Alaska Trip Report, 24-Hour Interval 3: Kenai Fjord Cruise; 24-Hour Interval 4: Choke Glacier Hike, Prince William Audio Cruise

DAY 3, Sep 1, 2018:

Kenai fjord cruise:

The Kenai Peninsula is known for the glaciers, coastal mountains, together with fantastic scenery of Kenai Fjords National Park, which centers on the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield. The common covers to a greater extent than than 900 foursquare miles total, but the solely surface area that tin genuinely hold upwards reached past times route is Exit Glacier.

We were booked on the Major Marines Kenai Fjord cruise of vi hrs, starting at 11.30 am. We had booked this much before equally cruises taper off inward Sep. together with nosotros did non desire to confront non availability. Because of early on booking nosotros got assigned bang-up seats on both cruises, the really kickoff window seats! Though nosotros spent a lot of fourth dimension on the deck, Good seats were welcome too! There are interior seats which may hold upwards really crowded.

In cruises inward Argentina, Norway, NZ etc, they don't give assigned seating. Here it was a welcome pracice. And they fifty-fifty allow cancellation amongst total refund upto three days before the trip inward example i can't brand it. They also gave a discount when nosotros booked the 2nd cruise amongst them.

We picked upwards our boarding cards at the check-in counter at Harbor 360 hotel quite early.

We thence walked around the promenade looking at the docked ships.

Later nosotros waited inward the lounge till they started boarding.

In retrospect, I wishing nosotros had non wasted that time. It was only a 10 min drive to the banking company tally inward house together with nosotros could receive got at to the lowest degree seen the abide by winning huskies at the cabins nosotros stayed in. I had non known seats were assigned, I had idea it was of import to checkin together with handbag expert seats for the long vi hr cruise. Anyway the lounge had a monitor together with mesh together with nosotros spent the fourth dimension watching Rafa highlights of U.S.A. of America open

The boat has 2 levels of covered within seating, amongst large drinking glass windows. But of course of teaching the best views were out on the exceed deck where nosotros spent a lot of our fourth dimension together with the opened upwards deck inward the forepart of the boat.

The exceed deck had enterprise structures for back upwards spell standing. The ocean was pretty choppy till nosotros crossed the Resurrection Bay. We were advised to ever receive got three points of contact. It was Fun trying to stand upwards steadily together with relish the sights.

There was a Ranger on board, who provided expert narration of all sightings. Sea otters were the most fun to watch, at that topographic point were huge pods of them.

The boat moved to the Holgate glacier. Then off to the Aialik glacier.

Scenic dejeuner past times the side of Aialik glacier

We crossed the Chiswell Islands, where nosotros saw a huge expose of nesting birds. Tons of puffins. Bunch of ocean lions lounging on the rocks. Orcas jumping about.

The islands were really pretty, amongst odd shapes. Great photograph ops.

The Sun shone brilliant inward a clear sky, together with the views were excellent.

Then the boat started its render journey.

We deboarded, drove to Lowell point.

Then on to Nash route before driving dorsum to our cabin

DAY four Sep 2, 2018:

Exit glacier Hike; Prince William Sound Cruise together with drive from Whittier to Palmer

The Prince William Sound Cruise boat sailed at 12:45 pm. So nosotros hiked to Exit glacier before starting on our drive toward the Whittier tunnel.

Our cabin was on the Old Glacier road; Exit Glacier Road is nine miles long, together with the Exit glacier was at the in conclusion of that road. We checked out, kept the fundamental on the tabular array together with left the door ajar.

Exit Glacier is i of the most pop road-accessible glaciers inward the state. We had a scenic drive

Visitor center

"Edge of the Glacier Trail" (also known equally the Lower Trail):

It's solely a 15-20 minute, apartment walk from the parking surface area to the glacier, but nosotros walk through a trail inward the wood together with along a gravel river bar. At the start, nosotros tin run into the changes inward vegetation amongst the gradual melting of the glacier. Markers receive got been placed showing the glacier's recession over the past times 120 years.

The to a greater extent than strenuous Harding Icefield Trail which is nearly 8.4 miles round-trip (also known equally the Upper Trail) is some other pick for independent hikers.The upper trail provides an overlook, equally if you're standing correct on the glacier. It is a challenging solar daytime hike to a 3,500-foot summit, but you lot are treated amongst stunning views of the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield. This massive H2O ice sheet, located within Kenai Fjords National Park, is the source of over 35 named glaciers, including Exit. The Harding Icefield Trail winds upwards the due north border of Exit Glacier, offering spectacular views of the glacier together with surrounding mountains along the way. This steep trail is best suited for in-shape hikers (might hold upwards difficult on the knees, too), gaining 1,000 feet of elevation amongst each mile.

