T&T's Alaskan Photography Tours - Grewingk Glacier

Today, Taz and I led a group of Russian visitors on an all-day hike to Grewingk Glacier. We couldn't have asked for more incredible weather, better hiking conditions or more amicable guests. Thanks to Mako of Mako's Water Taxi for shuttling our group across the Bay and for providing excellent views of marine life and seabirds!!!!

We disembark on the shores of Glacier Spit Beach, a short water taxi ride across the Bay from the Homer Spit. After  demonstrating the importance of the  photographic techniques of simplicity, asymmetry, eyeline and point of view, we make our way through the forest of trees, berries and mushrooms that today were in the beginning stages of autumn colors and afforded numerous opportunities for photography. 

 

 

 After a mile, the trail leaves the forest and we walk along a glacial outwash plain that provides our first glimpse of the spectacular Grewingk Glacier. 

 

The two-mile long outwash plain section of the trail leads us along a rocky path that is dotted with cairns, up a small incline and then down to the shores of Grewingk Glacier Lake. Here, we are greeted with a full face view of the glacier and the Harding Icefield perched amidst the towering Kenai Mountains. Several small chunks of ice are strewn about the lake that is a milky color, caused by the fine grain glacial sediment that remains in suspension, called rockflower, formed by the grinding of the glacier as it hits the rocks.

After our stop for lunch, champagne and photography, we continue back down the trailhead, poking our way up and over the Saddle Trail with its fall colors and incredible views of Halibut Cove Lagoon. 

We emerge from the forest into the sunshine and some of our group sit on the dock while others perch on the rocky shores, as we wait for our water taxi that will shuttle us for a brief tour of the art community of Halibut Cove Lagoon and then back to Homer.