Inside Alaska’s Stunning Blue Ice Caves

If you are looking for a place that seems completely frozen in time, you need to visit Alaska. Just outside of Juneau sits the Mendenhall Glacier.

Deep within the glacier are blue ice caves. Walking into these caves, it seems like you have stepped into a solid piece of blue glass. These photos are incredible. The landscape, however, is continually melting and changing, making it a very difficult place to take pictures.

The Secret of the Blue Ice

When glaciers form, snow accumulates over hundreds of years. The weight of the snow compresses the ice within the glacier. The pressure of the glacier squeezes out all of the air bubbles within the ice. When sunlight interacts with the glacier, the dense ice absorbs the longer wavelength light (reds and yellows). The shorter-wavelength blue light reflects off the ice, creating an incredible blue color in the glacier.

Carved By Melting Water

Glacial caves are formed by glacial melt. During the summer months, the glacier melts into water. This water finds weaknesses in the glacier and flows down through it. Over time, these weaknesses become hollow tunnels within the glacier. These are natural formations, but temporary as the glacier continues to shift and melt. What may be a safe spot to walk into a cave this season may collapse next spring.

The Reality Of The Trip

It takes some effort to get to these caves. They are not a place that you can just drive to. To reach the glacier, you must kayak across the lake and hike over rocky terrain with crampons. Additionally, because the ice in these caves is so unstable, entering them without a guide is dangerous. The ceiling may collapse, or the water may flood the caves. This glacier demonstrates how the environment is constantly changing. It is a natural wonder that exists only for a short time.