Well, today was a great day. Today I had the privilege of walking on the Moreno glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the world and one that is growing daily. Currently it is pushing forward 2 to 3 meters every a day, although close to that falls off each day. This glacier is 170 to 250 feet high above the water and over 500 feet deep below the waterline. It is impossible to understand the magnitude of its size until you actually stand close to it. Maybe the pictures below will show a little of that size. God created glaciers to reflect the sun’s heat and to create a supply of fresh water. This glacier feeds to gigantic lakes, at its head, one to the south and one to the west, within a several hundred yard area, you can see the different currents feeding the lakes. The glacier grows from the moisture brought in from the Pacific that hits the Andes and drop snow and freezing rain.
Today we heard and saw some small calving of the glacier. The sound is like a large thunder. The ones we saw created giant splashes and then large waves. It was observing nature at its grandest.
To say it was fun is a dramatic understatement. While we changed from a 3 to 4 hour walk on the glacier to a two hour smaller hike with all the tourist, it was still a great adventure and all in the group thought it one of their best days outdoors. We took a bus from El Calafate to the Glacier National Park, then took a boat from a central dock to a point at the east corner of the glacier. From there, the local guides gave us helmets and crampons to walk with on the ice. Then up and onward to the glacier for a majestic hike on the glacier. We stayed on the safer areas, away from the wide cravases at the absolute top, but still saw small cravases with water melt running down to who knows how deep. All was amazing. Walking through columns of ice that stood 30 feet tall to each side made one feel small. Seeing the melt happening (not global warming, but nature working to create fresh water) was amazing to see the volumes of water it can create. It was so amazing being on and feeling a part of one of God’s great inventions.
I hope all who read this are having a great day, we have to remember each day is a gift and a blessing.
Psalm 95:4
What a beautiful place! Be safe!