Exit Glacier

After a delicious breakfast of banana pancakes, we explored Exit Glacier via the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai National Park.  This 5 mile trek with 1200 feet of elevation gain was quite challenging especially when you consider the brisk pace that we attacked this hike.  We were able to capture some memorable photos of the trek which got us up close to this quickly receding glacier.  Along the trail, it showed dates corresponding to where the glacier was resting during that time frame.  It was a sobering reminder about how much of the glacier has been lost due to our warming climate. 

One of the most fascinating parts of the Exit Glacier hike was seeing just how accessible this natural wonder is—it's one of the few glaciers in Alaska you can actually walk right up to. The park has done a great job with interpretive signs that explain not only the glacier’s retreat but also how it connects to the massive Harding Icefield above. The icefield itself is the source of over 40 glaciers in the area and spans more than 700 square miles. Standing there, surrounded by ice, rock, and time, it felt like we had stumbled into a living, breathing science museum.

After the exhilarating and tiring trek, we made it to the Russian River ferry where we made camp for the evening.  We had one stop along the way where we rented fly rods for our salmon fishing adventure tomorrow.