Last day in Seward--July 15

Today was rainy this morning and then just overcast and grey most of the day. I got up early and came down to the laundry and washed our clothes. After getting then all put away and writing some post cards I took off. Bob stayed in all day and slept and did a little on the computer so hopefully he will feel a little better.

I took off for the Exit Glacier which is in the Kenai Fjords National Park. At 2pm they were having a ranger led walk up to the edge of the glacier. I love learning about things and this would be really informative and it was. You are allowed to walk up yourself and even go further and go out on the Harding Icefield and their are trained guides you can hire who will take you up there and attach ropes to you so you can go down in a crevass--that would be so cool. I digress. We left at 2 and then you come down whenever you want so I actually didn't get out of the park till about 4:30.

I am just going to throw out a bunch of information I learned.
They have about 25 earthquakes a day in Alaska--most you don't even feel. I told you about the big one in 1964. One lady and her husband were in their house when the tsunami hit and it just lifted it off its foundation and it floated and when it receeded it was stuck between two trees about 10' off the ground. In regards to the glacier, it received its name because of the natives crossing the Icefield and they couldn't find a way off until they found this glacier and it was their exit off the icefield. 75% of our fresh water comes from glaciers. This one receeds about 10" per day--yes per day and as it does it pushes out all this rock and gravel which becomes moraines (a mound of gravel left behind). As you enter the park you see these signs with number that seem like years and they are beginning with 1815 and that tells you that in that year that is where the glacier was located. It did advance somewhere in the years 1986 to 1994.There are several ways they determine this: they study plant growth and tree rings on the moraines before 1950 and the signs in the park, I mentioned, are based on this method. Now they also use aerial photography and aerial lasers to determine length and volume and it is also loosing volume as well as receeding. They also combine it with GIS which is Geographic Information System which shows changes. On top of the Icefield is an automated weather station which sends back info. and then the rangers dig snow pits to measure the annual snow pack. Last year they said they received a lot of snow and that is why there is still so much on the mountains. They also did a radiocarbon dating on an old log that was exposed by the glacier's retreat and it was 800 yrs. old which is evidence of an ancient forest bulldozed by the glacier. What determines whether it retreats or advances is this. The more precipitation and the lower the temperature means it advances and if there is less precipitation and higher temperatures then it retreats. So there you have it. I about forgot--we had a quick glance at a coyote.

I left and went down town to the post office and the grocery store but before doing that I drove all over town taking pictures of all their murals. Sarah Palin while she was govenor named it the mural capital of Alaska. They are very pretty. Seward is a nice town. Didn't get any time to spend down town but that's ok. You just can't do it all.

Two interesting things. We visited the town of Oliver which is in Canada and two days later they had a mud slide and did some damage. Just found out that there was a land slide on the Taylor Highway out of Chicken just recently and the road will be closed for awhile. Since this is earthquake area I hope that is not on the agenda after we leave here. Tomorrow sees us leaving for Homer which means we have to backtrack a little ways and then get on the Sterling Highway. On the road again.