BUT that is nowhere close to the actual numbers of them. For example, the photo of this one I took in Lake Clark Pass-it does not have a name because it is so small. There are thousands of these small glaciers that have no names. Are they melting, of course. Each year they melt some and then gain some during the winter. That has been their annual cycle for thousands of years.
One thing I know for sure, they are beautiful to be around and DANGEROUS to be near. Whenever I camp near them you can hear them rumbling during the night as they freeze/thaw in the mountains. It is an amazing and erie thing to witness. Laying in your sleeping bag hearing these massive things moving a mountain is indeed, something to behold. It has always reminded me of how small and insignificant humans are. Not to mention our frailty!
Did I mention ice worms? Yes, we have ice worms that live in glaciers surviving temperatures that humans cannot. Hard to believe, but it is true. Worms are a hardy bunch it seems, found in geothermal vents on the ocean floor all the way to our glacial ice fields. They are not found in all of our glaciers just a few of them, no one knows why. Amazing creature. Our ice worms are not poisonous, but they can crawl up your butt and freeze you to death-just kidding.
This is just a few of the things a hunter can discover when he ventures out in this vast and wild country. Being a hunter has its advantages and provides for an understanding of the natural world non-hunters have no idea about-they just think we want to kill everything. Hunting in Alaska can kill you just as quick as having the ability to kill something yourself.
First of all you'll have to land in a place like the pictured at the left. Pack all your gear to a safe base camp spot and then hunt from there-not an easy thing to do!For all those sportsmen out there that have pursued Mountain Goat or Dall Sheep, you know exactly what I am talking about here. It's extremely hard work and takes a great deal of luck.
Take chances and discover things generally and otherwise not possible to most folks.
