Alaska's icy odyssey through the eyes of travelers

Alex Strol: Alaska's Ice Odyssey

Alex Strol traveled through Alaska by car, bicycle, kayak, boat, helicopter and airplane with his wife Andrea.

Alaska - this is, perhaps, my favorite place, a rare place where nature is still in active motion, and uniquely preserved in its original form. We wanted to experience the remoteness of this rough and yet clean region, to find ways to explore the most remote corners and crevices in the glacier.

Knik Glacier, Alaska

To spend the maximum amount of time on the glacier Nike Glacier, we needed a comfortable base for camping. We found a base by the river Nikeand this was the first place where we felt hospitality Alaska.

If you want to explore the area, transport alone will not be enough. Finding local secrets and hidden gems requires cars, boats, bicycles, and floating planes. The owner of the campsite had access to a helicopter and offered us a flight over the glacier. From above, we saw this incredible blue lake, which formed right on the glacier, and we immediately fired up the idea to get to this place by kayaking. We took the kayaks by car to the mouth of the glacier, where we were picked up by an airplane and taken to the glacial lake.

Swimming in crevices and looking through the clear water into the heart of the glacier is something I will never forget.

South of Nike Glacierbehind a large lake Portage, settled down Portage Glacier... For several weeks we tried to catch good weather, however, being so close to the ocean, the weather on the glacier was unpredictable and often wet and windy. Finally, just a few days before our departure, the conditions were perfect. It was a magical sunrise, we were sailing towards the glacier, through perfectly calm waters, patience was a virtue.

Portage Glacier, Alaska

Traveling in Alaska by car, means freedom. Off the road, we found it easier to find descents to the water, to explore lakes and rivers by boat, easier to find camping sites in the hills, and to choose when you want to stop. Watching the ever-changing landscape shift along a long and incredibly varied track was something you can only experience in a car. Every day we found a seemingly impossible mountain trail with stunning views.

Battle with the weather and its rapid change in southern Alaska has become the theme of the trip. Even though it was mid-summer, the changes were unpredictable. While south of Portage, at Homerewe hoped to take a plane over Harding Icefield and Kenai Fjords... In the end, we caught the moment to get up, on a rainy, cloudy morning, when the sun softly broke through the clouds.

Knik Glacier, Alaska

Knik Glacier, Alaska

Knik Glacier, Alaska

If you want to find hidden gems in the Alaskan landscape, you'd better find someone who knows Alaska. In Homer hidden behind the Fjords, it is better to travel by yacht, or by local boats.  We spent a day on the boat there, exploring the coastline as well, looking for the perfect camping spot. Ultimately, we found an island hidden near a nearby peninsula, an island that we had no chance to find without a boat, and without the help of someone who grew up in these waters and who calls these waters home!

Alex Strohl

Tutka Bay, Alaska

Alaska's icy odyssey through the eyes of travelers

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09.03.2018