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Seward's surroundings leave visitors gasping for breath

By STEVE EDWARDS
Anchorage Daily News

Published: April 21st, 2005
Last Modified: November 8th, 2005 at 07:54 AM

Seward annually hosts one of Alaska's longest-running, most unique athletic events -- the Mount Marathon race. More than 800 competitors race 3,022 feet up the mountain that overlooks the city and back to the bottom.

The racers, of course, don't have time to stop and enjoy the scenery from their unusual outpost. That's unfortunate.

That scenery is one of the things that makes Seward a must-see destination in Alaska. The community of about 4,800 people sits at the head of Resurrection Bay. It's surrounded by mountains and glaciers. Resurrection Bay and nearby waters are full of wildlife -- from salmon on up to humpback whales.

Kenai Fjords National Park attracts thousands upon thousands of visitors annually.

"There is such a wide variety of activities available in Seward," said Laura Cloward, executive director of the Seward Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. "There are so many different ways to get active and experience Alaska from one location.

"What type of activity or which way do you want to experience Alaska? You can have it here. You have national park access, on foot or on water. We have fishing, kayaking, hiking. There is something for everyone."

The Kenai Fjords National Park is more than 600,000 acres, with only one road-accessible point, Exit Glacier at Exit Glacier Road off the Seward Highway.

More than 100,000 visitors stop at Exit Glacier annually, chief ranger Jim Ireland said. Depending on weather and ice conditions, visitors can walk up to the face of the glacier and touch the ice.

"We want to let people get as close to the glacier as possible," Ireland said. "It's a one-of-a-kind experience."

Park rangers will lead several guided walks daily, including walks to the glacier. There will be a children's walk in the late morning with a more hands-on approach -- "bugs, ice, rocks and stuff," Ireland said.

Exit Glacier is one of more than 30 glaciers that flow out from the Harding Icefield. The ice field covers about 300 square miles and is the largest ice field completely contained within the United States.

For more hardy hikers, the Harding Icefield Trail is an eight-mile round-trip excursion. Rangers will lead a hike on Saturday mornings. The trail gains about 3,000 feet in elevation and can have snow at the upper reaches well into summer.

The view from the top of the trail is a look back into history. The massive ice field stretches out for miles, leaving nunataks (the tops of mountains that are covered in ice) poking up here and there.

"You're looking back at the ice age when you're looking out at that ice field," Ireland said. "Later in the summer, there are berries and bears and just beautiful views.

"It's great to get people up in the air. From an airplane, you get a feel for the magnitude."

Exit Glacier Guides is providing a new opportunity for adventure seekers this year. For $100, guides will take hikers onto Exit Glacier. The four- to five-hour trip includes a partial hike of the Harding Icefield Trail. Climbers will be outfitted with crampons, helmets and ice axes. They will spend about an hour on the glacier. The company will provide transportation from downtown Seward to the park.

"Exit Glacier is the most visited area in the park, but very few people get up on the ice and experience the glacier itself," said company co-owner Ryan Fisher. "This is really a glacier expedition. We'll travel at a slow enough pace to have time to check things out.

"Exit Glacier isn't in a wide valley. It comes down sharply, so when we walk up or down a little, the view will change a lot."

Many Kenai Fjords visitors spend their time in the park aboard one of several tour boats. Companies offer half-day and full-day trips. Depending on length, tours average from $60 to $150. Some companies offer overnight lodging or sea kayaking options. Major Marine Tours trips are hosted by a national park ranger.

"For me personally, getting out into the fjords is very humbling," Cloward said. "It allows you to really see how powerful Mother Nature is. Between otters, bird rookeries, whale watching down here -- there is just so much."

Several companies offer kayaking in and around Resurrection Bay.

Popular day-kayaking options include Resurrection Bay from Lowell Point and trips that include a water-taxi ride to Kenai Fjords. Aialik Bay is one of the most popular kayaking destinations in the park.

"Aialik Bay is a great trip," said Wendy Eason, co-owner of Kayak Adventures Worldwide (www.kayakak. com, 1-907-224-3960). "Paddling with the huge icebergs and glaciers is amazing.

"We go into Pederson Lagoon, which is so tranquil and peaceful. It's just phenomenal. You see all this from water level."

When you are back on solid ground in Seward, the Alaska SeaLife Center, 301 Railway Ave., has numerous displays about sea life. Always popular are the pools with Steller sea lions, seals and seabirds, including puffins. Watching the puffins and other birds "fly" under water is a treat. The bird-diving pool is 21 1/2 feet deep, making it the deepest captive seabird habitat in North America.

The outdoor portion of the bird exhibit has been refurbished, allowing visitors to walk among the birds.

"Often the birds are right next to people when they walk in," said Jason Wettstein, the center's manager of media relations. "They're sitting along the edge of the aquarium. The birds will be flying overhead.

"You can get really close to them. There are no walls separating you; it's a unique experience."

The center offers several behind-the-scenes tours, including the Octopus Experience, for an extra cost. Regular admission is $14 for adults and $11 for children. Visitors to the Octopus Experience get an up-close visit with the center's giant Pacific octopus; frequently the octopus will reach out and touch guests.

Now, back to those crazies who race up and down Mount Marathon.

It's a bit of history that dates to 1915. This Fourth of July, the 78th running of the event takes place. There are races for men, women and youths. More than 40,000 people annually pack Seward for the festivities and the race.

While the race isn't for most, hikers can enjoy the same route or an easier route up the mountain. Both start near downtown Seward.

When visiting Seward, be sure to bring a sense of adventure, even if you don't plan to sprint to the top of the mountain made famous decades ago.

Special sections editor Steve Edwards can be reached at sedwards@adn.com or 257-4316.