This popular Matanuska Glacier Tour takes guests into some of the coolest landscapes in Alaska. We’ve mentioned Matanuska Glacier in previous blog post, What Makes Matanuska Glacier Special and How to Experience It, talking about the general gist of this popular Greatland tour, but so many past guests have reflected upon the experience as one they never expected, we thought a deeper dive into the adventure would offer even more perspective. Never walked on a glacier before? Read on to discover why so many people are wowed by the experience.
Here in Southcentral Alaska, we’re lucky to have easy access to several amazing destinations within a few hours of Anchorage, and one of the most popular among our guests is the 27-mile-long Matanuska Glacier. Located about 80 miles northeast of Anchorage, the glacier is the largest in the United States that can be reached by vehicle, and sits conveniently near the Glenn Highway, a major route of travel. This river of ice flows from high in the Chugach Mountains, with its terminus (or “toe”) visible from the road, catching the eye of many a visitor as they drive past.
Glaciers are referred to as “rivers of ice,” but originate as compressed snow. Ever squeezed a snowball in your hand so hard that it compacts into a ball of ice? Nature has similarly made glaciers. Over thousands of years, in areas where temperatures rarely rise above freezing, winter snowfall creates significant amounts of white stuff, which then doesn’t ever melt completely, even in the heat of summer. All of this snow compresses, turns to crystalline ice, and gradually begins to move downward under its own massive weight and with the help of gravity. It is estimated that Matanuska Glacier flows at a rate of about one foot per day.
There are several different types of glaciers: ice sheets, cirques, valley, and tidewater depending upon their location and size, and have become a sensitive bellwether of a changing climate, especially in Alaska.
Visiting a glacier can be a noisy experience! A lot is happening inside and outside glacial ice. Depending on the type of glacier, sounds can vary from light popping noises to sometimes-startling ‘booms!’ as the ice shifts or falls. As a valley-type glacier, Matanuska Glacier is always on the move, causing cracks in the ice that can create a hissing or crackling sound that can be quite noisy (don’t worry, our experienced glacier guides know every sound produced by this glacier and have the training to keep you safe).
You might also hear running water as you move through and around the glacier. Why? As mentioned above, temperatures near the toe of Matanuska Glacier are warmer than miles back, so melting ice is always happening. Also visible throughout the glacier’s flatter surfaces are moulins (pronounced moo-lon), a sort of well created by surface water that melts into the ice, wherever it decides to go. Some moulins are up to 32 feet in diameter (10 meters) and are safe (with a guide) to peer into their depths. During your tour, your guide will stop and listen for sounds of running water and show off the different channels and moulins that appear. It’s a fascinating part of glacier trekking that should be appreciated!
There’s a lot of dirt around and on a glacier. Wait, if a glacier is made of ice, why can you see loads of black, sandy dirt everywhere? The answer is called “sediment.” All that moving ice travels like a powerful conveyor belt across a landscape with incredible force, scraping and moving rock debris from one place to another, and is called a glacial deposit, “till,” or “moraine.” Meltwater from glaciers also erodes and deposits the results, which can vary in size from silty sand to giant boulders. All of this debris ends up along the sides and at the end of a glacier, which, in Matanuska Glacier’s case, is where your exploration will begin.
As you gear up upon arriving at the glacier, putting on a helmet and microspikes that allow for safe hiking across the ice, take note of the texture around you. Once you begin hiking, look at how the debris has ground down into fine till, what we sometimes call “glacial flour.” Touch the muddy flour; you may be surprised at how soft it is (there’s even a company in Juneau that makes facial products out of glacial till). Your guide will explain glacial moraines, till, and flour in greater detail as you progress along the glacier’s surface.
Look for the bluest blues you’ve ever seen. Many people are amazed by the deep blue appearance of the pools of water that dot a glacier’s surface, and some of the icy pinnacles along its face. But why is it blue in the first place? The answer has to do with light absorption, in the same way that water from lakes and oceans often appears blue.
Glacier ice appears blue because this ice is so dense that the longer, red wavelengths of white light are absorbed, while the shorter, blue wavelengths are scattered. In other words, water absorbs red wavelengths, and this allows blue light to be the most visible. The denser the glacier ice, the more intense the blue.
Ready to join us on a Matanuska Glacier adventure? You can check out all the details below. We head out to Matanuska Glacier all year.
We can’t wait to see you!
Anchorage Northern Lights Tour
Journey to view and photograph the Aurora Borealis in the greater Anchorage area.
Private Anchorage Sightseeing Tour
Get a perfect introduction to the greater Anchorage area on this 3-hour tour. Stops include Earthquake Park, Lake Hood Seaplane Base, Beluga Point, Potter's Marsh, and Flattop Mountain.
Turnagain Arm Glacier & Wildlife Tour
Travel the scenic Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm to Portage Valley. Take a scenic tram to the top of a mountain, cruise an iceberg dotted lake to view a glacier, and view Alaska's iconic animals up close. The choice is yours!
