# Glaciers !!



## Alaska Boss

Glaciers are everywhere in this part of Alaska, & have a definte effect on the winds & weather in their surrounding areas,... so for those of you who don't have them in your backyards... this is what they look like...

This is a small glacier just south of where I live,... about 30 or 40 years ago, it almost came right to the edge of the road... :waving:


----------



## Alaska Boss

*Ice bergs*

Glaciers that terminate on the ocean are called "tide-water" glaciers, & the chunks that break off are called ice bergs,... this one I passed by while running my charter boat a few years ago,.. it had a hole in it shaped kinda like a heart.... xysport (scanned photo, so it's kinda small)


----------



## Alaska Boss

Here's a bigger glacier that ends against a big river south of where I live....


----------



## Alaska Boss

Glaciers that end at a water source almost always have sharp, steep faces,.. & when pieces & chunks break off,... it's called "calving",...


----------



## Alaska Boss

Sometimes the faces of these glaciers can be several hundred feet high....


----------



## Alaska Boss

But the best time to get really close to glaciers & see just how much ice they are made of, is late winter, when one can get to places on snowmachines that are inaccessible at any other time of year,...


----------



## Alaska Boss

*inaccessible*

But one must be very careful too... glaciers usually are full of huge cracks & gullies called "cravasses", and some of these can be "bridged" over with a snow drift, that makes it look solid until you get on it, then it collapses & down you go never to be seen again... here I'm standing next to an ice gorge, but at least i have solid ground under my feet. xysport


----------



## Alaska Boss

*inaccessible*

Climbing on a chunk of ice bigger than a house,....


----------



## Alaska Boss

*inaccessible*

How long do you think it will take for this chunk of ice to melt??


----------



## Alaska Boss

Sometimes you can find the weirdest things in ice. Here I found a round hole that was "bored" right thru a solid chunk of ice. This piece used to be turned upright when it was still attached to the glacier, & it must have had a small crack that water could run thru while it melted, & eventually drilled out this tunnel, then the whole chunk broke off, & fell sideways, & this is how I found it,...


----------



## Alaska Boss

Alaska Boss said:


> Sometimes you can find the weirdest things in ice. Here I found a round hole that was "bored" right thru a solid chunk of ice. This piece used to be turned upright when it was still attached to the glacier, & it must have had a small crack that water could run thru while it melted, & eventually drilled out this tunnel, then the whole chunk broke off, & fell sideways, & this is how I found it,...


ooops.. forgot the photo...


----------



## Alaska Boss

Anyone see a Great White Shark here frozen in the ice??


----------



## Alaska Boss

Some of the huge chunks of ice that get shoved around at the end of a glacier can be quite spectacular !!


----------



## Alaska Boss

Arch-ways sometimes form when 2 chunks get shoved together or it thaws under the middle,....


----------



## Alaska Boss

Glaciers cover hundreds of square miles thru-out Alaska & Canada...


----------



## Alaska Boss

These "ice mountains" make for some truely spectacular scenery during the winter.... :waving: :waving: :waving:


----------



## raptorman03

Killer pics. I would love to see that stuff some day!!!prsport


----------



## vanwhyjr

Dude,

I hope you have a large guest room!! I'm on my way up.prsport 
Those are some awesome frakin' views!!


----------



## VAhighwayman

Awesome!! Can you just imagine if the ice was able to talk..the stories that will come outta there...


----------



## Vaughn Schultz

You have the best pictures


----------



## CamLand

Some sweet pictures...


----------



## PremierLand

Dude thats awesome! Can I come to Alaska!?! 

Alaska is now on my list to places I want to someday visit, and go fishin!


----------



## All_Clear

I agree, i never had a desire to visit but after seeing these and your other pictures, i'd like to see all that in person before i die. Awesome!!!


All_Clear


----------



## bluenite608

Those pics are AWESOME!!! I have wanted to visit Alaska and i really want too after seeing those pics. I have been wanting to snowmobile in alaska forever. Pictures like that make me want to leave work NOW and head straight there. MORE PICS,.........PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## T-MAN

Very cool pics, someday I will make it there. Need to do a lil huntin and fishin there.
Todd


----------



## mcwlandscaping

AWSOME pics, and very good explanations of each, i wanna come see that!!


----------



## Plowfast9957

If we get more snow here i will be able to afford to go there haha someday i would like to make the trip


----------



## Alaska Boss

*Ice bergs*

This is one of an ice berg I went by one day as we were coming back from a fishing trip,... only about 1/9 of the ice berg sticks out of the water.. 8 times more ice underwater,.. this is an older photo I scanned & had to reduce to this size to make it fit,.. so I'll just have to take more later with the digital,... :waving:


----------



## Alaska Boss

*Ice bergs*

oooops,.. found this one too from last summer, taken with the digital on another trip with a different group,.... :waving:


----------



## DJC

Great pic's. THANKS!!


