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| We
traveled 13 miles by bus to Mendenhall Glacier, our first
excursion after we landed in Juneau. Mendenhall Glacier
is 1.5 miles wide and hundreds of feet thick and is one
of the 38 large glaciers fed by the 1,500 square mile
Juneau Icefield. This meandering river of compressed ice
ranks as the largest, most rugged glacier accessible by
road. This glacier is retreating at a rate of 100 to 150
feet per year because the rate of melt exceeds the annual
total accumulation. However, at this rate, it will take
several centuries to completely disappear. During our
trip, we walked around Mendenhall Lake and saw a few crazy
souls swim in a warmer section of water. |
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on image to see larger view and description... |
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