Hiking to Exit Glacier

It turned out to be another fine day, so Steve and I decided to try hiking up to the edge of Exit Glacier, which is part of Kenai Fjords National Park.  The hike is rated "moderate" but at my age I consider it "difficult."  
We started  out on a nice level trail through a wooded area where a moose had been spotted earlier that day.  Then it got serious, becoming  steep gravel and rock. However, it was very worth it.  I really enjoyed doing it, even the difficult parts.

 The glacier is 2 miles long and descends 3, 500 feet from the Harding Ice Field. In 1815, it extended past the parking lot to the visitor's center.  Today, the end (or toe) of the glacier is more than a mile away from there.

 When you get to the end of the trail , you are very close to the glacier, and it is much windier and colder.  A sign shows where the toe was in 2010, and it seems to have lost about 5 feet since then.









This was a hike not to be missed, and going down was a little easier than going up!





Being that close to a glacier is an awesome experience.  The color is amazing, and you can feel the power of the movement and water as it forms the Resurrection River and carves our the landscape.