Ice Cave, Castner Glacier, Delta Junction, Alaska #3444

Living in Juneau, Alaska, I have had many opportunities to explore the ice caves under the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau’s backyard glacier. As the Mendenhall retreated, its easily accessible ice caves disappeared. I had heard of the ice caves near Delta Junction and went to check them out on a mid-March shoot. The small entrance to the Castner Glacier opened up into a huge ice room dwarfing anything I had ever seen. Temperatures hovered around minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. All the warm moist air in the cave had collected on the ceiling creating a layer of frost hanging down maybe a foot or more. This ice world was too cool for words. This image illustrates the month of January in the 2023 Alaska Calendar. Purchase your favorite Mark Kelley calendar in local Juneau stores or online at markkelley.com. Thank you for visiting and for the gift of your time. Enjoy – Camera: #Nikon #D850, #Lens 24-70mm, Digital Capture, Tripod, ©Mark Kelley