Most people don’t go too far above sea level during a kayaking trip in Glacier Bay. With at least 100 miles of great paddling to choose from, that’s usually the focus. We spent 13 days kayaking in Glacier Bay, so we took time to do a few day hikes as well.

The most memorable was a hike near Scidmore Glacier on the third day of our trip. Brian looked at a topo map and realized the high point next to us would have a view for miles around, only it was covered in horrible, Alaska brush. If you’ve ever hiked in Alaska brush, then you know this is to be avoided at all costs.

We could see a small, gray canyon winding its way up the mountain. We could try to climb this canyon all the way to the top of the highest ridge, about 1800 feet. We had no idea if it would work, but the route just beckoned to us. We navigated to the bottom of the canyon, crossing several glacial streams on the way.

Then the fun began! The gully was gushing with crystal clear water, flowing down a tumbled bed of granite boulders with the occasional small waterfall. There was no brush and the route was fun, cool and splashy. It felt like canyoneering as we worked our way up the granite boulders in this flowing mini-gorge. We enjoyed a really fun ascent up to the ridge.

Near the top of the ridge, we exited the canyon and hiked up a small summit. At the top we took in amazing views of the East Arm of Glacier Bay with several glaciers curving down to the sea, and Scidmore Bay dotted with small islands.

Some other good hikes on rough paths took us near Reid and Lamplugh Glaciers. The jagged, blue ice of these huge glaciers was fun to view from different angles. We also saw plenty of Ptarmigan while out hiking, including Ptarmigan chicks. We picked wild strawberries at several camps. Our time on land in Glacier Bay was really memorable.