United States
Ranney Creek

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    • Day 5

      Meares Glacier

      August 17, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

      We travelled by boat up a narrow fjord to the head of Meares Glacier. All around us were small icebergs. While stationary about 500m off the head of the glacier we watched and then heard the cracking of the ice as the face carved small icebergs which fell into the murky waters which are laden with grey glacial silt. Dozens of harbour seals are floating on the ice and seabirds stand precariously on the small icebergs.Read more

    • Day 60

      Meares Glacier from Valdez (Part I)

      July 1, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

      From Valdez, there are glacier and wildlife cruises to two different glaciers — Columbia and Meares. Columbia is the closer one ... located in the bay by the same name. Meares is at the head of Unakwik Inlet and requires an 8.5-hour roundtrip cruise.

      Before leaving home in May, I booked Meares Glacier with Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises for 7 July. Yesterday, with the promise of nice weather for today, I moved that booking. So, off we went at 9:00a ... under overcast skies that brightened as the morning progressed. By the time we had traversed the Port of Valdez and the Valdez Arm, and negotiated our way north of Glacier Island, the sky was blue ... the sun was brilliant.

      Our ride, the Glacier Spirit, has a capacity of 149 people. There were only about 80 people on our sailing. Most of the passengers sat in the upstairs salon, so we had plenty of space to wander around the lower deck and our pick of the tables in the downstairs salon.

      We enjoyed beautiful scenery and plenty of wildlife encounters on our way to the glacier, as well as on the way back. I’ll leave those images to another footprint and focus on the glacier in this one.

      Meares Glacier, one of the few around the world that is not in retreat, is a tidewater glacier ... a type of valley glacier that makes its way all the way down to the ocean. This river of ice has a terminus that is one mile wide. Heading between Aspero Peak and Mount Michelson, Meares is 15 miles long. It is very impressive as it reveals itself slowly.

      Tidewater glaciers are more prone to calving than other glaciers. Meares didn’t disappoint. I counted five good-sized carvings while our boat sat in front of it, turning first one way, and then the other way. Mui managed to catch all but one of the carvings, but the video will have to wait until we get home so he can process the footage.
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    • Day 6

      Meares Glacier Cruise, Pt 2

      July 13, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 45 °F

      Meares Glacier is one mile wide where it meets the Unakwik Inlet off Price William Sound and is 6miles long. It rises about 300ft above the surface, crushing all trees and vegetation as the ice slowly advances. Ita was apparent the boat was closing in on the glacier as chunks of ice began appearing. A couple of opportunistic seals took advantage of some larger pieces for a pit stop in the daily travels. Seeing how the trees were being knocked over and crushed is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With so many glaciers in retreat, it is a visceral reminder of how they have carved their way through the landscape.

      On the return to Valdez, the cold kept the passengers hopping in and out of the closed passenger cabin, staying warm with coffee and hot chocolate as the weather turned colder and rain came intermittently. The tour cruised passed colonies of sea lions and came across a couple of Orcas hanging out together.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Ranney Creek

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