exit glacier and harding ice field

my original plan was to drive all the way to homer, but the evening took a fun spontaneous turn.  returning on the spur from seward, my eye caught a sign for exit glacier.  i turned off to check it out.  months back a friend had mentioned that as something to see, but i had forgotten about it.  wow, look over there... it's a glacier!

i was just in one small part of the kenai fjords national park.

when i got to the visitor center, i saw a board describing a trail.  

they recommended having 6-8 hours of time for the 8+ mile round trip because it was a 2000 foot elevation gain on the way up.  it was only 2pm and i decided i was up for the challenge.  my muscles hadn't been used for weeks - some for months.  it was time for some exercise.   i grabbed a book bag, tossed in some water and food and bear spray and a few other things.  let's go!

i really loved the trail.  not only because of the great views, but the trail itself was not overly flattened out.  i had to watch my step on and over slanted rocks and roots.  the rocks were wet and slippery and many of them wobbly.  plus the steepness required pacing.  so basically, it wasn't just a walk in the park like some trails become over time.

sometimes the trail got pretty thin!  and it turned so much, i tried to pay close attention for bears so i wouldn't startle any.  sometimes i'd call out a noise which was the five vowels strung together...  it sounded like a-Ee-you-oh-EYE!   haha.  

rainbow on the left

at the end of the trail was a spectacular view of the harding ice field.

me above harding ice field

fellow hiker with a nice camera on the trail below

as i started back down the trail i came across a mountain goat resting on the snow.

then a herd of 15 mountain goats were up the mountain on my left and i sat to watch them grazing on their way down, crossing in front of me on the trail.

while i watched them, i talked to some other people who caught up to me on the trail.  we were waiting for the photographer dude to get down there before we scattered the herd.

then a few minutes later i spotted a black bear with her two cubs. see them in the lower left of the photo?

i was loving the wild flowers.

the wet rocks had a pretty shine.  i slipped off my feet once on the way down.

gotta watch your balance, especially here.

then finally back to the head of the trail.

i still had enough light to take the shorter separate trail to the base of exit glacier.  for safety they only let you get so close. : (

me and exit.