Kenai Fjords National Park
After checking in at the Major Marine Office in Seward. After the trip, we were excited to have seen all the animals on this mural.
Major Marines Boat Tour
There look to be many options for boat tours of the Kenai fjords, so the best way to choose will be to see what best fits your schedule (trips range from 4 to 8+ hours) or your priorities (wildlife? Glaciers? Lunch on a remote island?). We knew we wanted to see whales, and that the longer we were on the water, the higher our potential success. Major Marine Tours was the company recommended by our friends, and we waited until we saw a 20% discount over Presidents Day weekend and booked the 7 hour trip.
At one of the three glacier stops of the trip
We checked in and had fun watching the adorable otters playing in the harbor before boarding, at which time we realized that we had lucked out by having a table to ourselves in the indoor 2nd level (it looked like most other groups of 2 had to share their table with another pair). It was a pretty gloomy and cold day, but we regularly took the opportunity to go outside on the decks, especially to see the whales. We didn’t have to wait long, as the captain reported a pod of orcas within 15 minutes of leaving the dock. They were amazing. We saw plentiful wildlife beyond that and enjoyed the moody scenery. Once we were on the open, unprotected ocean, we noticed a LOT of people getting seasick, and were happy that we had taken Dramamine while still on land. The staff were such good sports though, regularly checking in with those who were ill and good-spirited about all the garbage bags they had to replace.
Watched this otter being cute for a solid 30 minutes
Our route
In our “assigned seats”
Exit Glacier from the “Top of the Cliffs” viewpoint
Hiking the Harding-Icefield Trail
One of the reasons we chose to travel to Alaska was seeing the pictures my friend had posted of her hike alongside this glacier. There are two options for those who want to get some good views. The first is an easy 1.5 mile walk, which would be a great option for those with more limited ability or time. We opted for the more strenuous 8.2 mile (round trip) Harding Icefield Trail, which ends with what the National Park Service calls “a horizon of ice and snow that stretches as far as the eye can see, broken only by an occasional nunatak, or lonely peak.”
The trail never felt crowded, though we passed plenty of people both ways (which, after some misguided “Alaska bear attack” Google searches before the trip, was perfectly welcome). Finally, while planning, I had been surprised at the 6-8 hour estimation based on the number of miles, but for us, with all the elevation, that did end up being accurate.
Trying to beat the climbing fog along the steepest parts of the climb, right below the summit
Looking back towards Exit Glacier on our way out of the park.
We turned around 200 feet short of the summit once the fog got so dense that we realized we wouldn’t be able to see the trail’s namesake Harding Icefield after all. It was a disappointing end to the ascent, but we felt a sense of accomplishment at having taken the challenge and loved the views at each point.