Breakfast at 8AM was a luxury, especially with the rainy skies, and a forecast for a cloudy and perhaps misty day. We piled in the van and headed south towards Seward and to Kenai Fjords National Park. The highlight and destination of this park is the Exit Glacier, and our goal was to hike the trail up to see it!
The Harding ice field spans over 700 square miles and together with its outflowing glaciers comprise the largest ice field located entirely within the U.S. It is named after President Warren G. Harding whose promise to visit the territory in 1922 was enough to bestow his name to it. Largely ignored by Seward residents for years, it was the completion of trails and the new aviation allowing people to view it and see the almost 40 glaciers which flow from it that increased interest. Known as a spectacular day hike, our trail today climbed alongside the Exit Glacier and ultimately leads to the icefield itself.
The first section of the trail winds through forests of cottonwood and alder, and beautiful wild flowers. We’ve been treated to fields of fireweed in high season, so named because it’s the first plantlife to return after a forest fires. The path rises 1.5 miles and 1,500 feet to the Marmot Meadows Overlook. It’s from this spot that you have a wonderful view of the Exit Glacier and the mountain on the other side. It was snow capped still and several streams of water cascaded down the side of the deep green forested mountain, creating waterfalls which flowed under the glacier below. And lucky for us the sky had cleared and we had an usually warm and sunny day in Alaska.
The next section was only about 3/4 of a mile, but increased 1,000 feet in elevation. Since it was an option to simply sit and look out over this fabulous vista and wait for those that chose to continue to climb, I did exactly that. We weren’t really in a meadow — it was a huge boulder that provided a perfect viewing platform — but a lovely spot for lunch and some sun. Others in the group took this next hike — to a spot called Clifftop, and still others went all the way up to the End of the Trail, for a total mileage of 8+ miles RT and +3,500 ft in elevation gain. I give those intrepid souls a lot of credit — the hike just up to Marmot Meadows was a challenging climb, on a wide but rocky path, which involved some scrambling along the way.
Just as the middle group returned to collect Kim and I from our perch on the boulder, I encountered what we came to know was an enormous marmot. I had stepped away to find a spot to pee, and a creature ran from the bushes just ahead of me, down the path. It had long fur and a long tail, was low to the ground and about 2 1/2 feet long. I was sure it was a wolverine, and everyone got quite excited at that prospect. Then an animal appeared nearer to the open spot where we were — iPhones came out — and we got it! But it was a marmot, not a wolverine. But it was HUGE!
So we walked back down the trail, and are staying just outside the park at the Exit Glacier Lodge for the next two nights. Dinner at the Salmon Bake, where beer is cheap and food is lousy, and I would argue that they got the food part right. But it’s just one night; most meals have been outstanding. And then to sleep to rest for another day of adventure.
