2015 Summer Journey Alaskan Crossing, part 20

2015 Summer Journey

Alaskan Crossing, part 20

Matanuska Glacier Walk

July 26, 2015

 We planned on staying the night at Matanuska Glacier and walking it in the morning and the night got very cold, this would be another one of those times I ran the generator all night to insure the batteries stayed in top condition while running the heater all night.

 The view from our camper door made it all worth the cold night, not that we were cold in the camper.

Despite it being cold, there was a abundant of plants.

 Some facts about Matanuska Glacier: It’s approximately 24 miles long, 4 mile wide at the terminus. This glacier is known as a valley glacier, it sit in a valley and advances approximately one foot a day. Because Matanuska glacier is in what’s called a cold pocket there has been no change in the glacier’s mass for almost 20 years. Moraine debris, Moulins and crevasses can be seen all over this glacier. It’s the largest glacier that is accessible by a vehicle in the United States. Just a note, don’t make the mistake of entering the State park that’s nearby you can’t access Matanuska Glacier from there, can only see it from a platform.
Matanuska Lodge

A video of our walk out on Matanuska Glacier

Julie and I dawn our jackets and started our glacier trek.

During our walk out there were good examples of “End or Recessional” terminus.

The staff had laid out the walking path with orange cones and grates over many of the small crevasses for us tourist

Our rig was looking pretty small.

Julie and I made our way to a group of fellow glacier travelers, surrounding a picnic table; here we’ll put on our Yaktrax ice cleats.

Julie approaching a crevasse in the glacier.

Julie decided she was supergirl.

We’re standing next to a pointed ice spur that was forced upward by colliding fronts of the glacier.

Earlier a climbing class had passed us up, we caught up with them.

Even on a unguided tour as we are taking one still has to be careful, deep crevasses are everywhere.

We moved on deeper into the glacier.

As the further you when the more blue ice was showing up. This blue color is caused by the ice being so dense that only the blue light is reflected while the rest is absorbed, seeing blue is a good thing.

A group of climber was moving on to deep territory of the glacier.

We moved on ourselves to a photographic location in front of the near by “ice castle, “look at all that blue!

It was time to head back to our rig, pasting by some pools of water, we filled a couple water bottles out of one of them, the water was the best I’d ever tasted!

Way off in the distance our rig awaited for us.

Stopping by one of the many crevasses, this one had a large rock stuck in it as water cascaded down behind it, I couldn’t see the bottom only a darkness below.

Nearing the lonely picnic table once surround by happy voices. It wouldn’t be lonely for long despite a light rain was beginning to fall people are still coming out.

Back at our rig we could see it had the company of fellow TCs.

We took a depart photo, glade that we stopped here, how many times does a person get a chance to drive right up to a glacier and walk on one of the wonders of the world!

From here Julie and I are going to McCathy and the Kennicott Copper Mill

Thanks to everyone for reading my TCTRs, all comments are welcome.

  Part 21 of our Summer Journey, Alaska Crossing.

 

Thanks, Alex Blasingame, aka c.traveler2.

2015 Summer Journey Alaskan Crossing, part 19

2015 Summer Journey

Alaskan Crossing, part 19

Musk Ox Farm

Matanuska Glacier

July 25, 2015

Julie and spent yesterday in Anchorage doing the usual necessary maintenance items: laundry, fuel, dumps waste tanks, fresh water fill, wifi stuff and out of town we went. On our way to AK 1 we ended up behind some motorcyclist having a on the road bachelor party.

Once on AK 1 we made good time getting away from Anchorage and soon were entering Chugiak

As we motored over the Knik Arm, Julie remembered about a Musk Ox Farm she saw in the “Mile Post”, she wanted to make it a to see place.

I wanted a better photo of the below us Matanuska River, the next pullout I turned in.

Not far from the pullout was the turn for our designation, the Musk Ox farm in Palmer!

It didn’t take long for Julie make friends with a Musk Ox.

This is a privately run nonprofit enterprise has been deeply involved in the comeback of the Musk Ox since it disappeared in Alaska by the 1920s.

The Alaskan natives call the Musk Ox “Oomingmak”, which means “The Bearded One”.

Everyone who was on the tour gathered on the porch.

This young lady was out guide today (don’t recall her name)

The Musk Ox Farm is a very large facility covering many acres.

It is a warm day for the Musk Ox, our guide told us that the hair on the Musk Ox allows them to survive down to -80 degree F.

A young calf was hiding behind its Mom, she didn’t like all the attention she was getting and she left with the calf trailing behind.

Our small group was able to hand feed one of the male Musk Ox, he was very docile.

Many of the male Musk Ox have head butting grooves across their brows.

This was a nice tour as we all walked back to the visitor office, time to be on the road.

AK 1 took us close to the Matanuska River when Julie spotted a house being carried away in the river!

We’ve been in Alaska long enough to be no longer surprise by the sudden changes in weather, cloudy , dark one moment and sunshine the next.

Along this highway was no exception to the number of closed businesses.

Beautiful sights were seen as we motor on, people camping near the river.

Entering the Glacier View area we made another stop into a pull out. A distance glacier could be seen, this maybe Metal Creek Glacier near Mt. Sergeant Roberson.

Matanuska Glacier wasn’t far down the road and it was spotted from the highway shortly after leaving the pull out.

From the highway Julie spied abridge that crossed over the river below, we didn’t know at this time but that is the bridge we’d be crossing.

Turning into an gravel parking area and following the signs to Matanuska Glacier. The Trading Post, Wickersham was closed.

 

The road down was a well graded, flat and smooth. It would twist around giving different views of the valley below any vehicle could drive it.

A short parallel stretch then across the river bridge and just a couple more miles to the Glacier Lodge.

We paid our fees 60 dollars total, that’s one night camping and a self tour of the glacier in a given area, really large area. The drive from the lodge to the glacier is a few more miles.

With a site selected and the temperature dropping, it’s getting really cold, one last view before closing the camper door and firing up the heater for tomorrow we walk he glacier.

 Thanks to everyone for reading my TCTRs, all comments are welcome .

 PART 20 of our Summer Journey, Alaska Crossing.

 

Thanks, Alex Blasingame, aka c.traveler2.