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Exit Glacier & Seward in mid-May?


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Trying to plan for Seward where I'll be on May 17 between b2b cruises. I'd like to visit Exit Glacier if it's accessible then. Is the road likely to still be blocked by snow that early.

 

Other suggestions for Seward in early May? An easy hike somewhere?

 

We went to the Alaska SeaLife Center in August.

My cruise is in Kenai Fjords for all the next day.

 

I'm also thinking about the Major Marine's Orca tour.

 

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I've been there later, near the end of May, several times, it wasn't accessible. I recall?, it opened the week prior when I got off the ship on June 9th this year.

 

I'd leave it open, you'll have to wait and see. In the mean time http://www.seward.com

 

I go out multiple days on Kenai fjords boat tours, they are always different, did 3 successive days in June this year, plus again in August. I never tire of the adventure. My orca sightings was my usual only 50%, which has been consistent over at least 40 trips.

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Trying to plan for Seward where I'll be on May 17 between b2b cruises. I'd like to visit Exit Glacier if it's accessible then. Is the road likely to still be blocked by snow that early.

 

Other suggestions for Seward in early May? An easy hike somewhere?

 

We went to the Alaska SeaLife Center in August.

My cruise is in Kenai Fjords for all the next day.

 

I'm also thinking about the Major Marine's Orca tour.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Forums mobile app

 

I have a friend who lives down the street from where the Exit Glacier road intersects with the main highway at Seward. I just asked for you and he said the road doesn't open until the first of June. I was there about the 5th of June this past summer and it was completely clear but evidently a couple weeks can make a big difference. I wouldn't count on Exit Glacier for May 17...

 

 

We did some free whale watching one evening while there. We drove south from downtown on Lowell Point Road where it runs along the bay's edge. There were 2-3 humpback whales having a pretty nice time just a couple hundred feet from the shore. We climbed out on the rocks and watched them for about an hour. Very cool!

 

 

If you want a good local-type place to eat lunch/breakfast we ate twice at The Breeze Inn restaurant that's right across the street from the Major Marine office. Excellent breakfast.

 

Good luck!

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I've been there later, near the end of May, several times, it wasn't accessible. I recall?, it opened the week prior when I got off the ship on June 9th this year.

 

I'd leave it open, you'll have to wait and see. In the mean time www.seward.com

 

I go out multiple days on Kenai fjords boat tours, they are always different, did 3 successive days in June this year, plus again in August. I never tire of the adventure. My orca sightings was my usual only 50%, which has been consistent over at least 40 trips.

How many of those 40 trips were in May? Early May to early June is supposed to be the best time to see orcas out of Seward. There's a post here that says Major Marine said Orca Quest, which runs during that time, saw orcas almost every day.

 

The first cruise comes from Japan with 8 days in a row before docking at Seward, so I may be more in the mood to spend most of the day on land. But I haven't seen orcas. Therefore, the interest in the shorter Orca Quest rather than a 6-hour Kenai Fjords tour.

 

(The 4-hour whale trips & 6-hour Kenai Fjords trips are the only ones running then.)

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I have a friend who lives down the street from where the Exit Glacier road intersects with the main highway at Seward. I just asked for you and he said the road doesn't open until the first of June. I was there about the 5th of June this past summer and it was completely clear but evidently a couple weeks can make a big difference.

 

We did some free whale watching one evening while there. We drove south from downtown on Lowell Point Road where it runs along the bay's edge. There were 2-3 humpback whales having a pretty nice time just a couple hundred feet from the shore. We climbed out on the rocks and watched them for about an hour. Very cool!

 

 

If you want a good local-type place to eat lunch/breakfast we ate twice at The Breeze Inn restaurant that's right across the street from the Major Marine office. Excellent breakfast.

 

Good luck!

 

Okay, no Exit Glacier that early - at least not without snowshoeing in and I don't think I'm up to that. :)

 

So just a walk along the shore path or something else before lunch (and after if I don't go on a Whale Watch)?

 

I'll probably have breakfast and dinner on the ship, but might do lunch in town.

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I went a few years back and got into exit glacier the first day. It was Memorial Day.

 

I was surprised to read the other comments as I went end of May once and had no problems getting in there. Didn't give it a second thought that the area would not be accessible.

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How many of those 40 trips were in May? Early May to early June is supposed to be the best time to see orcas out of Seward. There's a post here that says Major Marine said Orca Quest, which runs during that time, saw orcas almost every day.

 

The first cruise comes from Japan with 8 days in a row before docking at Seward, so I may be more in the mood to spend most of the day on land. But I haven't seen orcas. Therefore, the interest in the shorter Orca Quest rather than a 6-hour Kenai Fjords tour.

 

(The 4-hour whale trips & 6-hour Kenai Fjords trips are the only ones running then.)

 

Late May/ June, at least 15 including 3 this year. (Its likely close to 50 trips ;) being it's been at least 4/year for the last 5+ ) This is only my experience.

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