Grewingk Glacier Lake

July 21

We spent much of today on a 7-mile hike to and from the Grewingk Glacier Lake. We took a 20-minute “water taxi” ride to a broad pebble beach. After 1/2 a mile along the beach, we headed inland through a mature temperate rain forest, complete with mosses, ferns, cottonwoods, alders, and Sitka spruce. Later in the hike, as we got closer to the glacier, we crossed through a much newer area, created by a combination of glacier recession and the big tsunami and landslide of 1967.  We ate lunch along the shores of the glacial lake. In 1967, the glacier itself filled the whole space of the current lake.  

We saw some new species of birds on the hike, and more upon our return to the lodge. We also got to experience the dramatic tides in this area; the tides can change by up to 25 feet— the difference in the shoreline from the time we left this morning to our return in the afternoon was impressive! Yesterday Kevin walked along the shoreline, but today the water came at least 35 feet closer than that. 

Pictured: Harlequin ducks, Glewingk Glacier and its lake, American three-toed woodpecker