We did non receive got fourth dimension for it regretfully.

We had a really lovely hike on the lower trail.

On the agency dorsum to parking, nosotros detoured to the outwash manifestly too... that was bang-up equally well.

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

Driving from Anchorage/Seward to Whittier to relish Prince William Sound requires i to become through Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel—the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel inward North America, together with the kickoff designed for -40 Fahrenheit temperatures together with 150 mph winds!

The one-lane tunnel must hold upwards shared past times cars together with trains traveling inward both directions, together with it unremarkably needs to hold upwards aired out inward betwixt trips (with jet turbine ventilation, some other first!). This unique pattern that enables a unmarried lane of traffic to locomote straight over the railroad rail saved tens of millions of dollars over the terms of constructing a novel tunnel.

Summer Schedule

To Whittier: Cars leave of absence on the one-half hour, from 5:30am to 10:30pm.
From Whittier: Cars leave of absence on the hour, from 6am to 11pm.
Arrive at to the lowest degree 10 minutes prior to tunnel opening. (Arriving before isn’t a waste; common inward line, thence go out of your machine together with soak inward the scenery.)
Give yourself some other twenty - thirty minutes to larn through the tunnel.
The drive is solely 10 minutes, but the opening tin hold upwards delayed, or at that topographic point tin hold upwards a trouble before you lot enter.

We reached the tunnel, paying the toll of $13 which is the render fare.

We drove through together with reached early on for the cruise banking company tally in. When I asked if our seating depended on the banking company tally in, she replied they receive got already been allotted.

As I said inward my previous post, if I had known this, I would receive got used my fourth dimension wisely.

There was a really friendly lady regulating the parking at the banking company tally inward component at Whittier. The parking at that topographic point was $12, spell parking five infinitesimal walk away was $10 for the day. The lady showed us a map together with gave suggestions on what nosotros could run into before boarding our cruise. Told us to hold upwards alarm for bears, she also cautioned that the traffic cops are really vigilant, they fifty-fifty line upwards locals who operate inward those facilities for infractions.

We drove to the house of the Falls she suggested, curt drive past times the school, thence had a curt walk to the lovely gushing stream together with the falls.

We walked through a twosome of curt trails

and thence returned to our car.

We went on a curt drive to larn a meliorate await at the lovely Whittier glacier towering over the town, thence took a route upwards the slopes. We stopped where the route turned to gravel together with had a bang-up persuasion of the glacier.

Time was creeping upwards together with nosotros returned to the banking company tally inward office. Our determination was to common at that topographic point fifty-fifty if it was $2 to a greater extent than equally nosotros tin drive away faster. We saw a FULL board, together with 2 cars waiting at the entrance. We mistakenly assumed at that topographic point was no space, went inward search of the other parking lot.

Cops were patrolling the hwy equally the lady had warned at that topographic point are numerous traffic fines doled out. We establish the lot, an attendant came together with collected $12 together with nosotros left the machine parked there, walked to the boarding line. All our bags were inward the boot of our car, valuables amongst us.

There was quite a fleck of a hold off before boarding. It was a much smaller boat than the i on Kenai fjords the previous day. As for the weather, it was AGAIN the best day.

Our seats were the kickoff couch to the left upstairs. We were the solely ones together with had huge legroom. Captain's cabin was only ahead of us. We did non receive got a table, but did non girlfriend it.

Prince William Sound has 100 named glaciers. Once i time again a bang-up cruise amongst AWESOME views. It was a really calm sea.

Sea Otter

When nosotros were returning, the captain also cautioned nearly many traffic fines together with asked everyone to drive safe. We lined upwards at the tunnel inward the seventh row. Made it inward when our side opened.

On the agency back, Seward hwy did non seem equally appealing equally it had on our agency in, in all likelihood has to produce amongst the lighting, together with us beingness on the side of the cliffs.

We stopped at Walmart at Anchorage i time again equally nosotros wanted to purchase some bananas, bread. This was non the i nosotros had shopped at earlier. Here a lady refused to allow me larn inward amongst our minor solar daytime pack amongst our valuables. She offered to aid us amongst a locker, I preferred to sit down at the entrance amongst the handbag spell boy went to larn the materials nosotros needed. She insisted 3, four times nearly the locker, I politely declined.

We drove on together with reached our hotel good within daylight hours.

ACCOMMODATION:

Pioneer motel, Palmer was to a greater extent than than adequate, had some lovely aesthetic touches together with soothing music was playing on the TV equally nosotros entered. We had wanted to remain at Long Rifle Lodge at Glacier persuasion amongst persuasion of Matanuska glacier but some other 45 infinitesimal drive on the Glennhwy at nighttime position us off. No regrets.