Kayaking in Front of a Glacier

I love taking people kayaking in Alaska. The Inside Passage almost always has flat calm water, thanks to the 1,000 islands protecting it from the open ocean. If you combine those calm waters with one of nature's true spectacles, glaciers, then you have the recipe for the trip of a lifetime.

This week I took people deep into the fjords of Glacier Bay National Park. Here, glaciers tumble out of the mountains and empty into the deep waters of the fjords. Some glaciers you can take a cruise ship right up to, while others you need to hike for hours to reach. The one featured in this post, Lamplugh Glacier, is still reachable by kayak at high tide.

The glacier has receeded back from its terminal moraine, creating a lake. With the tide high enough, a kayaker can enter the lake through one of the two outwash rivers. That is what we did this trip. Giant pieces of ice lie stranded on the bottom, or still drifting about in the lake. As we entered the lake we had to watch out for pieces of ice floating down at us.

Luckily it was a beautiful day, and there was no big calving inside the lake. That would have caused a wave that may have knocked us over into the frigid water. But we made it out and scored some nice photos as well. It was an adventure for the books, and one that these guests will be retelling for years. That is the beauty of traveling up here in Alaska with me as your expedition leader.

Entering the lake in front of Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.