Meares Glacier, Prince William Sound Did you know Meares Glacier is one of the few glaciers in Alaska that is advancing? Before we travelled north I had the impression all glaciers were retreating and/or thinning so I was surprised to learn that some were currently advancing and/or thickening.
Tidewater glaciers are very dynamic and the advance and retreat cycle seems to be unique for each glacier. For example, Harvard, Yale, and Meares Glaciers are three adjacent tidewater glaciers that we visited. They are all in close proximity to each other. Harvard is located to the west, Yale is in the middle and Meares is to the east. Since the early 20th century, Harvard Glacier has advanced nearly 2 km, Yale has retreated more than 6 km, and Meares has advanced 1 km. I have not been able to find an easy explanation for why this is, so should a glacier expert by chance happen to read this I would be interested to learn more!
The only way to get to Meares Glacier in the end of Unakwik Inlet is with boat, good luck for us were were on a small ship cruise. The glacier was quite active this day and there was lots of rumbling ending in larger pieces crashing off.
This piece crashing into the fjord is huge!
Wouldn’t it be nice to spend the day floating on an iceberg?
Getting close (‘telephoto lens close’) to harbour seals
It was first when we got close to the glacier from land I realised the size of it. This thing is like The Wall (for those of you loyal Game of Thrones followers).
But I am getting carried away, this post was supposed to be about the salmon berries growing next to the glacier. To get to the berries we first had to climb, crawl and slide through a treacherous section of the old Chugach National Forest. This is where I first heard the word bushwhacking being used. Part of the ‘trail’ was covered with old forest that had been crushed by the advancing glacier and was now overgrown with moss. And it was during this hike we came across bushes and bushes with salmon berries. It was my first meeting with the berries I had heard about for several days. Score! And to my pleasure the berries didn’t taste anything like salmon.
Trying to get through old forest crushed by Meares Glacier as it had been advancing
My first salmon berry!
Thanks for stopping by! Your comments are much appreciated, I would love to hear what you think. Any theories on why Meares Glacier is advancing?
Wow looks like such an adventurous trip 🙂 Berry looks yummy.
Thanks Nikita! It was quite special, something you don’t get to see every day for sure. And very funny to find berries I didn’t even know existed! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment:)
She is beautiful this photo, I love this glacier, you’re right
it’s rare to see a glacier advance with global warming …
I wish you a good day.
Thanks Herve´- I agree the glacier is beautiful. I love the blue colour of it and all the cracks and shapes! I was also surprised to learn about the advancing glacier in these global warming times. Thanks for stopping by!
Gorgeous photos as always.
Thanks for you nice comment! Much appreciated:)
Not only the photos, but your adventure is terrific. Really great time you must be having.
As far as advancing glaciers, suggest you check wikipedia online. You will find what you are looking for. It’s all chinese to me. Good luck and continued fun.
Thank you for the nice comments Alix. We had a great time! It was great experiencing the glacier so close up, and tasting berries I had never hear about. I did some wiki searches for the advancing glacier, but its all french to me;) hehe…
Wow…those salmon berries are shaped like raspberries and blackberries! Do they taste similar’ Inger?
Yes they are, arent’t they? I am not sure what I would compare the taste with. They are not as sweet and juicy as raspberries. They have a bit of tartness to them I guess. The don’t really taste like any other berries I’ve tried:)
About 30 years ago my mom and dad-in-law went on an Alaskan cruise and my dad-in-law came home with stories about the ‘blue’ ice of the glaciers. He was fascinated by it. Your pictures really capture the ‘blue’. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks a lot for sharing that! I would have to agree with them, the different shades of blue in the glacier is stunning! A great experience to see it so close! And another thing that is difficult to capture in the photo is the size. It was so enormous! 🙂
Salmon berries, wild blueberries and strawberries flourish in Alaska…as surprising as a growing glacier!
Hi Ron! Yes, I was very surprised with how lush and green the Chugach National Forest was. I had not expected that for sure. And all the different berries was a nice surprise:) Especially when you get to try something you didn’t even know existed, like the salmon berry. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!
A post about salmon berries just few days after I saw that the bushes in our mountains started to bloom. What a coincidence. Really like the glacier pics. Especially the one where the piece is tearing away is captured very well.
