Alaska Yanert Glacier Landing by Helicopter

I’ve returned from my amazing Princess Cruises Alaska Cruisetour which consisted of four days on land and seven days aboard the  Coral Princess. Besides feeling humbled by sprawling Alaska and awed by its stunning scenery and wildlife, some of the most memorable moments included the excursions Princess Cruises offers during the land portion and at the seaports. One of our (my lovely mother was my guest) most spectacular adventures occured when we were staying at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. We opted for a helicopter landing on Yanert Glacier in Denali National Park.

One thing you should know if you’re planning on booking a glacier landing by plane or helicopter is that the flights can and do get canceled for weather. In fact, I was hoping to experience two glacier landings, one by plane and one by helicopter, but the plane excursion was canceled due to poor visibility. While my mom and I were disappointed we  ended up taking a Summit Flight Tour of Mt McKinley  and as it ends up, the experience was fantastic. But we did feel ever so lucky to get the opportunity to experience the glacier.

Below is a video of my helicopter landing on Yanert Glacier. Be mindful of your volume because the sound is a little temperamental due to the loud helicopter and the fact that I wasn’t wearing mic. Nevertheless, the scenery is what I wish to share with you, so hopefully you will get at least a tiny understanding of what an amazing experience this is – and I really do recommend this helicopter excursion to anyone visiting Alaska.

The temperature was cool, but not freezing. I wore a few layers and was comfortable the entire time. Plus we were provided with boots to wear over our personal shoes. We spent about a half-hour on the glacier which was plenty of time to take photos and enjoy this rare experience. Side note: You may notice see some dark spots with tiny pools of water in some of the footage; these are caused by ice that has been melted by sun-warmed rocks below.