Vacation Reviews

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Alaska Cruise Shore Excursions (cont)

In April of 1986, a pilot for Gulf Air Taxi, returning from dropping off a climbing party noticed that Hubbard Glacier had surged all the way across the channel and essentially dammed Russell Fjord. He circled lower to make sure, amazed at the unusual sight.  This was an event without precedent in recent geologic history, and as soon as word got out, people and groups from all over the world converged on Yakutat to try and rescue the marine mammals trapped by the ice dam - primarily seals, sea lions, and porpoises. As the weather got warmer and the streams filled with snow melt, the water behind the glacier/dam began rising rapidly, eventually reaching almost 90 feet higher than the level of Disenchantment Bay on the other side.

The ice dam began to break about midnight on 7 October, and within 24 hours the water level had reached the former high- tide level of Russell Fiord. 

Imagine coming face to face with a wall of ice six miles wide. Marvel at a 150-mile long wall of peaks that include Mt. Logan and Mt. St. Elias - the second and third tallest mountains in North America. Encounter the mighty Malaspina, the largest piedmont glacier on the continent. As you approach Hubbard Glacier, watch for seals afloat on the ice. This is an experience you will long remember.