AK2006 -- Kenai Fjords Glacers

Being able to float so close to something so massive and fragile -- it's things like this that really remind me just how small i am in this world. This ended up being a highlight of the trip, though i was taken by the visual of global warming and glacier retreat. It's particuarly easy to tell that these glaciers -- while still massive -- are only dwarfed versions of what they used to be. . .

Holgate Glacier from a distance across Aialik Bay. . .

. . .passing Pedersen Glacier, on the way up Aialik Bay. . .

. . .a closeup of Pedersen Glacier. . .

. . .Pedersen Glacier winding up and around the mountain. . .

. . .the glacier cruise boat comes around the corner to Aialik Glacier. . .

. . .the Aialik Glacier from a distance across the bay. . .

. . .approaching Ailalik Glacier. . .

. . .Aialik Glacier towering 300+ feet above the bay. . .

. . .closeup of the colapsing glacier edge. . .

. . .reflections of the Aialik Glacier. . .

. . .closeup of the shoreline now exposed as the glacier retreats. . .

. . .running water coming out from underneith the glacier, a sign of global warming and glacial retreat. . .

. . .and the other side. . .

. . .back to the center, waiting for a glacier chunk to fall. . .

. . .closeup of the Aialik Glacier face after part falls to the water. . .

. . .the jagged top of Aialik Glacier, 300+ feet above the waterline. . .

. . .leaving Aialik Glacier. . .

. . .a small chunk of glacier ice floats by the boat. . .

. . .and a few others. . .

. . .kinda looks like the ice cubes in my Dr. Pepper. The water has the same blue/green tint found at Portage Glacier (caused by the weight of the glacierpushing some of the oxygen out of the ice). . .

. . .the sun coming around the fjord peak. . .

. . .and reflecting off the water. . .

. . .the glacier cut rock face of the fjord. . .

. . .coming around the Ailak Peninsula and heading back to Seward. . .

. . .the parting shot.