Hike to Ptarmigan Lake

Off today and after doing laundry we head out for a hike.  Hope we didn't wait too long because the sunshine is disappearing and clouds are rolling in.  We decide to do the Ptarmigan Lake hike as it is close by and only 3.5 miles to the Lake.  Working up to longer hikes.

 Tucson leads the way

 Soon we are walking alongside the Ptarmigan River

 It's a nice trail going through a mossy pine forest

 The ground cover - a thick layer of moss and small ferns is very colorful

 Tucson stays on course

 The trail gets a bit soggy in spots due to the snow melting off the mountain tops

 Follow the yellow moss road

 Guess this answers that age old question - do Bears Sh*t in the woods?  Tucson had been pulling nose to the ground just before this spot and starts to try to pull Gary up the side of the mountain in hot pursuit.  Tucson doesn't get to walk off leash on Alaska trails.

 Everytime you think it can't get any prettier - it does

 Looks like we are getting closer

 Tucson is on high alert

 Out of the woods and getting a good view of the mountains

A nice water fall

 and water fountain for Tucson

I love the moss covered shale

 I see the Lake

 Moose have been here

 Tucson finally settles down - he was in hunt mode when we got here - don't think it was too long ago the Moose was here

I didn't think there would be any facilities this far in!

Well, this is different

How clever but a little exposed

The water is that lovely glacier blue-green

 A view going the other way on the return trip.  We got caught in a light rain/hail storm on the way back - so no more pictures

 A small forest of plants growing in the moss on top of an old tree stump

 What a great hike.  We will do it again when the trees have leafed out - might have to bring some fishing poles along.

Tucson had a great time and passed out for the remainder of the evening.

Exit Glacier

It's a beautiful morning, we're off, so we head into Seward to do our Grocery shopping but decide to head into Kenai Fjords National Park to see Exit Glacier before the weather changes

 It's a beautiful drive in.

 We would have run into the Glacier here in 1899

The official park entrance

Most people went straight ahead to the Edge of the Glacier - but we are not most people so we went for the view

 The Glacier was here in 1917

 and here in 1926

 We ran into a couple of rangers here and they said we had picked the best route as they all end up at the Edge of the Glacier but this route is the most scenic.  This is looking downstream from the outwash plain

 Our first good view of the Glacier

 This shows how much of the Glacier disappeared in just 6 years.  Last year another big chunk came off.  Glad we didn't wait any longer.

 Since Minnesota it just isn't a hike without stairs.

We're catching up

 Almost there

 

 Can't get any closer - an ice fall hazard zone was identified at the toe of Exit Glacier, due to tall blocks and slabs of ice that detached from the terminus

You can just start to see the blue of the ice.  Still some surface snow on the Glacier

 

 Time to head back

 This next series of pictures from the Visitor's Center really shows how the Glacier has shrunk

 Bullwinkle's nothing compared to this guy!

We were so blessed to have a window of opportunity to do this today.  The forecast did not look good.  After we finished shopping and headed back home we saw dark skies ahead.  Turns out they had some hail / sleet / snow mix while we were gone.  Shortly after we got back the skies opened up.  We will go back to hike the 8.2 mile trail up to Harding Glacier once more snow has melted.  Looking forward to it!