It is hard to believe that such places exist on Earth. Pushing our way out of the drainage to stay dry, we followed a gentle moraine to the top of the northern terminus of the Castner. Summer Ice Climbing. A nice camp overlooks the West Ridge from at about 6000ft. You will be shuttled about 2 hours south from Eielson to Castner Creek where we will then hike the relatively easy 1 mile hike along Castner Creek. The hike followed a jeep trail left over from mining operations. Castner Glacier from Mapcarta, the free map. 12 miles long. and than canoed back to the pier. It remains the most accessible glacier hike left in the state and there’s no fee for entry. I love starting at Savage River then hiking into the high tundra then coming back down into a forest. The diversity of this hike is enough to make me want to come back and do this hike often. If you want to experience a fun glacier hike, the Gulkana Glacier trail near Paxson, Alaska, will take you across a cool suspension bridge. This is a list of glaciers existing in the United States, currently or in recent centuries.These glaciers are located in nine states, all in the Rocky Mountains or farther west. I was going to take them to the Gulkana glacier, since I am familiar with that one, but decided to try to get to the ice cave at the Castner glacier, mentioned to me by Dea, since it was on the way south.She skiied it with a few others about a month ago. I haven't done the glacier hike from Girdwood, but I think that involves a helicopter ride. Jeremiah Harrington walks up the Castner Glacier during a camping trip during the Labor Day holiday. The hike to the glacier’s face follows Castner Creek; the creek is fast-flowing, brown, and fed by the melting glacier. Once we reached the top, the clouds opened to reveal a breathtaking view of a ridge and the valley. Travel upon the glacier is not recommended. Details. This is actually from November 2019, Thanksgiving weekend. That’s where the “type II” fun started. What a change in 4 months! We were in the midst of a warm spell so I decided to go visit an easily accessible ice cave in the Alaska Range with my son. Access to the northern aspects of the White Princess is somewhat difficult due to a broken-up section of the Castner Glacier just above the junction with the M'Ladies branch. Met a guy that wanted to climb the White Princess up the Castner Glacier. What a change in 4 months! The hike to the glacier’s face follows Castner Creek; the creek is fast-flowing, brown, and fed by the melting glacier. This glacier hike takes you across one of the longest suspension bridges in Alaska. High today: 63 Low today: 35 My goal of this day was to get Aviva and Jud to a glacier, special request by Jud. Follow the obvious West Ridge for about 4000ft to the summit. The summer of 2017 started with yet another long drive from Utah to Alaska. My trip to the Castner Glacier was unexpected and short, but provided an interesting perspective on something I had yet to witness in person. Backcountry Basecamps Stay out in remote isolated Alaskan wilderness, without intense hiking required. Nearing the glacier, we saw some overflow on the surface. Most of the tongue of the Castner is debris-covered, very bumpy, and partially vegetated. You will like it. The Richardson Highway was clear, we had no travel problems, and parking was also clear. Click here for more glacier photos. Be careful when going near the ice caves! A 1/2 mile hike leads you to the Castner Glacier. Tired and sore, I look forward to dinner and my sleeping bag. The road ends after 1/2 mile, turning into an unimproved foot path heading up the side of Castner Creek. From the north, go over the gentle Isabel Pass and pass the Richardson Monument, then turn left on the gravel road at mile post 197.5. Take the Richardson Highway to milepost 217 where you will find the main trailhead to the glacier and its ice caves. Castner Glacier . In 1952 the snout of the glacier was quit close to the road. Matanuska Glacier is really nice, but you don't gain much if any elevation, so the views are not as spectacular. Join Eielson Outdoor Recreation for a hike of the Castner Glacier Trail which leads to the Castner Ice Cave. The hike to the Castner Glacier is roughly 2.2 miles round trip and includes stunning mountain views. A sort of ‘side canyon’ formed along the South end of the Castner Glacier where the ice has melted faster than what was covered in moraine on the main flow of the glacier. Buy. Castner Glacier is a glacier in Alaska and has an elevation of 3287 feet. To approach the base, hike up the rock covered glacier for several miles until you're on bare ice at around 4000 to 4500 feet. Some parties might want deadmen/snow pickets for pro, but not all groups