The Harding Icefield stretches out as far as the eye can see.  Entire mountains have been encased in ice 1000s of feet thick until only isolated caps or Nunatak remain exposed.  Sometimes the ice looks smooth and bright white.  Sometimes it is crystal blue.  Folds and fractures cover the surface where the ice flows around obstacles or is pinched between rock walls.  The biggest crevices spires happen when the ice escapes from the icefield and flows down slope like at Exit Glacier.  It is awesome.

The journey up to that view was quite the experience too.

Up before daylight.  That hasn’t happened since we got to this land of the midnight sun.  It wouldn’t have happened today either except that about half way through breakfast we realized that the alarm had been mistakenly set for 5AM instead of 6AM.  OK, a really early start!

We were at the trailhead before 8AM.  It was bright and a bit cool but this trail is steep from the first few steps.  Including our mountain top wanderings we trekked 9.4 miles today and managed about 3300 feet in elevations change mostly on loooong steep switchbacks and quite a few rock steps.  We traipsed in a bit of mud and crossed a half a dozen small swift, clear, cold creeks as we moved through rainforest, tundra and bare windblown rock.  It was a lot of work but well worth it.

Critters were few.  The adorable marmots made an appearance but that’s about it.  Wildflowers dotted the trail and blanketed the tundra.  Still pools on the rocky mountaintops looked like fields of blue flowers as they reflected the brilliant sky.

The short walks to see Exit Glacier are wonderful too but if you’re here, don’t miss the Harding Icefields Trail.