LeConte Glacier



John checking out a large Iceberg 

Another gorgeous day with clear skies, perfect for our tour of LeConte Glacier located 23 nautical miles southeast of Petersburg.  Our tour guide, Captain Scott Hursey, picked us up at the marina in his aluminum landing craft named the Pelican.  We departed at 8:30 in the morning so our return trip would be ahead of the afternoon winds.  As we motored eastward along Frederick Sound, large icebergs (some with a deep blue color) came into view even though we were still ten miles from the glacier.  

Beautiful Scenery with numerous Icebergs

Icebergs were also seen along the beach having been left stranded on the shore after a low tide.  According to Michael Reichmann, scientist and founder of Luminous Landscapes, the deep blue color seen in icebergs is caused by the light reflected off snow crystals; snowflakes have many shapes or facets acting like tiny mirrors.  Icebergs are composed of huge numbers of snowflakes or crystals which reflect the same light as the incident light.  If the iceberg is illuminated by a yellow sunset for example, the iceberg would look yellow. 

Some icebergs have areas of freezing ocean water, these areas usually have tiny air bubbles so give an overall white appearance in full sunlight. 

Contrary to popular belief, the young icebergs are usually blue while the more ancient icebergs are white.  Old icebergs go through thousands of years of compression, crushing the reflective surfaces of snowflakes.  Instead of reflecting the light, the light is forced to travel through the iceberg or glacier and penetrate deep enough to either find some internal surface to reflect back or penetrate all the way through the iceberg. 

As we continued winding our way through the bergs, we passed granite cliffs carved by the retreating glacier, waterfalls, and towering mountains creating a showcase of gorgeous scenery.  During our visit, scientists were camped out on one of the mountain tops and we saw a helicopter flying overhead bringing in research equipment and camping supplies.  Student teams from the local high school(s) also study the glacier, tracking its movement.  Surveys of the glacier’s face are taken from two pre-set spots that have been measured from each other.  The distance from these points are then measured to the various outcroppings across the glacier.  By using basic trigonometry, the glacier face is plotted out.  What a wonderful opportunity for students to apply their math and science skills.  

Approaching LeConte Glacier

As we neared the glacier the air temperature dropped and we donned hats, gloves, and jackets to try and keep warm.  We could hear the loud snap and crack of the ice as pieces broke off from the face of the glacier creating a small ocean wave.  

John warming up with some Hot Coffee

Of course the bigger the pieces, the bigger the ocean swells.  Captain Hursey showed us several video clips of huge pieces calving into the sea and why you should never get too close to the face of a glacier.  Not only are large waves dangerous, but bergs can shoot straight up from underneath the water, or can roll completely over like a big sea monster.  

Some Calving Activity

Nothing that exciting happened on this trip but the scenery was spectacular just the same.  We arrived back at the marina around 12:30pm and soaked in the warmth of the sun while enjoying lunch in the cockpit aboard Got d’ Fever.  After checking on the winds and current, we decided the timing was good to depart Petersburg at 3:30pm that same afternoon.  

Departing Petersberg

We had a beautiful view of Petersburg on Mitkof Island as we departed making our way south along Wrangell Narrows.  After 2-3 hours of motoring, we stopped at Deception Point Cove located at the south end of Wrangell Narrows and anchored for the night.