2015-02-04

A day ski/snowshoe up the Castner Creek to the Castner Glacier

Sunrise over the Tanana
Along the Richardson Highway north of Delta Junction. We were on our way from Fairbanks to the Delta Mountains - Eastern Alaska Range.
alaska alaska range eastern alaska range sunrise and sunset tanana river
Mt. Hayes
Morning light on Mt. Hayes - looking over the mostly frozen Tanana River.
alaska alaska range eastern alaska range mt. hayes sunrise and sunset tanana river
Ready to go
CJ, ready to head up the Castner Creek
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Black Cap and White Princess
Black Cap and White Princess from the Castner Creek.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Over the Frozen Castner Creek
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Up the Creek
Jenn snowshoeing up Caster Creek to the toe of the Glacier
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Blackcap
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Windcrust
The windcrust snow was whomping heavily as we skied up the Castner Creek.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Climbing the Toe
A short steep hike gains the toe of the Castner Glacier.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
On Glacier
Stepping out of the Creek
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Snow Waves
Wind blown snow dunes on the moraine. Wandering around on the Castner Glacier in winter.
Snowy surface
The Castner Glacier is partially vegetated with a lot of willows and alders. It makes for interesting skiing when the snow is soft. Black Cap and White Princess are off in the distance with some lenticulars starting to form.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
White Princess
A hint of a lenticular cloud developing mid-day.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
A Cave
Ice cave on the south side of the terminus of the Canwell Glacier
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Ice Arch
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Approaching the Arch
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
White Princess Through the Ice Arch
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
CJ At the Cave
Ice cave from a water carved channel through the southern margin of the Castner Glacier. It collapses a little bit more every year and there's not much left to it now. More of an arch than a cave right now.
arch cave channel eastern alaska range glacier
Through the channel
Remnants of an ice cave on the Castner Glacier. Now it's just a giant arch.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
White Princess through the Ice
Looking at White Princess in the Alaska Range through an ice cave in the Castner Glacier.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Layers
Glacier ice and strata of rock
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Cave Ice
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Ice in the Mountains
Peering out the edge of a small ice cave in the Castner Glacier westward into the interior of the Alaska Range.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Descending from the Cave
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Lynx Tracks
Lynx tracks traversing a moraine on the Castner Glacier into the Castner Creek drainage.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Clouds Develop
It suddenly got very windy as the clouds formed over the range.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Over the Castner Glacier
Black Cap in the Shade, the Castner Glacier in the light
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter
Hike in and hike out
We wound doing a 4 mile ski/snowshoe up the north side of the creek and traversed the toe of the glacier to the southern end.
alaska castner creek castner glacier delta eastern alaska range glacier mountains ski snow snowshoe winter