----------



## dunedog

Nice shots Boss,thoroughly enjoyed them....thanks for taking the time to post.


----------



## Glockshot73!

The blue in the ice looks sweet


----------



## racetra

VAhighwayman said:


> Awesome!! Can you just imagine if the ice was able to talk..the stories that will come outta there...


It would be something like this
Well, I use to be water, but now I'm like...ICE!! Haha!


----------



## mcwlandscaping

that shark frozen in there is amazing!


----------



## Luppy

*awesome*

THese are some of the best pics
I've seen on this forum. Thanks
so much for sharing the pics
and the stories.


----------



## Andy N.

Iceberg!! Dead Ahead!!!!


----------



## Alaska Tim

*Nice AK brother !!!*

Those are awesome pictures. Where do you live ???
I'm on the peninsula.


----------



## Alaska Boss

Alaska Tim said:


> Those are awesome pictures. Where do you live ???
> I'm on the peninsula.


I live in the lower Copper River Basin,.. between Glennallen & Valdez,.. :waving:


----------



## paponte

Awesome pics! That is truly God's country.


----------



## Dartsport

Nice Pictures!!!!


----------



## ThisIsMe

Alaska Boss said:


> Anyone see a Great White Shark here frozen in the ice??


Pretty sure that is a Tiger Shark and not a Great White there pal. Nice try though.

LOL,
Chris

PS Great pics. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## turfs up

Hey Boss,
Awsome Pics! So, what do you do; run a fishing boat in the summer and plow for the county in the winter? How long have you lived in Alaska?


----------



## Alaska Boss

turfs up said:


> Hey Boss,
> Awsome Pics! So, what do you do; run a fishing boat in the summer and plow for the county in the winter? How long have you lived in Alaska?


Yep,... run a halibut charter boat in the Gulf of Alaska during the summer, plow snow & trap in the winter. I just have my own snow plowing business, (no counties in Alaska) but seems like I do well over half of my community by myself, so when we get dumped on, I'm going pretty much non-stop for a week or more sometimes,... people here are used to being holed up for a couple days if things get bad. And sometimes I have to plow at -50° or more... like in this picture,... if it clears up right after a snowstorm,... which is a lot tougher on equipment,.. & me,... :waving:


----------



## Alaska Boss

*More Ice Bergs*

But since this thread is about glaciers, & ice bergs are chunks of glaciers that broken off & fallen into the water, I guess it's ok to post another one,... I usually will swing over to one or two on our way back from a fishing trip, if the folks I have onboard have never been right up to one before,... especially if the ice has some color in it,... :waving:


----------



## Alaska Boss

*When plowing is caught up...*

Then after I get everyone plowed out, I'm able to run my traplines,... & try to hang some fur in the shop... like this nice little kitty,... :waving:


----------



## jbone

I have seriously considered moving to alaska and this just make me want to go even more!!!!


----------



## BobC

Looks like nice boat. Great pictures! Looks like a Boss? Do you use their fluid at -50?


----------



## Alaska Boss

BobC said:


> Looks like nice boat. Great pictures! Looks like a Boss? Do you use their fluid at -50?


 Nope,.. the Boss fluid may be ok,. but I use a special aircraft hydraulic fluid,.. it's rated to -55° I think,.. just figured it was the best for my conditions,... plus it's actually cheaper than Boss's fluid anyway. (MIL-H-5605A,... w/ red dye, to see leaks)


----------



## repo_man62

I HATE cold...but I would move up there for scenery like that!


----------



## guntruck

Beautiful pics!! I go to Alaska every year with my family ona cruise and visit many places. My brother father and myself get a small plane and fly in to the glacier fed streams and fly fish. Im going to try and get some pics up, the scenery there is breathtaking.


----------



## loyboy

Hey AK Boss, my Grandfather and I were going to go up there in the summer to fish for halibut. Maybee we could get something going with you. I think we're going to book our trip pretty quick so get back to me please. Thanks, Kenny [email protected]


----------



## loyboy

*fishin'*

Hey AK Boss, my Grandfather and I were going to go up there in the summer to fish for halibut. Maybee we could get something going with you. I think we're going to book our trip pretty quick so get back to me please. Thanks, Kenny [email protected]


----------



## Love2fish

*Thanks for the Pics!*

Very beautiful!
I hear summers are fantastic and winters can be tough... short hours of light, cold etc. How long have you been up there?
Do you fish?
and finally, How's the plowing biz?
~Steve


----------



## tsmith

Ok I'M JEALOUS. What all do you trap for up there? In high school I spent the winters in a fur room in Indiana. I miss those days


----------



## Yaz

Thanks for sharing..
Do we live in a amazing country or what. Realty is only a small percent of us will ever make it in our life's to see such places. I would say do it now or you will saying someday when we are old and poor that we wished we went to Alaska when we could.:crying:


----------



## tkahike

That is beautiful, thanks for sharing the pics. We are trying to plan a trip in 2008. Talking about taking a ride up the Dalton Highway. Hopefully it will pan out.


