National Parks Traveler Episode 187: Kenai Fjords’ Glaciers

By Kurt Repanshek - September 11th, 2022

Among the most amazing settings in the National Park System are glacial landscapes. From Glacier National Park in Montana and Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state to Alaska, these rivers of ice are captivating to see and, if you’re lucky enough, to walk upon or watch as they calve blocks of ice into Pacific waters.

But as amazing as these rivers of ice are, they are vanishing under the warmth of climate change. Glacier National Park’s glaciers could be gone by mid-century. Many of those in Alaska are almost visibly in retreat.

But how serious is the problem, what is the overall state of glacial ice in the Park System? Two researchers, Deborah Kurtz from the National Park Service and Taryn Black, a doctoral student in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, have tried to answer that question as it applies to Kenai Fjords National Park two hours south of Anchorage, Alaska. We're joined today by Taryn Black.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction:
:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
:50 Kenai Fjords - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
1:14 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
1:41 The Everglades Foundation
1:52 Interior Federal Credit Union
2:26 Taryn Black from the University of Washington discusses the advance, and retreat, of Kenai Fjords National Park's glaciers.
10:16 Wonder Lake - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
10:33 Potrero Group
11:00 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
11:20 Great Smoky Mountains Association
11:42 Taryn Black and Kurt Repanshek continue their discussion of Kenai Fjord National Park's glaciers.
25:35 Schoodic - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
25:48 Yosemite Conservancy
26:08 Friends of Acadia
26:33 Washington’s National Park Fund
27:10 Taryn Black discusses her research of glacial retreat, and advance, at Kenai Fjords National Park.
33:03 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
33:21 Episode Closing
33:44 Orange Tree Productions
34:15 Splitbeard Productions
34:24 National Parks Traveler footer

Kenai Fjords National Park

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The Essential RVing Guide

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

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