Foggy Morning Hike

It rained all night ... on and off. The pitter-patter on the roof, however, was drowned out by the Kennicott River rushing downriver past our campsite, gurgling and crashing over rocks and boulders.

Despite the continued drizzle and the fog, we went for an after-breakfast hike by the glacial lake on the far side of Base Camp. Trekking through the brush, we found a goat-path-like trail that was probably formed by the thousands of people who have probably done the same trek over the years. We followed the path along the ridge of lateral moraine piled high at the edge of the lake to see how far we could go. Not far, as it turns out as our way was blocked by a second lake.

Though the beautiful white face of the Root Glacier was hidden by the fog, our efforts were rewarded by views of the toe. Those unfamiliar with glaciers probably dismiss dirty glaciers out of hand as a pile of dirt and rock. Not so. Under the surface moraine, there is usually a river of ice peeking through. That was the case today.Läs mer