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This trip proves that whitewater rafting can be thrilling without being rough—even for beginners. After all, you wouldn’t want anything to compete with the great views of Mendenhall Glacier, which stands at 1 ½ miles wide and 150 feet high and is the most famous part of the massive Juneau Icefield (even John Muir once raved about it).
The 3 ½-hour Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip begins with a scenic ride from either your downtown hotel or Juneau’s dock. Once at the lake, you’ll suit up in lifejacket, rain gear and rubber boots and board your raft, which can hold between 8 and 12 people. Your raft will be paddled by a strong-armed pro—tough, If you have some experience, you can also opt for a raft that you paddle yourself. As you glide along the iceberg-studded lake, you can scope out the glacier, getting up-close views of hanging glaciers and towering peaks. Keep an eye out for birds nesting in the rocky cliffs, as well as otters, seals, black bears or even bald eagles. Your guide will point out such natural phenomena as beaver dams, spawning salmon and avalanche veins on Thunder Mountain. Then, as your raft starts the four-mile leg down the river, the ride becomes a little more hoppin’, with some Class II and III rapids—which means your raingear will come in handy, with the occasional spray.
Once ashore, you can tuck into an “Alaskan snack” of reindeer sausage, salmon spread, cheese and pilot bread (a old-fashioned cracker also known as “hardtack”), along with hot or cold cider and water. The operators will send you on your way with an “I Shot the Mendenhall” pin, but you can also pick up souvenir shirts, hats or a photo of you that was taken from ashore.
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