Jessie Bellamy

Review of Miller's Landing Seward AK

I recently went on a 3 day 2 night Kayaking advent...

I recently went on a 3 day 2 night Kayaking adventure into the glacier fields with 2 guides from Miller's Landing, Chris and Mattie. I have hiked and camped all over Alaska with tour operators and on my own. Some of these excursions included fly ins to the Katmai wilderness, sitting by a river with seven or eight big bears in front of me or pitching a tent outside of Valdez and tracking bear on my own. I am a photographer by the way. I have also scuba dived in Hawaii, the Bahamas, off the coast of South Carolina and in numerous other places around the United States. None of these experiences come close to the adventure and serenity that this Kayaking trip provided. First of all Chris and Mattie were both excellent guides! Although I understood that this was to be a wilderness excursion, there is only so much you can fit into a Kayak, Chris went above and beyond to point out that bringing an outdoor chair would make this trip much more comfortable. Both Chis and Mattie were extremely sensitive to our needs and instilled confidence in their kayaking abilities and survival skills in an environment that can often be unforgiving.
We began our adventure early one morning loading our bags and Kayaks onto the boat from a beautiful pebble strewn beach as the sun was beginning to peep over the distant mountains. The boat transported us into a magical world of discovery. The wild waters with it's beautiful colors caressed my face as I stood outside the cabin watching the clumsy puffins skitter across the water with ragged coastline as a backdrop. We were soon dropped off on another secluded beach where Chris and Mattie briefed us on safety and the days activities.
It was a beautiful day as we paddled through the emerald green waters and the sun painted the icecap mountains. Gliding by castles of ice a curious seal poked it's head above the water to spy on this new edition to it's often secluded world. Reaching our new home for the next two nights we erected tents on a beach strewn with rocks glacial discarded rocks. Across the bay the Northwestern Glacier welcomed us with it's mighty cracks and groans. The next couple of days were just as magical as the first with an unbelievable hike and more paddling through this magical wonderland. Thanks again Chris and Mattie for such a wonderful experience!