Once awake we had to … Getting out of the sleeping bag in the morning was a good reminder that we were winter camping in the interior of Alaska. … For instance, consider the images here. Unlike Castner Glacier, though, it only takes a mile of hiking over rough moraine to reach bare ice, and from that point it is rather easy to continue up the glacier. 8 months ago. Explore Castner Glacier with ODR and Steven Miley! There was so much rock I could never have guessed there was ice under it all if not for the otherwise inexplicable cavern in the slope. Krin has three other sisters. My only thought at that point was that this must all be “dead ice” – slowly melting in place – long since separated from the active glacier above it. The ice above the cave was melting from above and below, forming a steep angle covered in rock and mud which was all visibly sliding down and dropping into the river below. Answer 1 of 9: Hi, We plan to be in Alaska in July-Aug. Like Castner Glacier, you can spend all day roaming around the moraine looking for interesting features like caves, meltwater canyons, glacial lakes, and more, or you can press up the glacier as far as you desire. Today we take you inside Castner Glacier! Amanda and Rose, Savage River. Castner Glacier. As I hopped and wound my way over and around boulders and scrub brush along in the general direction of the river, shrubs became shorter and shorter until they ceased to be seen. Like most glaciers in Alaska, it’s been retreating since the end of the Little Ice Age, around 1900. 3,000 more miles driven for the privilege of spending the third summer in a row in sunny Alaska (actually, it would turn out to be one of the wettest summers on record in the Matanuska Valley). 93% Upvoted. When I began to notice the area in front of me changing, the first clue that I was looking at a glacier was not a valley full of shining white ice like the Matanuska Glacier – it was a hole. During the summer a party made a first ascent of Black Cap in the side of the Black Rapids Glacier and to climb Mount Russell in McKinley Castner Glacier area by the east ridge, and a group visited the … I did, however happen upon an unmarked dirt road fairly close to the toe of one presumably incorrectly labeled Gerstle Glacier (further research after the fact would reveal it to be the Castner Glacier). Too excited and impatient to wait and return later with things like friends or proper glacier travel gear, I pressed on, wearing what were basically tennis shoes. As you pan the camera, his/her head emerges from cheek to nose. Further walking saw more signs of ice, some peeking out from below the moraine in the steepest sections of hills. The hike to the glacier’s face follows Castner Creek; the creek is fast-flowing, brown, and fed by the melting glacier. Join Eielson Outdoor Recreation for a hike of the Castner Glacier Trail which leads to the Castner Ice Cave. The easier way is to follow the south (M'Ladies) branch of the Castner Glacier, turn the corner left, and set up base camp at about 6000 feet in the cirque between White Princess and M'Ladies Peak (but set it well away from the latter - the steep face above the cirque regularly releases avalanches). Lichen measurements from the youngest moraine indicate an age of 1842 AD, The same should be said for glaciers in general. Castner Glacier is about 140 miles from Fairbanks, around a 2 1/2 hour drive. The caves often reach far back and are sculpted in inconceivable ways. Castner Glacier. Every glacier I visit in my travels is unique and intriguing in it’s own way. Where Santa Claus House is right down the street! Castner Glacier Ice Cave Exploring. In a few short minutes I witnessed at least 20 softball size or larger rocks dislodge themselves and tumble the 10 meters down the slope to crash to the rocks and river below. They form layered domes and peaks which can be be many feet tall. One last piece of the hike was a very cool look at a feeding white-tailed ptarmigan. By the end of 2016 I had managed to tally up only 8 glaciers, starting with the easiest ones to walk to in Alaska and Canada, mostly along the route I would already have been driving to and from Alaska. Trust But the Figure out. Old Snowy, Alaska Range. share. Yale Glacier is a 20-mile-long (32 km) glacier in the U.S ... On this same occasion, Castner went on snowshoes some distance up the margin of the Yale Glacier, which may perhaps show that it was then less severely crevassed than in 1910 when traveling upon its surface was impossible. Taco_2s_day. Answer 