One more great hike!

"Exit Glacier, the only area of Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by car, is one of thirty-five glaciers that flow off the vast Harding Icefield. The Icefield is the largest in North America, and it remains as a 300 square mile vestige of the last ice age. In this park intrepid hikers can not only trek to Exit Glacier; they can also venture up a strenuous trail to the Harding Icefield. "


From the visitor's center we headed out onto the paved trail, a quarter mile path where you will notice signs posted along the side that are labeled with years. These represent where the terminus of the glacier existed in that era, and it is amazing to note just how far it has retreated. In fact, it is believed that the glacier once extended all the way to the town of Seward, almost 8 miles away.


At the end of the paved path you will see a kiosk containing displays about the glacier and the local fauna. Beyond the kiosk, you have your choice of three trails, The Lower Loop, The Upper Loop, and The Nature Trail. The first trail, Lower Loop Trail, a half mile loop, leads to the outwash plain at the face of the glacier, towering chunks of blue and white ice.




Several signs are posted near the glacier’s face warning of the potential danger associated with getting to close, and yet several people waltz right up and stand directly below the massive chunks of ice. risking being crushed by a calving glacier,

Continuing on towards the Upper Loop Trail, a 1 mile loop, the views become even more spectacular.




Along this hike you gain some elevation and by so doing are able to see the glacier from a higher vantage point. Steps made from rock and wood help to make the 100 foot climb a little less taxing. From the top you can see huge crevasses and towering seracs juxtaposed against a beautiful mountain, the view is out of this world. The vastness of Exit Glacier is unbelievable, and for those who climb to the Harding Icefield the views become even more fantastic.

The hike up to the Harding Icefield is a strenuous, 7.7 mile roundtrip, hike that gains 3000 feet. That is just a little over 1000ft per mile, making the trail very steep and suitable only for hikers in good condition.



Phil was in a different "MOOD" and had other things on his mind!