Flightseeing: The best way to see the Yukon’s majestic glaciers

Glaciers in Kluane National Park, courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Glimpsing the frozen landscape near the Arctic Circle doesn’t require 10 pounds of clothes and a professional hiker’s flexibility. An easier route is setting up a homebase and hopping a Cessna to grab out-of-this-world views of glaciers and frozen valleys in the Yukon’s Kluane National Park. 

Ice Fields in Kluane National Park, courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

The park boasts Canada’s highest peak, Mount Logan, as well as the world’s largest non-polar ice fields. Kluane National Park is also the world’s largest internationally protected wilderness, which guarantees spectacular panoramas. Kluane Glacier Air Tours offers flights to view four different areas of the park, seven days a week, depending on weather conditions.

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Ribbons of ice in Kluane National Park, courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Flying at 10,000 feet, the pilot swoops over valleys and explains the composition of glaciers. Glaciers are composed of fallen snow that has packed down into layers over time. The layers turn into ice and the glaciers begin to flow like rivers because of their massive size. The sight of Kaskawulsh Glacier unfolds like a frosty blue orb. As the plane flies closer, the long ribbons of ice form long waves, like a frozen ocean. Next is Mount Kennedy, which is majestic and appears to be sprinkled in glistening fairy dust. Then the plane glides near Disappointment Mountain, named by the gold miners who arrived to the Yukon’s 1800’s era gold rush too late. Lowell Glacier shows up toward the end, with icebergs floating down the side.

Close up of icy landscape in Kluane National Park, courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

All the flying up and down can unleash bouts of motion sickness in sensitive passengers but the 60-minute flight passes by quickly with scenes stunning enough to stop any nausea. Since much of the varied landscape of  Kluane National Park is inaccessible by car or foot, flight seeing provides rare views of the Yukon that are worth the trip.

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