It had rained for the last several days hiking Hatcher Pass and then Denali NP. However, a clear day dawned for my kayak trip to the Columbia Glacier leaving from Valdez. Once in the kayak I could not help but contemplate how 20 years earlier, this had been the site of the worst man-made ecological disaster at that time. The area has almost completely recovered. Marine mammals have returned. An otter backstroked alongside my kayak. The glacial ice is really that intense deep electric blue. It is so dense that it absorbs all the visible light spectra except the blue frequencies which are reflected. Truly a magical day I will always remember.
[…] to the trailhead for the Tasman Glacier Track which I did in my rain gear.I must admit that after paddling Prince William Sound a few summers ago, I was not terribly impressed by Tasman Glacier. I soon made the 20 minute […]