Glaciers! 7-31-2021

To celebrate our recent wedding anniversary, we took the weekend to enjoy some of what Alaska has to offer.

We booked the 26 Glacier Cruise offered by Phillips Cruises and Tours. We've done some Prince William Sound glacier cruises before, but not this particular one. 

This trip is aboard the M/V Klondike Express or the M/V Bravest. Both boats are well laid out. A meal of salmon chowder, vegetarian chili or a hot dog is offered and there's a bar in the back for soda or drinks. There's also plenty of room on the deck for taking pictures and multiple restrooms. Your ticket includes an assigned seat. The cabin has large windows for great views.

You start your journey by traveling to Whittier. Whittier is accessed via the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. This unique tunnel, carved through Maynard Mountain during World War II as a train tunnel. (Read the history here...) For decades, travel through the tunnel was by train only. In the late '90s the tunnel was expanded to allow one way traffic. Traffic goes in shifts from one side the other, so you have to be there for a scheduled opening from Bear Valley. We went through the 10:30 opening and got one of the last parking spots in Whittier.

We got checked in and at the appointed time, boarded the M/V Bravest. Shortly after leaving Whittier, you pass by a Sea Loin rookery, which would be amazing enough; but the surrounding scenery takes it up a whole other notch.

In the course of your cruise, you pass by 26 different glaciers. Some are tidewater glacier, meaning they terminate into the ocean. You spend time in front of two glaciers, Havard Glacier at the head of College Fjord and Blackstone Glacier. We only saw minor calving on our trip.

We had perfect weather for our trip, but it's not always that way. Prince William Sound sits at the northern edge of a temperate rain forest. So be prepared for the weather in how you dress.

You have a great view from the comfort of the cabin, seated at your assigned table. Or you can stand out on deck and embrace nature in it's fullest. The boat has a catamaran hull and travels quickly for such a big boat. Inside are several screens with a GPS display, showing the boat's speed. The catamaran hull also allows for a smooth ride and Phillips Cruises and Tours offers a "no sea-sickness" guarentee.

Rather than head home, after our cruise we continued south to Summit Lake Lodge. For years I've driven by this spot and always thought about stopping. The rooms are rustic and small, but clean & comfortable. Breakfast was included and was delicious. The lodge is surrounded by amazing views and is well worth the stop.

The next day we continued further south to Skilak Lake. The journey across Skilak Lake Road was not as impressive as I've heard, but we did get some amazing views of miles of Fireweed growing in the aftermath of the Swan Lake fire from a couple of years ago.

And as a bonus, here's a video from a visit to Blackstone Glacier a few years ago where I caught some amazing calving. We visited Blackstone on this trip, but there was no calving like this.