 |
posted: April 30th, 2022 |
Go To Page:
|
This page covers only one adventure - a trip to the Castner Glacier Ice Cave. The parking area is about 130 miles from Fairbanks, down the Alaska Highway to Delta Junction, then down the Richardson Highway to the parking area, and then about a 1.2 mile hike in to the ice cave. A most amazing adventure, for sure. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
|
| Begin March 31st |
On the final day of March, 2022 we took a drive down the highway to the Castner Glacier Ice Cave parking area. These three shots were taken between Delta Junction and the parking area for Castner Glacier. This is the eastern portion of the Alaska Range.
|
 Mar31_01_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_05_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_06_Castner GlacierTripRC |
Here are two additional shots which were taken while getting to our destination, and then the third shot was taken in the parking area for the hike into Castner Glacier. Notice that we are the second vehicle in the parking area.
|
 March31st_040_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 March31st_073_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 March31st_120_ CastnerGlacierRC |
Now we are hiking up Castner Creek towards the Castner Glacier - such incredible surroundings - WOW!
|
 Mar31_13_14_SIPAutoPano_ CastnerGlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_17_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_21_22_SIPAutoPano_ CastnerGlacierTripRC |
We have a feeling that we're going to see the Castner Glacier Ice Cave entrance as soon as we go around that one little ridge. The second and third photos show that we were correct. The entrance doesn't look so huge while one is standing in front of it and looking at it, but before the end of the page we hope that you'll actually be able to appreciate the scale of everything.
|
 Mar31_28_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_33_34_SIP_ReposPano_ CastnerGlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_31_Castner GlacierTripRC |
The first photo in this row might begin to give you an idea about the size of this cave - if I am six feet tall, then that wall I am studying must be at least 40 feet high. Also, check out the third photo, the ceiling must be at least 30 feet above Kazuya's head.
|
 March31st_144_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 Mar31_37_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 Mar31_49_Castner GlacierTripRC |
The portion of the cave where one can stand fully upright is probably less than 100 yards in length, but we have read that there is a tiny opening back there that one can crawl through and go more distance. We did not search for that tiny opening, so we have no idea as to the truth of that.
|
 March31st_151_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 March31st_153_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 March31st_155_ CastnerGlacierRC |
In the photos just above in the previous row, you can see that there are some ice crystals on the ceiling of the ice cave. The three photos in this row do a short study of the crystals.
|
 March31st_156_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 Mar31_63_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 March31st_157_ CastnerGlacierRC |
The first shot in this row was HDR processed, that is what gave it the strange color and effect, I like it though. The second photo is again looking at the entrance area from outside. The third photo looks towards the entrance from back in the area of the ice crystals on the ceiling.
|
 Mar31_66_SIPSelect_HDR_ CastnerGlacierTripRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4151 _CastnerGlacierRC |
 March31st_161_ CastnerGlacierRC |
The first and third shots in this row give you an idea of the scale of things here. Even when we were walking around here, we were not as aware of the scale of everything as we should have been, we noticed it after we got home and were studying the photographs.
|
 Iphone_March31st_4166 _CastnerGlacierRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4187 _CastnerGlacierRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4190 _CastnerGlacierRC |
The first shot here is another which was taken while looking towards the entrance. The second and third shots attempt to show scale. In the third shot, I was trying to get some photos of the stones and rocks which are frozen inside of the ice. They came out, but to look at them, you would say that they are meaningless, so none of them are included here.
|
 Iphone_March31st_4245 _CastnerGlacierRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4254 _CastnerGlacierRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4261 _CastnerGlacierRC |
Here are the final three shots of the Ice Cave. Just as we were exiting for the final time, the next people showed up. We were so amazingly fortunate that we arrived early enough so that none of our photos include any strangers in them. Keep in mind that a glacier ice cave is the place where the melting ice from the glacier emerges during the warmer part of the year. We want to try and come back here in the summertime and see what it looks like, so watch for some summertime photos someday.
|
 Mar31_iPh_19_ CastnerGlacierTripRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4269 _CastnerGlacierRC |
 Iphone_March31st_4255 _CastnerGlacierRC |
We walked over to the side and ate the lunch which we took with us before we started our hike back to the rig. These three photos were taken as we hiked back towards the highway, and our rig.
|
 Mar31_76_SIP_Castner GlacierTripRC |
 March31st_200_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 March31st_206_ CastnerGlacierRC |
These three images were also taken as we hiked back towards the highway. Note how well packed the trail is - an abundance of folks come here, and it's virtually every day of the week. Note that March 31st, the day we came here, was a Thursday, and when we got back to our rig, there were 11 vehicles in the parking area - and there is no other place to go from the parking area.
|
 March31st_183_ CastnerGlacierRC |
 Mar31_82_83_AutoPano_ CastnerGlacierTripRC |
 March31st_192_ CastnerGlacierRC |
Some small areas of Castner Creek were already melted out and flowing - note how thick the ice is, where you can see it. In the second photo - those are all Ptarmigan tracks.
|
 March31st_234 _SummitLakeRC |
 Mar31_87_Castner GlacierTripRC |
After we finished with the glacier and ice cave, we continued to drive down the Richardson Highway to Summit Lake, and a bit beyond. The first shot here shows Summit Lake. The center shot shows a Snow Bunting, and the third shot also shows Summit Lake on the left side.
|
 March31st_251 _SummitLakeRC |
 March31st_276 _SnowBuntingRC |
 March31st_293 _SummitLakeRC |
The first shot in this row also shows Summit Lake. The second shot is not Summit Lake, just a flat area. The third shot shows that one should be careful while driving. And from that point onward nothing exciting happened. By the time we arrived at home, we'd driven 344 miles on this date. We left the house at about 6:50 this morning and arrived home at about 5:10 this evening.
|
 March31st_294 _SummitLakeRC |
 March31st_297 _SummitLakeRC |
 March31st_311 _SummitLakeRC |
| End March 31st, End Page 1 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this month's adventures. |
Go To Page:
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Link to Amazon.com (new window).
We get 2% of whatever you spend if you go to Amazon from this link!! Please shop on Amazon from here.
| If you would like to donate to our hiking & traveling fund or show your appreciation for our efforts you can donate through PayPal. A single donation will entitle you to request a single full-sized photo IN THE DONATION MONTH - which you may then use as a desktop wallpaper or whatever. The copyright will be retained by us and the photo will be inconspicuously marked with the copyright symbol (©), year and photographer's name. (Donation probably not tax deductible.) |