1 of 12: Hi everyone! We are a family of 5 living life in North Pole, Alaska! Posted by. I want to know if taking the Dalton road from Fairbanks to Barrow is reasonable. MacKeith and Bull had made plans to climb Old Snowy on their own, camping at the base of the O’Brien icefall on their first night out. To get at the size and beauty of these caves, I’ve compiled this video of the walk-through of just two of the ice … In addition to running photo operations alongside MICA guides, I had resolved to explore as many other glaciers as I could possibly get to that summer – I’m aiming to walk on and photograph as many as I can in the increasingly bleak and shortening existence they are destined to. Sorry for a some instability, but the floors were very slippery, and I had to protect my camera in case I fell . Hiking At Castner Glacier | Alaska Vlog 003, in this video I take you along on my drive as well as my hike to Castner Glacier. Castner Glacier a glacier in Alaska. The caves often reach far back and are sculpted in inconceivable ways. Should I stop going, admire from afar, and hope to spread the word of the damage being done without such first-hand experience and evidence? Kosh I will keep on … The glacier also sees little traffic, even on sunny weekends in the spring when you might find a train of people heading to Castner. Armed Forces Resorts US Family and … and Old Snowy. Glenn gives a vivid description of Yale and Harvard glaciers as he saw them in 1898 from College Fiord. Have you ever been inside a Glacier let us know your experience. It is incredible to consider that the hundreds of gallons of water which flow by each minute are created by the collection of millions of water drops. Dec 5 8:30 am. But through the years the glacier has dropped dramatically making the climb up to the hut an arduous and potentially dangerous climb. At this rate of melting, the Castner Glacier, like many of its neighbors, could disappear within 50 years. - See 9 traveller reviews, 14 candid photos, and great deals for Delta Junction, AK, at Tripadvisor. Sam on warning, Exit glacier. Castner Glacier, AK. Part of the one does indeed look like the head/tail of a dragon. Castner Glacier – 14 May 2017. The road didn’t go far, and got very rough very quickly. Welcome to my channel, today's video is a vlog. My hopes were that the maps were still somewhat accurate, meaning that several glaciers would be within possible hiking/bushwhacking distance of the highway. We walked down the safest path of firm glacial silt and ice, which was marked by orange cones. On the Teflon Skid, Pipeline. The Thayer Hut on the Castner Glacier, built in the early 1960s, was the first hut built and is a classic A-frame. be careful on the glacier,eventually water will start flowing in the tunnel. Gary explains active faults on Narrow Cape. Castner Glacier. My trip to the Castner Glacier was unexpected and short, but provided an interesting perspective on something I had yet to witness in person. More exploration was needed. In March, eleven climbers made the first ascent of Old Snowy in the Castner Glacier area of the Alaska Range. Reference Location: Castner Glacier, AK. My response probably wasn't needed. G9 integrates and delivers Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and services enabling readiness and resilience for a globally-responsive Army. My First Visit: 14 May, 2017Type: Valley GlacierLocation: Delta Mountains (subrange of Alaska Range) along Hwy 4 between Paxson and DonnellySource: Delta Mountains between Triangle Peak, Black Warrior Mt., White Princess Mt. Required fields are marked *. ... Edit: woops, just saw this was an old thread. Original Poster 6 … 31-32. Your email address will not be published. Member. Johnson and Spur Glaciers area Water sources in the area are limited to glacial runoff or small snow patches that melt and are found in the small ravines draining off the side hills, also glacier ice. The scary part was even higher up: above the steep slope were more rocks, much larger, perched on edge, precariously waiting for the ice to melt from under them. VIEW EAST TOWARD CASTNER GLACIER (AT LEFT) AND CANWELL GLACIER (EXTREME RIGHT). But I imagine this bird will be molting to his summer brown soon , After watching the videos several times, I am convinced the head of a dragon is guarding that portion of the ice world, somewhere around the one minute mark. Then I could hopefully return with some eager guides later that summer to check them off the ever-increasing list.