Alaska Part 2: Hiking the Matanuska Glacier

We planned one of our days in Anchorage to go hiking on the Matanuska Glacier. It is about 2 hours (100 miles) NE of Anchorage.  It is 27 miles long and 4 miles wide (108 sq. miles).  It is the largest glacier in the U.S. accessible by car.  Sounds big, but the biggest is Bering Glacier at 2,000 sq. miles (it's about 300 miles NE of Anchorage near the Canadian border). I was also surprised to hear that glaciers make up 5% of Alaska's land area.
Our reservation was for 2PM, but we decided to leave a little early.  The 100 mile drive was suppose to be very scenic, plus there was Thunder Bird (water)Falls about 2/3 the way there that was only  about one mile off Glenn Highway(Alaska route 1).

Finally, a gnome path !

Teeny-weeny white flower (1/4" wide).

This bush was about 6' tall with the flowers about 5."

Thunder Bird Falls - 70' drop.

Close-up.

Hatcher Pass.  A few miles past Thunder Bird Falls along the Matanuska River. Named after a miner/prospector from the early 1900's. Looking north.

Looking south. 

The Matanuska Glacier.

The terminus of the glacier. Where we did the hike.

The outfitter we used. You can just see the glacier in the background.

Looks close, but probably a 1/2 mile away.

On the glacier looking back; in the middle of the photo is a building that we started from (it was another 2 mile drive from the outfitters building). 

Ice climbers.  We decided to do just the walk. 

Moving on !

Still have a ways to go.

Ben, our guide, showing us very clear glacial pool.

Getting to the good parts.

Another good view looking back to where we started. About in the middle of the photo, you can just see 2 'dots' on the top of the glacier: they are people. Just to the left of them, you can barely make out the building we started from.

Mother and son pose on the glacier.

Didn't have anything to show how big this is. Probably 400' to 500' tall.

A small bit (maybe a foot across) of clear blue glacial ice.  Glacial ice is so clear because all the air bubbles have been forced out of the ice due to the tremendous pressure put on the snow.

The 2 hikers give you an idea of the size of this part of the glacier.

It was just a cool experience.

Posing solo in front of a small glacial pond.