From the visitor center at Kenai Fjords there is a 4 mile trail that climbs near the path of Exit Glacier up to views of the Harding Icefield, the glacier's source. The icefield is immense, 700 square miles, extending beyond the horizon. The trail is relatively steep, gaining nearly 3,000' over it's 4 miles, but the views are spectacular. I had the pleasure of hiking this trail with three of my brothers on a warm after noon one July.
Here is an interactive map showing the general (not actual) path of the trail.
Looking back out over the valley of the Resurrection River a little ways up the trail, where the trees open some near a stream.
A "bridge" over the stream
Looking up Exit Glacier from the trail.
Zoomed in on crevasses in the ice.
Looking across the glacier to the opposite side of the valley.
Looking back down the trail, and the valley. You can see where the out wash from Exit Glacier meets the Resurrection River. You can also see the park road and visitor center. And two of my brothers are in view.
Here you can see all the way out to Resurrection Bay, just right of center. A little higher up on the trail.
Nearing the top of the glacier.
Looking back out again.
Trail
Flowers along the way
Looking down on the glacier. Some giant crevasses.
The glacier approaches the icefield
Back out the valley again
There were sections of snow to walk over to get all the way to the top.
Looking back down
Approaching the Harding Icefield. You can also see some of the trail, and a person silhouetted on it in front of the ice.
A good view over Exit Glacier
And the valley
Panorama of Exit Glacier and the icefield above it.
Harding Icefield. The peaks that stick up bare above the ice are called nunataks, an Inuit word.
At the top of the trail
Lovely day
The Harding Icefield, on to the horizon. Some people, who actually know what they are doing, have actually skied it's entire length.
Peaks above the glacier
Here you can see a sizable stream that pours under the glacier. Don't fall in. Also, our shadows from the ridge above.
Where the stream flows under the edge of the glacier
Where it pools and goes below the ice.
After walking down to the edge of the glacier we found a place we could jump the stream to get back to the other side.
And went and checked out the ice on it's edge.
We found some places we could ski in just our shoes.
There were some more flowers
A couple last looks before we headed back down the trail.
My brothers.
Here is a link to National Park Service information on the trail.
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