----------



## Snow Picasso

Excellent Pics!! I'm 40 years old and it's funny how a simple picture could make me feel like a kid again! Great Thread!


----------



## mark m

keep,em comming boss.
very cool pics maybe a summer charter????
grandkids would love it!!!!!!!:redbounce :redbounce purplebou


----------



## Rich Hunter

Alaska Boss;287573 said:


> Glaciers are everywhere in this part of Alaska, & have a definte effect on the winds & weather in their surrounding areas,... so for those of you who don't have them in your backyards... this is what they look like...
> 
> This is a small glacier just south of where I live,... about 30 or 40 years ago, it almost came right to the edge of the road... :waving:


If you happen to get up by Kiska or the other ww2 sites will you send me some pics of them? My grandpa flew a p38 ouuta there in ww2 and has told me some wild stories you can send them to [email protected] Thanks! way cool pics I live in the colorado mountains and see some nice country but yours are way better.


----------



## Alaska Boss

Love2fish;348867 said:


> Very beautiful!
> I hear summers are fantastic and winters can be tough... short hours of light, cold etc. How long have you been up there?
> Do you fish?
> and finally, How's the plowing biz?
> ~Steve


Yep, the summers can be great, but they also can be extreme just like the winters, just depends where you are. Alaska is about 1/5 the size of the entire lower 48 states, so you can imagine that things can be very different in different places. Southeast Alaska (the Panhandle), is actually a rain forest area, with cool, damp summers, & warmer damp winters, whereas the interior of Alaska can have very hot dry summers, & very cold dry winters. On many days during the winter, the coldest spot in Alaska on any given day can be 100 degrees colder than the warmest spot, with everything in between. I've seen temperature changes of 90 - 100 degrees right where I live within a given week! (It may be -60 below zero, then it can warm up to +40 in just a matter of a few days, although that is rare). I live just north of Valdez (the sight of the infamous "Exxon Valdez" oil spill of 1989), been right here almost my whole life, & Valdez averages about 30 feet of snow per winter. A plow on a pickup is not suitable for that kind of snowfall, but less than 100 miles from there, I get an average of only 4-5 feet. I'm, for the most part, the only show in town, so if people don't have their own means of snow removal, & we get more than 6" or so, I'm plowing for more than a week steady, & sometimes just can't keep up. But this is a very rural area,.. all homesteads, small farms, cabins in the woods, etc., so people don't sweat it for the most part if they have to wait 3-4 days to get plowed out. I have no pavement, no lawns to damage, no traffic to interfere with, etc., but constant stumps, big rocks, frozen logs laying on the ground, etc. that I have to deal with, so plowing here would be a nightmare to most guys that plow in cities, with street lights, etc. I would think. But, we all have to make do with whatever situation we have.


----------



## Alaska Boss

tsmith;348914 said:


> Ok I'M JEALOUS. What all do you trap for up there? In high school I spent the winters in a fur room in Indiana. I miss those days


Well, I catch everything we have around here,... wolves, wolverines, lynx, coyotes, fox, marten, mink, otters, and some beaver & muskrats. I've trapped all my life, & I'm sure I will until they make it illegal, or I get so old & weak I can't set a trap anymore. I've got a ton of pretty cool trapping pictures, but I don't want to hijack my own thread... ,... plus it's a little off-subject, but, then again, it's all done in the snow,.... :waving: 
__________________


----------



## Alaska Boss

Rich Hunter;351095 said:


> If you happen to get up by Kiska or the other ww2 sites will you send me some pics of them? My grandpa flew a p38 ouuta there in ww2 and has told me some wild stories you can send them to [email protected] Thanks! way cool pics I live in the colorado mountains and see some nice country but yours are way better.


That's way out on the Aleutian Islands,... not even close to where I live,... that was the only time in our history that a foreign country took control of our soil for a time,... some of the pictures that I've seen of those islands, look like things have just been left as they were right after the war. Every so often, an old ship mine, or torpedo, or other artifact still washes up on a beach, or is snagged by a fisherman along the coast of Alaska,... remnants of WWII. My hat is off to your grandpa,... those men were of a breed that is pretty rare anymore... they didn't have GPS & Smart bombs back then,... if they had failed in what they did... I'd be speaking Japanese I suppose.... maybe we all would. :salute: :salute: :salute:


----------



## Rich Hunter

Thank you very much for the reply! I was hoping you were close but Alaska is a huge state and I didnt even think of looking at a map to see where you were in realtion to the islands.I got some very old pics that my granma gave me when my grandpa passed away looks like some really remote country.The pics are actually from a place called Attu after a major land battle Dang them guys had it rough!!!!!!!!! I think I might try to treat myself to a trip up there to see for myself.Anyway thanks! also got some pics of their departure from seattle and then a place called port marabell I think the writing is very faded.


----------

