Juneau: Non-heli glacier trek or guide's choice

[WesC]

Hey all,

 

Going to be in Juneau in late August and don't want to bust the budget with a helicopter glacier trek. We're considering either the guide's choice hike around Mendenhall or a glacier trek/climb with Above and Beyond. Any help would be great!:)

[wrobkymb]

Did you ever decide what to do? I'm headed for my first cruise this July and am debating the same two options. Advice??

[gbcruise]

:( Unfortunately this original question was posted in 2007. However I'm interested in answers as well if someone can give some feedback.

[epixx]

I cannot compare these two because we did only one, the glacier trek with Above and Beyond Alaska, last August. We went as a family of 2 adults, one teen (16) and one preteen (12). The kids were much better at the hike than the adults. We all enjoyed it very much. Do you have any specific questions?

[ScubaNPcruiser]

Did you ever decide what to do? I'm headed for my first cruise this July and am debating the same two options. Advice??

I was born and raised in Juneau and now live in the lower 48. I'm a pilot so have flown over the glacier many times. Whenever I go back to Juneau, which I did this past July I go hiking at the glacier. This isn't something that needs a tour guide as the trails are well marked. Having done both I still think I'd choose the hike. To stand by the glacier with the blue shades of ice is beautiful. Wonderful picture opportunities. Hope that helps.

[epixx]

I was born and raised in Juneau and now live in the lower 48. I'm a pilot so have flown over the glacier many times. Whenever I go back to Juneau, which I did this past July I go hiking at the glacier. This isn't something that needs a tour guide as the trails are well marked. Having done both I still think I'd choose the hike. To stand by the glacier with the blue shades of ice is beautiful. Wonderful picture opportunities. Hope that helps.

 

The Above and Beyond Alaska trip is a little different from your self-guided hike. The guided hike goes trekking on the glacier, not just to the glacier. I agree that the hike to the glacier is well marked and does not require a guide, but when we donned the crampons and trekked on top of the glacier I was glad we had a guide. Also, we hiked back via a different route that was not nearly as well marked as the route to the glacier.

[Budget Queen]

There is no comparism between these two tours. The "guided Mendenhall" hike, is available for free, using the well marked trails. In the past, this has been on the Trail of Time, guide sheets were also available at the visitor center.

 

I would still suggest that anyone hiking in from the west side, get a guide. This will also include your equiptment, and not waste any time. Well worth the expense especially, if you have never done glacier trekking.

[ukinusa]

I am a bit confused. I thought only the heli glacier tours get you onto a glacier. So if I understand right, we can take the self guided tour and walk on a glacier. How is this experience compared to the heli tour hikes? (just the hike part of it, disregarding the aerial view)

[jaxxx321]

I cannot compare these two because we did only one, the glacier trek with Above and Beyond Alaska, last August. We went as a family of 2 adults, one teen (16) and one preteen (12). The kids were much better at the hike than the adults. We all enjoyed it very much. Do you have any specific questions?

 

So going to the glacier they take you on the west trail of the glacier? How long did you spend on the glacier it self?

[Orsino]

We did the glacier hike with Above and Beyond a few years ago. I loved it.

It's about 3 hours to the glacier and 3 hours back, with one hour on the glacier itself. I think my group moved quickly so we spent more time on the glacier (don't know for sure, but I think so).

 

The hike itself is quite enjoyable so I didn't mind the amount of time devoted to non-glacier hiking.

 

The glacier hiking was fantastic. So beautiful.

 

My understanding is the helicopters take you higher up on the glacier than the hike. We've never done it, but we saw the helicopters and people. We took pictures of the people standing on the top of the glacier, presumably from a helicopter tour. They look so tiny!

[Budget Queen]

I am a bit confused. I thought only the heli glacier tours get you onto a glacier. So if I understand right, we can take the self guided tour and walk on a glacier. How is this experience compared to the heli tour hikes? (just the hike part of it, disregarding the aerial view)

 

Nope, as mentioned above, there is a hike in option, requiring some fitness and time.