August 18, 2024.
Finally, all the things lined up for us to take a flightseeing tour above the glaciers of the north. There are a plethora of small plane operators across Alaska and Canada that offer a standard set of routes to see pretty aerial views. We knew it would be one of the more expensive parts of our journey, so we wanted to do it at the right place at the right time.
We found ourselves in Silver City, just outside Kluane National Park and Reserve. Aaron had been watching the weather forecast very closely and determined that Sunday was the day to get clear enough skies to make a flight worthwhile. We booked the Logan Glacier Landing Tour with Icefield Discovery and kept our fingers crossed.
When we arrived at the small airstrip, the air was cold and clear. Our pilot, wearing a baseball cap and Hawaiian shirt, introduced himself and showed us to the plane. Two young guys from Canada would be joining us, too. They were on a bro-ad trip (bro + road? could be a nice portmanteau) and eager to climb aboard.
I had never been on a small plane before. The five of us squished into the tiny seats that had just enough room for each of us. We put headsets on and buckled in. I tried to maintain my composure as the pilot reached for some very rickety, manual instruments to get the plane started. Deep breaths.
Up in the air
As we took to the air, the pilot narrated a bit of information about the surrounding area and glaciers in general. We were all talking, listening, asking questions as we looked around. The mountains grew smaller and less and less green as we approached the gigantic snowfield.
There was a specific moment in the plane where the casual banter went silent. The glacial landscape stirred up in each of us such a deep sense of awe that there were no words anymore. We flew like this, without speaking, as we looked around at the magnificent views and hurriedly took a bunch of photos. And video!
I’d already seen lots of glaciers on this trip. We hiked to several viewpoints of glaciers and we’d even walked across a glacier. We saw glaciers from a boat in the ocean. Plus, we’d seen 3-D models of glaciated regions in many visitor centers. I thought I had a good grasp of what glaciers were about. But being above them in the plane, I was granted a whole new perspective. It struck me in a way that I hadn’t been struck yet before.
As the pilot approached the landing zone at the mid-point of our trip, we watched the ice get closer and closer to the plane. We all hopped out onto the snow-covered icefield, Mt. Logan dominating the skyline in front of us. Canada’s tallest peak, at 19,551′, is a behemoth. It is one of the most massive non-volcanic mountains on the planet and stands over 14,000′ above the Seward Glacier to the south. It’s quite impressive to see with your own eyes. We had about 15 minutes of time on the ground before loading back into the plane, plenty of time for a handstand and some jaw-dropping photos.
We all switched seats for the ride back. I had the entire back of the plane to myself, with windows on either side of me. I tried to memorize every detail and look for features I didn’t notice on the way in. It struck me how abrupt the transition from snow to no-snow felt on the way back. I missed the glaciers, but I did really enjoy the colorful bodies of water and the plane’s shadow on the return flight.
As we parted ways, everyone had a big smile on their face. I really enjoyed the flight and was glad we didn’t skip putting this adventure on our itinerary. It was worth the price of admission.