I have to admit I probably have like 50 pictures trying to capture the large pieces falling of. Wasn’t that easy to predict where they would fall of and crash into the fjord. But it was half the fun trying to guess where it would happen:) Glad I got a couple of good ones at least! Thanks for stopping by!
That is absolutely amazing! Thanks very much for taking me along on the trip, I enjoyed the photos and story tremendously.
Thanks a lot for reading and taking the time to leave a comment Phil. We truly enjoyed our days in Prince William Sound, what an amazing location.
My first thought was like your comment…I hope the berries don’t taste like fish.
Whenever I think of glaciers I am reminded that we are very small and powerless compared to one…yet how easily we can destry them.
Hehe…glad the berries didn’t taste like fish. Don’t get me wrong, I love fish, but fish berry? Not so sure:) The glacier do make you feel tiny for sure. The size is difficult to capture in a simple photo. Too bad most of them are melting away as we speak due to global warming. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment Steve!
Don’t the calfing glaciers make a loud noise. It was a moment to remember to hear and see a big chunk of ice fall off. Great photos, we never did try the berries, what did they taste like. Looks like you are having a great time. enjoy the moment. Jim
Yes, the noise is super loud! Much more than I had anticipated. You can here the squeaking and cracking before you suddenly get a loud thunder and a big piece falls off. Very exciting, something to remember for sure. Not sure exactly how to describe the taste of the berries, didn’t taste like any others I have tried. They were a bit tart and no as juicy as I had expected. Some sweet than others. Probably good for making jam. Thanks for stopping by Jim.
Fabulous photos!
Thanks LuAnn, appreciate the nice comment! 🙂
Do you know why they are called ‘salmon’ berries? They appear to be yellowish in colour. Before seeing your photo, I had assumed that they would be pinkish? They look good, anyway! Lovely photos, and although a beautiful shade of blue, that glacier is scary looking!
That is a good question. I would guess it is either 1) because the colour looks a bit similar to the red salmons during spawning (some of the berries are yellow, other have a darker reddish colour) or 2) because the berries looks like salmon roe. Not the best berries I have tasted, but I liked them. A bit tart, not super juicy. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
I guess that wild berries do have a unique flavour. I enjoyed reading your post 🙂
Truly impressive photos, Inger. Perfect timing on the breaking glacier, too. 🙂
Thanks Frank! I’ll be the first to admit I had to try more then once to catch the glacier calving:) Not that easy to predict where the next piece will come off – and when the face of the glacier is 1 km it could happen anywhere! 🙂
Oh my goodness these are astounding photos. I had no idea about the glacier advancing. Great to hear. Lovely photo of you with the prized berry. 🙂
Thanks Sue, appreciate the nice comment! I was also surprised to learn the glacier was advancing. Some good news in these global warming days I guess? 🙂 It was a prized berry for sure, I worked hard to get to it! 🙂
Amazing photos! I would love to see the glaciers/icebergs in Alaska some day!
Thanks Amanda! If you get the opportunity I would recommend it. There is something special about tidewater glaciers where you have the calving directly into the fjord. And it is very difficult to truly capture the size and powers of such a glacier in a simple photo. You almost have to experience it for yourself:) Thanks for stopping by!
Very cool area. It must have been really fun to stroll around this glacier. The salmon berries look alike cloud berries which I know from Sweden and Norway. Maybe they have only a different name there. 😉 Have a happy day!
It was a very cool area for sure! Not that many places lush forest meets glaciers like in Prince William Sound. The salmon berry is significantly larger then the could berry. It is also less sweet and less juicy. But probably a bit more durable than the could berry. The cloud berry is very sensitive, you cannot even wash them as it would destroy the berry. You could easily rinse the salmon berry without destroying it. Off the two the could berry is my definite favourite I have to admit. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave comment! 🙂
How interesting. Thank you for explaining the difference between the two berry species. 🙂
The blue colour is fascinating !
