In a region of superlatives, the "Lost Coast" along the Alaska's Gulf coast is at the top. Bering Glacier is the largest and longest glacier in North America (covering 1900 square miles), and also the largest surging glacier in the world. Winding its way through the St. Elias Range, highest coastal mountain range in the world, Bering terminates in fresh water at Vitus Lake. The land is rugged, raw and formidable, yet the relatively protected waters of Vitus Lake are ideal for sea kayaking.

In 1993-94, Bering Glacier experienced a major surge. Part of Bering's terminus advanced nearly six miles, calving off huge numbers of icebergs. The advancing ice covered many of the islands within Vitus Lake. Equinox visited the lake during the summer of 1993 and documented the surge, while camping on a island that was later covered by the glacier. We paddled in the vicinity of icebergs measuring more than one-third of a mile long. On this trip, we hope to encounter large bergs again. Scientists have recently discovered that Bering Glacier appears to be surging again.

We explore the dynamic world of surging and retreating glaciers by sea kayak. Beginning with a spectacular flight over the Copper River Delta from Cordova, with the massive icefields just beyond, we land on a large freshwater lake at the edge of Bering Glacier, with a backdrop of the St. Elias Mountains. We set up a base camp, or multiple camps throughout our stay and take daily forays on Vitus Lake, paddling through floating ice, and pausing to hike on
Bering Glacier and to explore new land revealed by the glacier's retreat.

Inaccessible except by air, this is a fantastic wilderness area that few, aside from researchers, have seen. Because there is no saltwater tidal action, icebergs in Vitus Lake don't undergo the immediate deterioration seen at the faces of tidewater glaciers in Alaska's fjords. The bergs are huge, and at times, it feels as though we are paddling in Greenland.

Vitus Lake is home to several hundred harbor seals that use icebergs as haul-outs during the summer. Rare populations of dusty Canada Goose, Tule white-fronted goose, and Vancouver Canada Goose are also found here, along with several species of nesting gulls. Brown bears and wolves are common.

The rapid retreat of Bering Glacier and expansion of Vitus Lake offer an opportunity to explore a landscape emerging from the Ice Age. We find tree trunks several thousand years old, and invertebrate fossils. Experience true wilderness solitude in one of Alaska's most dynamic landscapes. Paddle among the icebergs, watch seals, trek on glacier ice and ancient moraines, experience rugged wild country of the Lost Coast.

Our trip offers both easy and challenging paddling and hiking, to accommodate kayakers of all abilities.