RE: [Paddlewise] guns/ice

Hi Larry,

  Well, since I think I'm probably the only list member who lives within 3
miles of a glacier I'll take another swing at it:

  Glacial ice calving is extremely unpredictable and can occur with little
or no warning.  Paddling in the "drop zone" is very dangerous not
necessarily because of a high liklihood of injury, but rather because of the
consequences of being dumped on.  The same thing goes for the rocks that
accompany many glaciers - they fall with NO warning at all - the ice quietly
melts until gravity decides to take its turn.

  The waves that can be generated by falling ice can be quite large and
violent - and a capsize is invariably going to be into some of the coldest
water that can be paddled.  If there are icefloes, bergy bits, etc in the
water the waves, wind, and tide can conspire to put the squeeze on your
kayak.  Floating bergs can be dangerous if they roll and the unsuspecting
paddler is too close - and it's nearly impossible to tell how large or what
shape they are underwater.

  I look at glacier paddling like anything else - assess the risks,
understand the consequences, balance your skills and knowledge to the
situation, and then go have fun.

  Glaciers are really best observed from a distance anyway - they're so big
that the best views are usually from at least several hundred yards away -
often even much further.
 
  Local knowledge of weather patterns and their effects on glacial activity
can be helpful, but I don't think that anyone can accurately predict when a
particlar portion of a glacier will fall.

  For what it's worth, the Mendenhall Glacier here in Juneau is really a
pretty slow moving glacier and doesn't tend to have a lot of the dramatic
icefalls that many other nearby glaciers often exhibit.  There's NO way
you'd ever find me within much less than 800 yds from the Sawyer Glacier in
Tracy Arm! (approx 40 miles southeast of Juneau) 

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Larry Bliven [mailto:foxhill_at_shore.intercom.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 1:42 AM
> 
> the guns info is great reading and i appreciate it.
> 
> like guns, paddling near glaciers seemed to be cut short 
> without discussion
> of the hazzards or what to beware of advice.
> 
> what's up with close glacier  paddling?
> or
> is it simply, don't go there...
> go paddle tropical warm water.
> 
> cu,
> bliven

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