There are hundreds of glaciers in Alaska but the massive (3 miles wide and 32 miles long) Columbia keeps calling to me. In 2016 I paddled alone from the Columbia for three days to Valdez and of course I also flew over it to check out my route. In 2022 Betsy, my son Ney-J and his girlfriend Kathy paddled around the terminus for a day. Already on this trip Graeme and I overflew it.
So on this flight, after the grizzly bear adventure, I needed to fly Belyn and Brian (with Ney-J along for the ride) north up to the Wasilla area, so why not fly over Prince William Sound and up over the Columbia Glacier? It would be my sixth trip to the Columbia, and not my last.
Flying over such a vast glacier, and the Columbia icefield that feeds it, is a wild adventure in itself.
Climate change doesn’t automatically mean a glacier is retreating. Some are advancing because of heavier precipitation up higher. Unfortunately, this glacier has retreated 12 miles since the 1980s and is one of the fastest retreating glaciers in the world.
West Coast Flying Adventures 
Last year my husband and I sold our Cessna T210 after he at 83 and I at 77 could no longer get insurance due to age. We still have a Pitts for fun. But we will no longer have an opportunity to take an Alaska flying trip. We are enjoying watching your Alaska travel and have been following your flights and wonderful photos for years. Have your book, too. However, we still can make a road trip in our sprinter van. I saw in your first report 9/22 that Betsy drove a route and you would meet up. Would you be willing to share with us the driving route for the whole trip? Thanks.
Hi Mim,
Yes, my insurance was very expensive ($4,500) and I’m only 67. When I switched to the 182 it was $1,200. It must have been outrageous for you guys in the T210. A Pitts at 83 and 77? Wow, very impressive.
Yes, I will put together our route for you with some recommendations when I get the chance. I’ll post it so others can maybe benefit from our experience.
Thank you for the note, Ney