use these. Castner Glacier 04/14/14. NW of Paxson, Alaska Range. Hike up the rock-covered Castner Glacier until the south, M'Ladies Branch veers off. On my return I stop for short rests frequently. One of the most popular Alaska destinations for exploring glacier ice caves, though, is the Mendenhall Glacier, a massive body of ice located about 10 miles from downtown Juneau. Now it's just a giant arch. For our full interactive trail guide using Google Earth, please download by clicking here. Castner Glacier 04/14/14. There is a good chance that if you’ve done any research about Glaciers hikes in Alaska you’ve heard about the Castner. If you are looking for a 2-3 hour good hike then look no further than here! Hike the Alaska Range in all its glory—but without Denali National Park’s crowds and heavily regulated backcountry—in the Delta Mountains, a hundred miles east of the park’s main entrance. It is also cheaper, shorter and less strenuous than the Exit Glacier hike. An unknown peak near Castner Glacier, Alaska [4368x1872] [OC] ... We decided to go for a hike in the late afternoon despite the bad weather. We had a beautiful hike in, then it started raining. Cold Morning. One highlight has been getting stuck in “quickmud” near Child’s Glacier and Jackie getting stuck another time (and Jon video taping it). About heads on White Princess, trends NW and SW to its 1934 terminus at head of Castner Creek, 27 mi. This trail is not maintained and not marked. But as I hike the last part of the ridge I keep scanning the north wall of the Castner Glacier valley. This finally convinced me that the entire section I had been walking on was a part of the active glacier. Passo Rolle, Dolomites, Italy. The large ice chunks in front of the ice cave have completely melted in the 08/24 photo. Town to Glacier Traverse. The large ice chunks in front of the ice cave have completely melted in the 08/24 photo. All the pics were taken with my phone so I'll apologize now for any pixelated images. The Gulkana Glacier Trail is a great afternoon hike–about X MILES long—complete with two swinging drawbridges to cross before you reach the glacier. This is one of my favorite hikes in Denali National Park. “ Connor also took us on a short educational hike in the rainforest, we had a delicious homemade snack (salmon spread & jam were the highlights!) Valdez Glacier and Icebergs The get up close blue ice experience. [1080x1350] [OC] This trail is found along the Richardson Highway and can be combined with the Castner Glacier hike on the same day. If you don’t have Google Earth, use the map below to view trail descriptions. When we woke up there was a dusting of snow on the tent and the air was crisp. Protection Rope up for the glacier. The closest major city to the glacier is Fairbanks, roughly 2.5 hours away. Supraglacial stream on the Canwell Glacier. Castner Glacier ice caves January 25, 2020 by Paxson Woelber « Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Castner Glacier Ice Caves Three Jan-Feb 2020 trips to the Castner Glacier ice caves January 25, January 30, and February 4, 2020 The word “otherworldly” gets used a lot when describing outdoor places, and it’s … Here you can find tons of crystal clear ice, artistic shapes made by nature through millions of years, and soft sunbeams that barely pierce frozen walls… Looking at this miracle, only one thing may come to mind: it truly is a palace for a Snow Q Amazing views of the mountains all around were punctuated with glimpses of the broad and broken expanse of the Lower Canwell Glacier just below us. After about three miles, we rounded the shoulder of Canwell Point for better views of the clean glacier ice higher up the valley. Trail or route conditions, wildlife sightings and highlights: We had a great hike to Castner Glacier. I had mountaineering experience in Washington State, and we met a third guy and set out for the climb. Worthington Trek, Valdez Tour Beyond the Trail. Castner Glacier a glacier in Alaska. Remnants of an ice cave on the Castner Glacier. I finally finish the hike more than 13 hours after I had started. This unimproved road is located at mile 217.3 on the north side of Castner Creek. In 1952 when I was 18, I got a summer job with USSR&M in the gold fields north of Fairbanks. Getting There. Valdez Winter Ice Climbing. The southernmost named glacier among them is the Lilliput Glacier in Tulare County, east of the Central Valley of California. View on Map Coordinates Latitude: 63.184179 Longitude: -145.541555. Worthington Glacier. Richardson Highway, southeast of Fairbanks Years ago many a mountaineering adventure used this access route to enter the mountains, but the popularity of recreational snowmachining has driven mountaineers to quieter areas.