The water is cold here
Jenn takes her initial step into the frigid water. Hey, this is just run-off, it's not even coming from snow/ice melt.
Almost there
On our way to the Canwell Glacier
Canwell Glacier
The ice seems to be getting closer as we walk about three miles up the jeep road.
Valley - Another stream to cross
And this one's not just rain run-off. That's a glacier melting up there!
I apparently told her there was only one stream crossing.
We successfully made it to another stream crossing! Jenn is not thrilled.
Looking for an easy spot to cross
We'll find somewhere else to cross - One more attempt to avoid having to stay dry put our sandals back on. The banks are steeper than they looked.
Wandering in the valley
It's definitely tough getting around when not on the trail. The talus is pretty big.
Wildflower Stream
We stumbled on this really beautiful stream up above the Canwell Glacier in the Alaska Range. It's too bad that it turned out to not get us where we wanted to go, but it was a nice distraction.
This is a pretty stream
To bad it's also the wrong way. At least we got to cross it twice.
Impressive scale
The cascade flows directly under the glacier.
Throw a rock into it
"That could be your head", I said.
Huge Cascade
Viewing from high above.
Beginning the descent
We finally made it across the stream and stayed dry. It would have been faster just to ford. Now we begin the hike down to the glacier. It was pretty easy going.
Talus
Jenn on the talus slope of the valley sidewall. Heading down to the Canwell Glacier.
Desolate
In between the valley sidewall and the southern moraine on the Canwell Glacier.
On the moraine
Looking back at the slope we walked down. We were on the glacier sooner than I had expected. There was some dead ice a bit higher up the slope that was insulated from melt by the rock above it.
Off the valley sidewall, we begin to meander our way through the lateral moraine trying to get to bare ice.
Slick and sliding
About a quarter mile into the moraine we start getting to some old small stream channels. Some ice pokes through the steeper walls.
We're there
After meandering through the lateral moraine we finally get to bare ice. There is still a decent sized channel to cross.
It's not slick
I'm just full of lies, I guess. Sliding down a bit of ice as we exit the southern moraine.
Channel through ice
Our final stream crossing before gaining ice on the Canwell Glacier. This one turned out to be pretty easy. Looked bigger from a distance.
Down in the Canyon
Beautiful ice down in the stream.
Onto the Ice
Finally on ice after a long day of exploring and navigating the rocky moraine.
On the first sliver of ice as the lower reaches of the glacier are completely debris covered. Now the walking gets easy.
