Saving Grace: Adventures in Seward

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Adventures in Seward

With all that working and learning happening this summer, it is amazing that I was able to squeeze in any fun in at all. (just kidding). I had loads of fun! When the sun doesn’t set till 11pm, even if you get off at 5 there is plenty of time for adventure!

Here are some memories from my favorite evening adventures in Seward.

Jumping in every lake I could find.

Jumping in the ocean!

There are not many places in the world where you can jump in an ocean in the morning and hike to an icefield in the afternoon. Actually Seward, Alaska is the only one I can think of! And I have now checked that off my bucket list. Here is a recap of the Harding Icefield hike. (The park recommends 5-8 hours to complete this. Mark and I ran up and down in a whopping 3!)

This picture is to prove that just 3000 feet below, summer is in full swing

Katabatic winds coming off the glacier generally make this a pretty chilly hike,
but somehow we timed it for the most beautiful day!

Alaskan lupine blooming with the Harding Icefield in the background.

We made it to the top!

Out of all the hikes I did this summer, the Harding Icefield was probably my favorite. We even saw a bear! A little too close for comfort… but thankfully all those years at camp prepared me with the proper safety measures (and no, I did not do the chicken dance). I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance to visit Seward! Another popular Seward hike (or run) is Mt. Marathon. This mountain raises 3,022 ft. above the town, and the race to the top and down is one of the oldest races in the country. After hiking it a couple times this summer, there is no way I would ever sign up for this race. It is very steep, and requires quite a bit of scrambling going up. Coming down is more like skiing on scree.