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.

Seward, Alaska

After getting back on the road, we are soon on the Kenai Peninsula... aka "Alaska's Playground" as it's well known for fishing and many other outdoor activities.

Welcome to Kenai Pensinsula

The road south into the Kenai

We stop in Seward for the next several days and score a nice campsite right on Resurrection Bay at a City of Seward camp ground. Seward is mostly known for fishing, especially its salmon runs... in fact, the locals debate which two main fishing towns (Homer or Seward) in the Kenai best earn the motto:
"A drinking town with a fishing problem."

View of Resurrection Bay from our campsite After setting up our camp we enjoy watching the traffic on the Bay from out bedroom window. While in Seward, we learn about Katabatic Winds which blow off the glaciers down the fiord and are COLD. We joke that we can easily pick out the locals, dressed in shorts and tee shirts, from the tourists, like us Californians dressed in layers and shivering from the cold winds.

I watch a cruise ship come into Seward

We enjoy a sunset on the peaks across the Bay.

Seward has a very nice biking and walking path from our camp area into town or the small craft harbor, which we make good use of during our stay.

Path from camp grounds towards the small craft harbor

Much to be expected, most of our fellow campers are fishermen and women. Many like to set up campfires in the evenings to swap stories about the day's catch... or the big one that got away.

Campfire along Resurrection Bay

Eagle stature on sign

Rocky beach along Bay toward the ocean

The next morning we visit the Alaska Sea Life Center located on the bay by the main part of Seward.

Alaska Sea Life Center

Sculpture of salmon in front of ASLC

We especially enjoy their large walk through flight cage with sea birds commonly found in the area. It's our first close look at Puffins and we quickly become enchanted by the charming little birds which are amazing divers when going after their dinners.

Inside flight cage

Puffin diving

Young Puffin poses for a photo

It's fun to watch the sea lions, harbor seals and fish swimming through their pools.

Steller Sea Lion

Harbor seal

Alaskan Cod

Of course there are invertebrates as well.
That afternoon we hike to Miller's Landing which is about 1.5 miles from Seward.

View of Miller's Landing from road

Main restaurant/lodge

Cabin for rent

Kayaking is a main activity in Miller's Landing.
On the way back to Seward, we enjoy seeing some ducks and a rainbow.
One evening we sign up for a Wildlife Cruise from Major Marine. Again the coupons the Aussies gave us come in handy. Since the cruise leaves in the late afternoon we walk to the small craft harbor.

Mural on hardware store

Young fisherman longingly watches salmon spawning from a NO FISHING bridge

The late afternoon sunlight is wonderful over the small craft harbor.
We board our boat "Star of the Northwest," and set course down the bay for the ocean.
From the tour boat, Peter's able to capture close ups of some of the glaciers just across the bay from our campsite.
The first wildlife we see is a very large sea otter. Although we have the same otters in Monterey Bay, the ones in Alaska are larger due to an abundance of food. The otters have come back from the brink of extinction after almost being wiped out from the Russian fur trade.

As we move further along the bay, we start to see cliffs of pillow lava which was formed from volcanic eruptions underwater. It's unusual to see it above water, but ocean floor uplifting has created these cliffs which have become home for colonies of sea birds.

Dinner time for Mr. C Otter

Beautiful cove

Pillow lava cliffs

We see many birds, include crested Puffins and bald eagles.

Crested Puffin

Bald Eagle

The biggest colonies is of Kittiwakes, the smallest of sea gull family.
In the middle of the Kittiwakes is a colony of Steller Sea Lions. We are amazed they can haul out on such steep sided rocks.
Towards the end of the cruise, we pass by Bear Glacier.
We then head back to port in Seward.
The next morning dawns with clear blue skies - the first we've seen in Seward. We say good-bye to the friends we made and promise to stay in touch.

Thank you again Dana for the wonderful salmon you gave us for dinner. It was great! Anytime you want to share your catch, we're more than willing to help out.  Fish on and have a great trip back home to the Bay Area.

Seward, Alaska