Plan A was a working tour of the Mendenhall Glacier. Eran's group studies mass balance of the glacier. Not surprisingly, it's melting
Our ride
The crew, ready to go
The Mendenhall Glacier from the heli. The glacier is receding at amazingly fast rates
The lower portion of the glacier
The North Star Camp on the Mendenhall Glacier
Glacier meltwater
The ice reflects the most brilliant color of blue I have ever seen in nature
Meltwater pool
A group of tourists on the glacier give some perspective of the size of the (dwindling) ice. The icefall and seracs above them were impressive
Eran looking down a slot canyon. It is amazing how much the features carved in the ice resemble those in desert sandstone slot canyons
Blue meanders
More blueness. It reminded me of a raspberry otter pop
Getting ready to go to the 2nd spot, up glacier
A lateral morraine in the glacier, the result of the joining of two upper branches
Taxi shot
Eran and Matt were checking a meltwire installed earlier in the summer. Those two are taking over measurements of the glacier from a group in Fairbanks. Rhino peak in the background
Rhino Peak. Looks like a good descent
Looking down-glacier from near the summit of the icefield
Nearing Icy Strait on the way to Glacier NP
A Sea otter hanging in Icy Strait
A Stellar Sea Lion colony in GBNP
Forest vegetation. This site was deglaciated <200 years ago, and it was already a mature forest of spruce and hemlock
Coastal Mountains
Calm waters in the Bay. This was all covered in ice a hundred years or so ago
Classic soil development in GB. Note the dark organic horizon that has accumulated on the largely unaltered grey till
The McBride Glacier in GBNP
A harbor seal chillin' on a berg
The best seat in the house
Eran adeptly maneuvered us right up to the snout