Just Cruises Plus

Hubbard Glacier – 4/25/14 Photo Contest

We had 47 responses to last week’s photo contest.  There were many glacier names offered, but only 5 correctly named Hubbard Glacier.  Congratulations to Pat Horne of Edison, NJ, the winner of our $25 gift card.  Her name was randomly drawn from those who responded correctly.

Our ship sailed up to Hubbard Glacier during our Southbound Alaska cruise, from Seward to Vancouver.

Hubbard Glacier is one of the few glaciers that is “advancing” (gaining mass), despite global warming.  It takes about 400 years for ice to traverse the length of the of the glacier – this means that the ice at the foot of the glacier is about 400 years old.  The glacier routinely calves off icebergs the size of a ten story building.  Where the glacier meets the shore, most of the ice is below the waterline, and newly calved icebergs can shoot up quite dramatically, so that ships must keep their distance from it as they ply their way up and down the coast.

There is really no way to describes the feeling of being so close to this glacier and to experience the calving first hand!

Passage to the glacier – a view from our veranda

Here are some things to keep in mind in preparation for your sail to a glacier while in Alaska.

Be outside. Yes, you can watch the close circuit camera images of the glacier on your television in the comfort of your cabin, but after all, why are you on this trip if not to see the grandeur of the glaciers in person.  If you have a veranda, by all means, this is the time to use it!  If you don’t have a veranda, use one of the many public decks.  Your ship will likely have commentary on the public address system, so you can learn about what you are seeing whether inside or out.  Your captain will make it a point to rotate the ship so that wherever you are on the ship, you will have the opportunity to see the glaciers.

Dress for the occasion. We sailed with a group at the end of August and even though we were comfortably warm during much of the land portion of our trip, the temperature does drop while you are outside and sailing up to the glaciers.  Be prepared with layers and for those of you who get cold easily, bring scarves, gloves and earmuffs or hats.   Our ship offered hot chocolate, which  hit the spot.

Have your camera ready.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture still photos or videos of the glaciers (only a video will capture the calving), but don’t let the camera consume you so much that you miss the experience of being there in person!

Taking a walk to the crevice

Walk on a Glacier

For the thrill of a lifetime, take a walk on a glacier.  We boarded a helicopter in Juneau and flew for about 20 minutes to one of the glaciers near Juneau.  After several attempts at landing, our skilled pilot found a fairly level spot to put down the chopper.  We got out and began our short trek with instructions not to fall in the crevices (we might not be found for centuries).  Of course, we were issued special boots which kept us from slipping on the ice.  It was an amazing experience.

Tags: Alaska, Hubbard Glacier