Today started out pretty slow. We had Pop Tarts for breakfast indicating what was expected to be a day with few plans. David has bought some hip boots for the purpose of fording an Exit Glacier stream to try and actually touch a glacier. The day before, a ranger said that they could not recommend such an attempt as the glacier and snow was melting faster as the weather warmed up. (High 50s during the day, and high 40s at night.) We thought that with hip boots he could make it across, and if so he was going to throw the boots back to me and I would try it too. As it turned out, he got across the first fork, but the next he could almost get across in several places but the fast moving water had carved out a channel in the bed that was just too deep for the boots. Pushing it may have caused the current to take him off his feet or fill the boots. It was good that he is cautious and the one trying this, as had I been the first I would have forced the issue and got wet and very cold, as I have other times in my life. Caution is not a common Heise trait but one David has acquired by listening to stories of near misses.
Two rangers were present in the latter stages of the attempt and one interviewed David as to the possibility of crossing the streams, and when he heard of the attempts and failure, he asked us if we thought it was doable by the general public, and of course we said no. Since others were watching from above, David assumed that others were asking to try. Anyway, he radioed back to strongly advise others not to try it, however they do not have the right to stop anyone. They can stop you from entering areas where they are trying to reintroduce plant growth, or to protect animal life or dens, but not from trying to kill yourself! David was quite satisfied that he had walked a couple of miles trying to make it happen, and with his best shot, was satisfied to leave without touching a glacier.
We started up the highway back to Anchorage, with no other plans other than to spend the night at Elmendorf AFB again on the way back and to begin the journey to Washington and the rest of the trip home, by way of Glacier National Park and a trip into Canada where more great glaciers are. I called base billeting and they informed me that all rooms were booked, so we decided that since we were carrying camping equipment, we would tent camp there as they have a very nice family camp on base, with hookups as we have an electric heater with us.
David fell asleep as we traveled and I saw a sign for Portage Glacier. We had heard that it was only accessible from water. Earlier when we saw it on the way down, David had said that they probably rented kayaks to get to it and it was a bit cold for that. Regardless, we had some time to kill, so I turned off the road toward Portage Glacier. When we got there, David was awake, and the boat to get to the glacier was a large closed in heated boat with the top open for outdoor viewing from above. We bought tickets just as it was preparing to leave. They gave us more information on glaciers, most of which we had already heard, but it was a fun trip and we saw small icebergs out in the water with 10% if it sticking above water, and 90% below and they had an aquarium tank with glacier ice in it to demonstrate the rule. David took a photo of it as my memory card had just maxed out. Today was very drizzly and overcast so we couldn't see the glacier to the top, but got a good look at it near the waters edge. A large chunk of it broke off during an earlier trip out today which produced the bergs. Nearby was another glacier which no longer reached the waters edge, but we took photos of it too. We were also told of a glacier nearby that you could walk out on, however the trail was closed due to avalanche risks near it. Once we got back to land and had bought some post cards, the girl at the counter said that they did not tell her that the other glacier was closed today, so we decided to check it out. The trail had no indication of being closed so we started up it. This walk fulfilled David's day and trip. We got to the glacier and were able to walk out onto it. It was still covered with snow in the area we walked out on, however David walked a long way up it. One could see indications that we were on the glacier, but the snow was several feet deep. This alone would more than make our day, but more was waiting for us at the Emendorf AFB campground.
We arrived at the campground around 6 PM, and checked out the showers then started looking for a suitable site. David said, "there's a moose". I answered OK and kept going, since we had seen moose before. He said he wasn't kidding there were two moose. So I stopped and across the road were a he and she moose, he was young with only the start of antlers. We took photos as I had my other memory card in the camera now, and again started looking at sites for the tent. We passed an RV and there was a black bear. We are on a military installation which is totally fenced in. How did moose get in here, and now a bear? Seems that the base is so big that when they built it, there was no way to remove all the game, so some remained inside the fence and has its own habitat. They are more human friendly than most, however as I took a picture of the bear as it was moving away from us, a military police lady pulled up and was watching the bear move away. She told us that a child in the housing area had been bitten by a bear and they were watching them. That totally ended the tent camping for David, which ended it for me to. I suggested that he could sleep in the shower stall, but no way were we staying on the base with the friendly animals... Therefore we are eating a pizza in a motel about 30 miles from the base, in a safe upstairs room. Caution in deep streams is a good thing but fearing a nice cute bear is another. I got a photo of it, the huge moose was OK, but not a little bear. Tomorrow we journey back to Tok, then the next day through Canada on to Haines again. Reporting that may be sporadic, but today was a good day in every way, except for staying in a motel tonight. We hiked several miles today and a good bear free night may be in order...
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