Visiting Baird Glacier on an Expedition Cruise Excursion
Baird Glacier is a breathtaking destination that offers an unforgettable boomer adventure experience. Best experienced on an expedition cruise, it's a must-visit for travelers seeking unique and exhilarating experiences.
In 2015, flooding broke up the terminus of Baird Glacier, making it impossible to walk on. Currently, a lake blocks foot access to the glacier's ice, but its beauty and majesty can still be marveled at from a distance.
Visiting Baird Glacier depends on the tides and a knowledgeable guide. Expedition cruisers like Alan and I had the privilege of experiencing it with Uncruise Adventures (sponsored trip). Since our visit, it’s no longer possible to walk on Baird Glacier due to flooding in 2015 that broke up the terminus.
Independent travelers can also visit Baird Glacier by hiring a local guide in Petersburg, Alaska, about 20 miles away from the glacier by boat. After landing on a beach, visitors can enjoy a 20-minute hike to view Baird Glacier, explore the flora of a moraine, and spot glimpses of Arctic tern and other wildlife.
For those seeking an active adventure experience, walking on Baird Glacier is an exhilarating experience unlike any other. Alan and I have had our share of glacier encounters, having watched from the deck of Seven Seas Mariner as a large chunk of ice calved from Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier sending a gigantic spray of water into the air.
We also walked through a temperate rain forest to view the terminal moraine at Franz Josef in New Zealand and paddled a canoe for a close-up inspection of Davidson Glacier near Skagway, Alaska. However, our InnerSea Discoveries cruise (now called UnCruise Adventures) excursion to Baird Glacier in southeast Alaska surpassed them all.
As we zodiac motored across Thomas Bay towards Baird Glacier, we began to feel the cold chill that the wind blowing off of that much ice generates. After exiting the small raft, our path led through a moss-covered field where large round stones littered the landscape as if some mischievous giant had emptied his bag of marbles onto the ground.
Pockets of small evergreens stood in sheltered footholds, nature’s attempt to reclaim herself. And always there was the distant sound of melting ice, dripping like a water faucet that you can’t quite shut off. The vast expanse of Baird Glacier stretched out before us, with white ice for as far as the eye could see.
To reach the glacial ice, we climbed down a boulder field and across spongy streams of glacial mud. The trick was to lightly, and quickly, pick our way to the glacier’s face. Anyone who stopped too long on the mud would have their boots sucked into the muck, as Alan warned.
A short climb up brown, dirty ice led us to the top of Baird Glacier. Stretching as far as we could see, the white portions of the ice seemed to mock us. “Come closer, it’s not far.” But what looked smooth and white turned out to be ridges, hills, and valleys of dirty ice.
I thought to myself, “this must be what it feels like to walk on the moon.” We stopped at pockets melted into the ice where blue holes revealed themselves. At a wide crack, Nitakuwa, our guide, tossed in a pebble as we judged the deepness of the small crevice.
Walking on Baird Glacier was like hiking on a scenic mountain where each new bend in the trail begs to be explored, causing the hiker to go on and on. The pure, white ice seemed just out of reach, beckoning us to continue up and down ice ridges that sparkled in the sun; until, eventually, our progress was blocked by a large chasm.
As we made our way back to land and stretched out onto the soft, spongy moss, we felt as if we could feel the glacier’s imprint, if not on our bodies, at least on our traveler's soul. The excursion was divided into ability levels, with more than enough InnerSea Discoveries crew to allow for those cruisers who might want to turn back after a brief glacial encounter.
Each excursion leader carried a radio to communicate with other leaders as well as the ship’s captain. For our trip, we wore rain boots provided by our ship, Safari Quest, and I also carried walking poles from the ship's stock, which offered just enough balance to allow me to continue exploring Baird Glacier when the terrain was a bit slippery or steep.
Of course, you’ll want to bring a hat and gloves. Following my tips for cold weather gear that packs light, I wore a pair of long underwear underneath water-resistant safari pants. Sunny weather helped make this a memorable experience, but I'm not sure how far we would have made it in the rain.
Disclosure: The UnCruise Adventures (previously American Safari and InnerSea Discoveries) provided this travel experience, but the opinions are our own.
