By Marc Donadieu
Glacier City Gazette
The Chugach Range and Prince William Sound offer stunning perspectives of the surrounding land and sea. Vast, jagged ice clings to steeply sided mountains while tidewater glaciers calve with a roar and a booming splash into waters of the sound. The rugged Alaska wilderness is on full display from the seat of a helicopter, offering unique, unforgettable views during a 1½-hour tour by Alpine Air in Girdwood.
The Prince William Sound Tour has two parts. The first is a 20-minute helicopter flight to landing spot on Colony Glacier, which is Alpine Air’s Glacier Landing Tour. The PWS Tour adds on additional time to view the spectacular scenery of Harriman Fjord and Surprise Glacier before flying over the snowy peaks back to Girdwood. The combination of the two parts makes for a fascinating contrast of natural elements, leaving one feeling awe.
The scenic beauty begins upon liftoff from the Girdwood Airport. While the view from the valley floor is closed in by tall, glaciated mountains jutting into the air, the quick elevation gain yields expansive views of the area. One can see the Kenai Mountains across the silty stretch of Turnagain Arm before the helicopter heads up to 3,100-foot White Pass. The close up perspective of peaks reveals a variety of texture and detail that cannot be seen at a distance.
While on the approach to White Pass, pilot Kevin Brashar informed us we were cruising at an altitude of 1,700 feet, about 600 feet above the mountains. Brashar skillfully narrated the flight, pointing out various features along the way such as bear tracks in the snow. He also recognized the virtue of periodic silence, letting the scenery speak for itself.
The mid-May day was perfectly clear and sunny, which made photography too easy. Glaciers were just starting to emerge from the winter build-up of snow, showing their light blue ice. Lake George Glacier was an exception since it was dusty grey from the wind blowing fine particles around.
When on Alpine Air’s tours, there is always a strong chance of seeing wildlife. Near Whiteout Glacier there were four mountain goats resting on a steep cliff and taking in the sunshine. A short time later, Brashar spotted a grazing moose, so he circled back for a better view.
Then we landed on Colony Glacier, which was a highlight of the trip. Brashar touched down the vivid red Robinson 44 helicopter near a deep azure glacial pool. The 360-degree view was breathtaking. There were so many features to see such as small, clear glacial streams gliding over a bed of light blue ice or pools of accumulated water accentuating varied shades of blue. We had 20 minutes to explore the area as we walked on the crunchy, corroded ice on the glacier’s surface. Every few feet offered fascinating views in the foreground and in the background.
After boarding the helicopter again, Brashar flew us up Colony Glacier, which had engaging textural features in its decaying ice. Then we were over to Harriman Fjord and Prince William Sound where completely different sights were experienced by shifting from a mountainous to a maritime setting.
Alpine Air’s Prince William Sound Tour lands on Colony Glacier for a short visit.
Eroding crevasses are evident when flying over Colony Glacier.
The tour goes past a number of glaciers in Harriman Fjord.
Calved ice washes up on silty mud flats in Harriman Fjord.
We began with close views of Cascade, Berry and Cox Glaciers. There was so much to see in a short amount of time. The greenish blue seawater was highly reflective and speckled with countless pieces of bobbing ice. On some of the larger ice chunks, there were seals resting between meals. It was an Alaskan picture of beauty and tranquility.
Surprise Glacier was the next destination. As we were approaching the glacier, we were rewarded with medium sized calving of ice sliding down a blue and white face and crashing into the sea below, churning the otherwise calm water. It happened right in front of us at close range. Then we flew up and over Surprise Glacier, which is a visually impressive specimen.
On the return, we went past 20 Mile Lake and flew by Punchbowl Glacier, where Alpine Air was setting up its Glacier Dog Sledding Tour for the summer. Then we cruised back to the landing area. My eyes were fatigued and my shutter finger was about to cramp. Make sure your memory card is empty and your battery is full because you’ll come away with some incredible photos.
For information about tours, call (907) 783-2360 or go to www.alpineairalaska.com.