles before we get a glimpse of the glacier, we see year date signs posted indicating where the end of the glacier was at that date. At one point, it covered the whole valley which we are driving up to see it.

Glacial moraine

First glimpse of Exit Glacier from road - notice snow at top being blown off the Harding Icefield

The road ends at the Visitors' Center, which has an enormous rock in front. This particular rock was part of the debris deposited by the glacier.

Visitor's Center

Peter demos the size of the rock deposited by the glacier

Topo map of Harding Icefield at Visitors' Center

We take the trail towards the glacier.  After winding through the surrounding forest, a rocky pathway takes us to the edge of the glacier.

Trail to glacier

The trail base rock is scrapped by the movements of the glacier.

Ground down rock along the trail

Signs that the glacier passed this way

Stream created by melting glacier fans out over the moraine

We hike right up the edge of the glacier, so we can easily see it up close and personal.

Exit Glacier from trail

Blue glacial ice

The receding side edge of the glacier

Peter captures a pano of the Exit Glacier with its moraine and surrounding mountains.