Mendenhall Glacier Plus

The Mendenhall Glacier from near the Visitor's Center, Sunday

 

 

The sign I didn't see Saturday - someone had hung a lost crampon on it - I took it off so folks could see the sign!

Me close to the glacier - I am standing on what would be liquid most of the year.

Yosuke entering the ice cave - these colors in clear ice are beyond stunning!

Looking out from the cave - the differences in texture, clarity, and colors of the ice are marvelous. 

The 2 large pieces in front which look like rocks are ice - likely one has already detached, but it sort of froze back for now.  Notice the crevasses beyond - would be near impossible to get out on your own.

Looking out from the cave "floor" - This ice is so smooth, smoother than tiles or glass.  I rubbed it for a while and was rewarded with very fine grit on my palm. 

These are pieces of wood which must have traveled many miles since there is nothing but ice for a long, long way above!!!

A hole in the ice above the cave

This is one of the already calved pieces laying about the lake bed.

This is me sitting in a curvy hole in the same iceberg as above to give some perspective of size.  (not my size!)

Yosuke and Darcy in front of the Mendenhall! 

Saturday, January 21,  I picked up my friend Yosuke whom I met in Fairbanks Aurora watching.  He had been to the Glacier taking pictures (he is an excellent photographer) in an ice cave the previous day.  Intrigued, I wanted to go.  We walked across the lake seeing icebergs stuck in the ice in various positions.  While I did question the security of the ice, many people were out there with us - some skiing, some skating, some walking like us, some with dogs.  I returned on Sunday to learn from USFS employees in the Visitor's Center that those trapped icebergs will roll or flip, but that it usually happens at night.  They stressed the ice is never safe, and you can see the picture of the sign saying so....didn't see it yesterday :{.  But, we had a wonderful time, and saw things I had never heard of before.  Ice caves are underneath glaciers.  We climbed into one - it is like fairyland!   The ice is smooth, very blue, and you can see the dirt, the rocks, and crystals inside the ice.  We also saw a joint between 2 pieces of ice.  We did hear cracks and would go outside to relative safety.  The colors were beyond exquisite,  like nothing I've seen before.  I learned in the VC that iceworms do not live on this glacier as they do on some in Southcentral Alaska and elsewhere.   There are more pictures to be shared, but these should give you an idea.  The colors were much more vibrant in real life, especially when the sun would peek through.  Ask me later to see other pictures, and check out Yosuke's pics, too.