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Mendenhall Glacier Hike
Nine hours hiking over physically strenuous terrain. That seemed daunting to me and almost out of reach, but my sister convinced me to sign up for the 10 mile Mendenhall Glacier Trek. I was dreading the hike in the weeks leading up to our trip.
The Mendenhall Glacier is located about 13 miles from Juneau, Alaska and is one of the only glaciers in the region that is accessible by foot year round. The glacier is rapidly melting away and has retreated almost 2 miles in the past 50 years. My sister and I made a quick stop in Juneau as we were traveling north to Anchorage to visit our brother. I had heard about the Mendenhall Ice Caves and was thrilled to get the chance to view the famed natural creations, but the journey to the glacier wouldn’t be easy.
We signed up for a guided trek with a local company, Above & Beyond Alaska. They were very upfront about the challenges of the hike and required all hikers to be in good physical shape. I’m pretty active but don’t work out regularly. I could feel my palms begin to sweat as a sea of worry consumed me – would I have the endurance to complete this hike? I knew I wouldn’t accomplish anything without trying and I couldn’t pass up a once in a life time opportunity to see the glacier!
We met our guides and trekking group in the early morning on the day of our hike. They provided us with a pack, helmet, ice axe, crampons, and harness – what had I gotten myself into that I would need a helmet and harness!? After everyone was geared up we hit the trail at a speedy pace. Although the first few miles were relatively flat, with just a few uphill switchbacks, I was already out of breath and doubting that I could complete the trek. We hurried through Alaska’s temperate rainforest and after a couple of hours the trail disappeared into a mountainous terrain. We finally stopped for a quick break and our guides explained that the faster we got to the glacier the more time we would have to explore the ice. There was no longer a trail to follow; we would be climbing up and over boulders, and taking a slower pace for this more technical section of the trek. With just enough time to take a sip of water and catch my breath we were moving again.
This section of the hike was exhilarating. Using both hands and feet to climb and propel down steep cliffs with rope, I felt like I was truly off the beaten bath and trekking through the Alaskan wilderness. Each turn offered a breathtaking new view of Alaska’s vast landscape. We reached the top of the mountain and I was mesmerized by a stunning sheet of blue ice flowing out of the valley in front of us. The Mendenhall Glacier was more massive and spectacular than I had imagined. I couldn’t wait to hear the crunch of the ice beneath my feet.
We descended the mountain and were at the base of the glacier in about an hour. With helmets on, harnesses fastened, and crampons secured, we took our first steps onto the ice. I’m not sure why, but the ice was harder than I had expected. I really had to stomp my spikey shoes into the ice to get a good a balance. Our guides took us over the glacier and showed us the many features of the ice. We peered down into ice tunnels, walked along the edges of deep crevasses, and even filled our water bottles up in a natural waterfall of glacial water. I was anxious about standing on what looked to be a frozen river, but the guides informed me that the dark blue ice is actually the densest and cubic meter of blue ice weighs more than 1 ton!
The breeze picked up and I was struck with a freezing chill from the wind funneled through the valley and rolling over the ice. I put on an extra layer and we were guided down to the west end of the glacier. The well-known Mendenhall Ice Cave used to tower over an opening near the glacier’s edge, but over the past year most of the ice cave had collapsed with the constant nature of the glacier’s movement. Smaller portions of the cave still remain, but the ice is very vulnerable and it is highly advised to use extreme caution when entering the caves. Our guides made their way into the caves first, to evaluate the conditions and safety. I eagerly awaited their assessment hoping that I’d have the unique chance to explore an ice cave. Although I had seen some pretty amazing features on the glacier itself, I didn’t hike all this way to be told that the cave was unsafe to enter. My eyes were fixed on the cave waiting for a queue that it was stable enough to enter.
Our guides appeared at the cave’s entrance, and to my relief they held up their hands with a big thumbs up! I hurried over and was immediately mesmerized by the glowing green bubbles of ice surrounding me. I had never seen anything like it before. Astonished by the natural beauty, I crawled deeper and deeper into the cave. There was a small flowing river at the base of the cave. I closed my eyes to tune in my other senses. I could feel and smell the crisp glacier air channeling through the cave. I could hear the serene trickling of water. And then, all of a sudden, SPLASH! I was startled by sound of a loud shriek and a woman falling into the river. Fortunately for her the small river wasn’t very deep and she was wearing waterproof pants and shoes. It reminded me of how dangerous this beautiful place was. I made my way out of the cave, soaking in the last few seconds of my adventure.
The world is an amazing place with many natural wonders waiting to be explored. For those who have a little courage and determination, there is no end to what you might see and experience. Some of the most spectacular sights can’t be seen from a car window. I urge you to get off the beaten path and discover what the world has to offer!
Have you done the Mendenhall Glacier Hike?
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That’s truly beautiful – amazing blue colour. (Looks a little dangerous too? Or not really?)
Hi Lydia! Yes, it can be very dangerous to hike on glaciers and enter ice caves, but our guides were very professional and ensured everyone’s safety at all times.
That looks like a totally amazing experience…and some stunning photos! When I was 12, our family did a hiking tour of Fox Glacier in New Zealand and that memory is very vivid for me. I would definitely want to do this one if I’m ever in Alaska.
Hi Fairlie,
That’s amazing that you hiked a glacier in New Zealand! You should definitely add Mendenhall Glacier to your list. I also did ice climbing on the Matanuska Glacier that I’ll be writing about soon!
– Rachel http://www.livelifeoutofoffice.com
Wow what an amazing place to experience.
I like that the guides are up front and honest about the difficulty of the trek not trying to just ply anybody in to make money.
Hi Sally,
Glad you enjoyed my story! I thought it was great too that the guides were honest about this trek. It definitely isn’t for everyone. Luckily I was able to prepare a few months in advance by hiking every week leading up to the trek.
How stunning and how very brave
Paula,
Thanks for reading my story! I thought Alaska was stunning as well! 🙂
– Rachel http://www.livelifeoutofoffice.com
Yes, I’d love to trek to and on this glacier! I absolutely love glaciers. So far my favorite was trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina’s Patagonia. I’ve added the Mendenhall Glacier and its ice caves to my glacier list! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jackie,
That’s great that you have done some glacier trekking yourself – Argentina would be amazing! If you make it to Alaska you should definitely make a stop at Mendenhall Glacier. I have visited a few other glaciers and each one is so unique. I will be posting a story soon about ice climbing the Matanuska Glacier.
– Rachel http://www.livelifeoutofoffice.com
How cool! We would definitely hike the glacier there. We have never been to Alaska but when we do this will be on the list to ensure we tackle. The various blue hues within the ice are amazing! Great job pushing through and enduring the hike!
Hi Amanda and Brian,
Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I was surprised by how blue the ice was too, I couldn’t believe it! I loved Alaska and it was one of my most favorite trips – I hope you get the chance to go!
– Rachel http://www.livelifeoutofoffice.com
I was at this Glacier many years ago (it was probably biggger then!) Unfortunately I didn’t have time to hike on it. Now I feel like I really missed something. Those ice caves are amazing. We are currently writing about Patagonia at the moment on our site and the glaciers there are just amazing. So sad what we are doing to he planet. Thanks for sharing.
This is awe-freakin’-some!
Now I feel like packing my stuff up and leaving for Alaska.
what local tour guide did you use to hike the glacier?