Photos: Exploring Alaska's Matanuska Glacier

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Guide Ben Burrell works with Owen Kirkland on the Matanuska Glacier.

SUTTON -- Our group of eight newbie ice hikers made its way up, then down, a short incline under the direction of MICA Guides leader Ben Burrell, who, I'm sure, tried not to laugh as we clomped and stomped in an effort not to hook ourselves in the ankles with the two-inch spikes protruding from our boots. Satisfied with our performance, Burrell quickly organized us into a multigenerational lineup.

"Let's go hike on some ice," he said.

That ice was Matanuska Glacier, a 26-mile frozen river representing centuries of compressed snowfall that offers visitors the uncommon opportunity to walk right up to and on its frigid flanks. Like most people who travel the Glenn Highway, I had stopped many times at pullouts to take pictures and ogle at the bluish ribbons of ice protruding from a cloudy Alaska day, but always on my way to or from another destination, and usually with children in the back seat. The glacier was too far away and too technical for my youngster to be trusted to explore safely. And, no doubt, it was too expensive to hire a guide -- or so I thought.

Read more: Icy exploration awaits on Alaska's stunning Matanuska Glacier