Thanks, it truly is. And it was even more fascinating seeing it yourself. Only so much you can capture in a photo:)
I can imagine, it’s difficult to get the real colour on your pictures or even on your computer. Now, we are completely sure now to go there, after seeing all your lovely pictures displayed on your blog 😀
You will not regret! It is our favourite journey so far:)
Great post! Loved the glacier photos—I was so disappointed we weren’t able to visit College Fjord when we were in PWS. Too much rain, fog, and high winds for our little boat to make it up there safely. Too bad! So fun to see virtually 🙂
Thanks for the nice comment! So sad to hear you didn’t get to sail in College Fjord. The day we sailed in we came in during the morning. Started with fog that soon lifted and we had clear blue skies and sunshine all day. No wind at all, so we had beautiful reflections in the water. I guess weather can be a bit unpredictable as far north. You never now what you are going to get! Hope you get the chance later on.
We’ll just have to go back! We loved Columbia Glacier and I was super disappointed the weather didn’t cooperate for us in the western part of the Sound. It is super changeable, for sure!
As we were there during September there was sections of Prince William Sound we didn’t get so see either due to waves and wind, so maybe we’ll have to go back as well:)
Wow, absolutely beautiful photos! Such a breathtaking landscape. I must say, I’m a bit disappointed with the way the berries look. I was expecting a salmon color-fish shaped berry haha 🙂
Haha..salmon shaped berries, that would be something to write home about! Thanks for you generous comments on the photos. Much appreciated:)
That first photo is amazing. I can almost hear it.
Thanks Lyle, appreciate the nice comment in the glacier photo. The sound when it calves is pretty amazing!
Great trip and great photos Inger 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and for leaving such a nice comment! It was a great trip, we loved our time in Prince William Sound! 🙂
Wow! What a gorgeous collection of photos! I have absolutely no idea why the glacier is advancing, but would love to know why! Love the colors of the glacier [especially because it looks like a shade of light blue.]
Thanks for the generous comment Constance! I would also love to know why some are advancing in these global warming days. Tried some wiki searches but it is all french to me:) The different shades of blue colour in the glacier is stunning, they we so beautiful!
Spending a day relaxing on an iceberg (like the seals) would be great, haha! 🙂 You make Alaska look so amazing! The glacier looks a lot like the one we recently visited. Sometimes nature like this makes me feel so tiny….
Well, Alaska was amazing so don’t really have to work to had to make it sound great;) Standing next to one of these enormous glaciers and seeing the power when the large pieces fall off definitely makes anyone feel small! What a wonderful experience. Which glacier did you recently visit?
Perito Moreno in Argentina, we also saw huge chunks of ice slowly breaking off and finally falling into the water. The glacier pics on my blog are pretty similar to yours 🙂 But otherwise the scenery looks quite different. Isn’t it great to get to see such things? 🙂 Imagine just sitting in an office back home instead!
Yes – I feel very privileged to have had this experience:) I had to look up Perito Moreno and it looks beautiful! Seems it is also one of few growing glaciers, at least according to wiki.
Great photos! I loved the glaciers in Alaska- either by boat or walking up to them. How did the salmonberries taste? I didn’t see any, let alone try them while I was there!
Thanks for the nice comment Sarah! The glacier where stunning no matter how you approached them for sure. The salmon berries were a bit tart, not super juicy. We didn’t see them often, just a couple of times as I can remember. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment!
What a great series of photos – I can imagine the special smell of that old, damp forest. Is an advancing glacier the same as a growing one?
Thanks for the nice comment on the photos! The smell of the forest was great. Combination between the moist moss and wet ground, but also very fresh air! Nothing like it in the city:) I used the term advancing as the face of the glacier is moving forward. I believe a glacier can be growing without the face advancing, i.e. it gets thicker.
Delightful post, Inger. Your glacier photos are fantastic and your hike looks challenging–thanks for sharing this great adventure. 🙂
Thanks for the generous comment on the photos Jet! The hike was not very long, but it was somewhat challenging to get through the dense forest with the large crushed logs covering the ground. Fortunately we were wearing rain gear as there was some climbing and sliding on wet moss involved:)
I saw these images from your instagram and amazed by th beauty. Reading your story makes me even more impressed..
Thanks for the nice comment Indah, much appreciated! Glad you found me on Instagram btw:)
What an incredible experience. The Meares Glacier has been on my list for a while (really have been bouncing around the idea with my family forever about touring and experiencing Prince William Sound). Brilliant photos, bringing the solace (and excitement) of nature to us all.
