Up close and personal with Knik Glacier

Enormous, powerful, blue, cold, beautiful, amazing and downright awesome -- those are but a few words that describe Knik Glacier. Knik Glacier? Never heard of it? Do you know where it is located? Have you ever seen it?

If you're like most people I've spoken with, you probably have never seen this glacier. Why? The glacier, although relatively close to Palmer, is not accessible by road. You can only get there by air boat or by plane, and for this reason, you won't find crowds or much infrastructure there. Just the glacier and its icebergs in the raw, natural beauty true to Alaska's image.

The day I took one of these tours was just perfect. The sun was shining and it was close to 70 degrees. Tom Faussett, owner of Hunter Creek Outfitters, was my guide for the day. Our group of six had never been in an airboat and didn't know what to expect. Before we embarked on the 30-minute ride to the glacier face, Tom explained the route we would be taking, the history of the area and information about the glacier.

Knik Glacier, nestled within the Chugach Mountain Range, was formed 600,000 years ago. It is more than 20 miles long, six miles wide and thousands of feet deep. For thousands of years, Knik Glacier was responsible for major hydrologic phenomenon known as "The Breakout."

Every year until 1966, the glacier would push its face up against the side of Mount Palmer, just east of Pioneer Peak, creating an ice dam sometimes miles long. With the coming of spring, melt water from the glacier and streams would pour into Lake George, filling it up to 160 feet above its normal level. The breakout would begin in June when water would begin to work its way down the gorge, eventually breaking through the ice dams.

Water would undercut the ice face, causing overhanging sections of ice, some as long as a city block and tall as a 15-story building, to fall with thunderous crashes into the gorge below. This would occur for approximately two weeks, flooding the Knik Valley and eventually draining Lake George.

As we cruised effortlessly through the changing river channels, Faussett informed us the glacier has been a backdrop for several commercials, the latest being a Mountain Dew commercial, and featured in the movie Star Trek VI. Approximately, 10 minutes into the trip we could see the massive glacier, a frozen river in time.

Along the way we kept a sharp eye out for bears, moose and eagles. As we neared the glacier, icebergs ranging in size from Volkswagen Bugs to semi-tractor trailers came into view. Slowing down, Faussett informed us the icebergs have blocked passage into the Knik Lake, but we didn't mind. Most of us had already finished a roll of film by that time and couldn't wait to do some exploring on land.

We docked, disembarked and followed a trail to the top of the glacier's terminal moraine. Nestled below and hidden from the river's edge was glacier camp, a place with chairs, tents for guests to overnight, and supplies for hot chocolate and coffee. We unloaded the boat and spent two hours relaxing, hiking and sharing the excitement of our glacier experience with each other.

The highlight of the trip was a ride in a sit-on-top kayak among the towering icebergs. Faussett gave us instructions to stay a good distance away from the icebergs, just in case one decided to calve. We glided along the water and sat quietly as ice chunks cracked and creaked around us.

There are three airboat companies located in the Valley that offer daily trips to the glacier -- Hunter Creek Outfitters, Knik Glacier Adventures and Mountain View Knik Glacier Boat Tours located off Knik River Road. Each of these companies can accommodate up to eight passengers in their enclosed airboat and offer tours suitable for people of all ages.

For more information about tours to Knik Glacier, contact the Mat-Su Visitors Center at 746-5000 or visit www.alaskavist.com.