Surprise Glacier, Alaska: Alpine Glacier Breakdown, by Robert Arrington on Flickr.
Deep inside the heart of Alaska’s Prince William Sound and tucked away inside the maze of inlets lies the Harriman Fjord. The early settlers who first explored these fjords must have been surprised when they turned a corner and found themselves face to face with the heaving blue splendor that is today known as Surprise Glacier. I am not quite sure how the glacier got its name but surprise is certainly what was felt when our boat pulled up to the ice to watch the tidewater glacier groan forward and calve icebergs the size of skyscrapers. As we were excitedly watching the drama unfolding before us we heard another sound over our heads. An alpine glacier high up on the mountain above us suddenly broke loose and a massive shelf of ice came crashing down the mountain creating a niagara falls of awesome power and beauty. The boat captain told us that seeing an alpine glacier calve is one of the rarest- and most surprising - sights of all.
