alaska: part iii

You don't need to take pictures when David and Phil are around, our talented shutter-happy cousins, because their photos are just so good. See David's Alaska photos here, and Phil's here. We didn't end up taking as many as we usually do, but here they are anyway.

Ghost forests were left behind by the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. Due to the land shift, some trees/roots fell below sea level and soaked up salt water, killing them on the spot and preserving them for years.

We saw a lot of marine life on the glacier cruise that our Aunt took us on (whales, porpoises, sea otters, the bald eagle!) but we didn't see any bears the whole time we were in Alaska. We did see my spirit animal hopping along the side of the mountain, though. (Tim thinks mountain goats must be my spirit animal because I like climbing on things, and I'll pretty much eat anything.)
However, should a bear attack, here's some good advice...(emphasis mine, in case you can't tell the red line was photoshopped on there)
That was the warning on our easy hike to Exit Glacier, a huge piedmont glacier near Seward. We went on an easy hike to the glacier, which is shrinking like so many other ice masses on the planet. It's summer though, and the glaciers melt a little now and regain a little back in the winter (sadly, melting > gaining, according to the rangers). Next to the glacier, you can feel the cold wind come off the ice and hear the rush of under-ice waterfalls.


Where's the exit...glacier? hahaha.

More Alaska pictures coming up...