Thanks Randall. There are so many glaciers to chose between in Alaska, but I have to admit I do love the tidewater glaciers. It is something special about these enormous glacier meeting the fjord. And especially seeing the huge icebergs calving off the glaciers into the water. Makes you feel very tiny! You will not regret touring Prince William Sound. I would recommend going with a small boat company to avoid the crowds and have the opportunity to spend the night with no other boats close by in the hidden coves of the sound.
That is what would be the best ~ experiencing a piece of a glacier calving off into the water. Very cool.
It is very cool, also literally because you can feel the cold draft when you get close to the glacier. Temperature drops significantly! 🙂
wonderful photos – skipped on over from Ingrid’s place. Glad I did. Enjoy the berries and the salmon. Have a wonderful week.
I am happy you came across our blog, glad to have you here:) I’ll be sure to stop by yours as well. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment Clay. Have a nice day!
Wow, firstly your pictures are amazing!
Secondly, I had no idea that salmon berries exicited.
I really enjoyed this post, and look forward to see more 🙂
Thanks for you nice comment on the photos, it is a hobby I greatly appreciate:) And I will be the first to admit I had never hear about the salmon berries either before going to Alaska. A pleasant surprise. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment!
I am GOT fan too. I would love to see such a high ice wall. Beautiful photos in such an amazing place. Those harbor seals look cuddly, but I bet they get mean.
Thanks Donna! The face of the glacier was quite impressive, you feel tiny next to it. The harbour seals were so cute. Not sure if they get mean if you get close. At least they looked much calmer then the sea lions – they looked mean for sure! The harbour seals were more curious I think. When we were out kayaking they would follow us as pop up from the water looking at us from a safe distance:)
I have noticed your comments on some other blogs I followed, and always meant to check out your blog. And WOW is what I’m saying. Your photos are simply spectacular. Love the blue glacier shot. Soon, I’ll take some time to peruse your whole site. Your theme is great also, I like the cubic-ness of it, the easy separation of posts.
Thanks for your generous comments on the photos and our blog. Happy you stopped by and left a comment so we can check out you blog as well! Glad you like the theme, I just changed it because I really liked the way the pictures were presented:)
Hi Inger,
What an impressive photos! This must have been quite a special trip! And go to know there are still glaciers that are advancing 🙂
But why are the berries called salmon berries? Because they grow next to rivers where salmon live?
Cheers,
Tieme
Thanks for you generous comment on the photos Tieme. Much appreciated:) Prince William Sound was beautiful packed with spectacular photo opportunities.
I don’t know why they are called salon berries but my leading theories are 1) because the colour looks a bit similar to the red salmons during spawning (some of the berries are yellow, other have a darker reddish colour) or 2) because the berries looks like salmon roe.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!
You’re welcome 🙂
Haha, your theories of the naming of these berries seem logical.
But yeah, seems like a great surrounding. I should visit the mountains some day!
Cheers!
Tieme
Nice post and beautiful photos of the glaciers.Never seen before zalm berries.
Thanks! I had never heard about the salmon berries either before we went to Alaska. It was a nice surprise for us. Thanks for reading!
Beautiful pictures! Especially love the seals. We know very well what salmon berries are – my husband Richard is from Alaska and we have been there many times. We’ll also take a pass on the crow berries (not the same as blueberries!). Another interesting one was watermelon berries.
Thanks for you generous comment on the photos Pam. What would you do with the salmon berries? Are they good for jam? I am familiar with the crow berries as we have a lot of these at home. Some like to make juice from them. I don’t think I saw watermelon berries, or at least I didn’t notice. How do they look like?
Skip the salmon berries – not that good. People we knew combined the crowberries with blueberries half and half to make pies and jams. The watermelon berries kind of tasted like cucumber – fun to try but not go out of your way to use a bunch of them.
I’ve never heard of salmon berries, but I learned the word bushwhacker from old cowboy movies I watched as a kid.
First time I had ever heard about salmon berries as well. I must not have seen that many cowboy moves as a kid since I hadn’t learnt bushwhacker;) Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment Steve!
Here’s an instance of the word (with a picture below) from 1862:
http://tinyurl.com/o9fvzam
So that’s what a Bushwhacker looks like:) Thanks for sharing the link!