Above and Beyond Alaska

It was an unforgettable adventure. We had spectacular views on the flight, a fun pack raft trip and an amazing hike on the glacier. We had the opportunity to see an incredible ice cave. The guides were top-notch, very patient with our boys while ensuring their safety. I highly recommend this tour!!

Such a fabulous time on the water with Captain Wade and his awesome boat! Comfortable, smooth ride, easy to get on and off, snacks and all the views. Our guide from start to finish was Kelsey and she was fantastic! Friendly, knowledgeable, capable and she made the tour! She even captured some photos for us. Thank you Kelsey and Wade for going “above and beyond”

The cruise on the Royal Princess to Alaska was just simply amazing!! We saw humpback whales, sea otters, bald eagles, and a bear! The hike through the rainforest and the excursion where we did a canoe ride and a hike was awesome!! Having everything arranged prior by Tim, our travel agent was Also amazing. I would highly recommend Tim to book your next cruise!!

A great tour! Lots of bears and cubs fishing in a beautiful waterfall. The location is excellent, and feels remote and wild. Our Bear Guide, Kelsey, was warm and friendly very knowledgeable about the area and about the bears. She went above and beyond to make sure our experience was safe and successful. A really great tour!!

I took the Mendenhall Glacier canoe trip this past weekend and it was easily the highlight of my time in Alaska! A short bus ride took us to a glacial lake formed by the glacier’s recession. A 45 minute-ish canoe ride later, filled with bird watching and cool facts shared by the guides, we arrived within what felt like a stone’s throw of the glacier. The short hike was enjoyable, and the view of the glacier was truly breathtaking. This experience was truly once in a lifetime and I can’t recommend it enough! Thank you so much to our guides Reina, Risa, and Heather for such a fabulous adventure!

Fantastic day exploring the Pack Creek area and viewing wildlife with our awesome guide, Kelsey. We saw a few brown bears, including two pretty close up and lots of bird life. The floatplane flights back and forth to Admiralty Island were smooth with great sightseeing. Kelsey was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and provided a lot of interesting info on what we saw. Kelsey also provided us with some recommendations for places to hike and restaurants to check out on our own after the tour. All of her suggestions turned out to be great and helped us make the most of our time while visiting the area. Highly recommend ABAK tours based on our experience, and if you go, ask for Kelsey to be your guide.

We did the Paddle with Whales with Gianna and Wade and had a fabulous trip. Beautiful sunny day Unbelievable sighting of humpback whales breaching, surface feeding and playful tail splashing at least 13 different whales. Also saw harbor seals and stellar sea lions while kayaking. Gianna and Wade were a wealth of knowledge, so relaxed and welcoming. Highly recommended excursion!! Thank you for adding to our Alaska memories.

Above and Beyond Alaska tours was everything I'd hoped for my bucket-list 40th birthday trip into the wilderness for bear viewing that I gifted myself! My tour guide was Abby and she was such a great fit for our group. She was knowledgeable and personable and kept us safe during our tour. We saw a bear within the first moments of our trip! I was originally booked for Pack Creek, but due to weather, was given the option to be refunded OR go to Waterfall Creek. I chose to continue on with my wild Alaskan adventure -- and everyone else on the trip did, too. (There were two couples and me, plus Abby and the pilot on our DeHavilland Beaver flight.) Waterfall Creek had two other tour groups in when we arrived. About a dozen people total. There was plenty of space for us all to view the subadult bear splashing and fishing in the river. We were given some really great raingear -- pants, top, boots, and a dry bag. We were also given a stainless souvenir water bottle to keep. Binoculars were also provided to the tour group. We had some yummy snacks (we opted out of our lunch to view the bear longer.) The flight was smooth and gorgeous -- about 30 minutes of viewing the lush mountains and bays from our floatplane. One person saw a whale breech and I saw Mendenhall really well, so it was like a flightseeing, whale-watching, glacier and bear tour all in one! This was an absolute blast and well worth the money. Be aware -- you'll likely sit on the ground, quietly for long periods of time. There are no bathroom facilities. It's just you and the bears and your guide in the peaceful Alaskan wilderness. I would do this trip again and again -- it was everything I'd hoped it would be!

Julia and Kendall were amazing! Our boat driver did an amazing job finding the whales and giving us a close, but safe experience! We love kayaking and this experience was out of this world! Just incredible. We saw humpbacks and orcas! Highly recommend this company!

AMAZING experience with ABAK! My boyfriend and I did the Mendenhall Canoe Paddle and Glacier Trek with Jacques and Mike who were extremely knowledgeable, helpful and accommodating with our group. The views were simply incredible and the staff made it so much fun! 5 stars simply isn't enough to rate this unforgettable experience! If you're in decent enough shape to make this trek, don't pass on this opportunity! I'd go back in a heartbeat!

Fantastic guides and outfitters! We were in Juneau for a day and had never visited before. We were looking for a hands-on day trek to Mendenhall Glacier that would be fun for experienced hikers and paddlers. ABAK definitely delivered! They provided all the gear and safety equipment needed, so you don't have to worry if you didn't pack trekking clothing. Door to door transportation was included and our guides knew and shared a lot of information about the glacier, Juneau, and more. They even included a water bottle and a yummy snack pack for the trek. The trek included a short hike to the lake, a canoe paddle across Mendenhall Lake, and a moderate hike to the glacier. Everything was very personalized and up close! I'll definitely trek with ABAK again!

Great place definitely a must do when your in the area . Or just make a point yo go to Alaska and experience it first gand

Just had an amazing trip on the Mendenhall Glacier. Above and Beyond did an awesome job in showing us incredible views and really ensured our safety. Our guides Dan and Leah were friendly and knew so much about the glacier. Would recommend this tour company for anyone who wants to have a fun and safe time on the ice.

My wife and I started our three week trek through Alaska with a glacier hike. We took a helicopter from the airport (Jag from Coastal Helicopters was our great pilot) to the Lemon Glacier and spent several hours hiking with Peter Nave and Sam from Above & Beyond. The experience was everything we hoped for and more. Not only seeing the glacier but gaining a solid understanding of how glaciers form, move, and change was really fun and informative. Being able to go inside of an ice cave and then spend time learning how climb ice walls was also a real joy. We will treasure this part of our trip forever and want nothing more than to go back and do it again, for a longer period of time.

An experience of a LIFETIME!!! Our private tour to the Mendenhall glacier was AMAZING for the whole family. From the fittest, to me, the mamma, who is not sporty but Grant really took care of everyone. The snacks are great and the knowledge and expertise to show us around and keep us safe at the same time is priceless!

My grand mother, aunt and I all went on the "Fortress of the Bears" adventure during our stay and it was absolutely breath taking. ABAK provided every single piece of equipment/ gear that you would ever need as well as a variety of delicious food and snacks during our trip. Our guides Arthur and Noah were incredibly informative, kind, and passionate about the island and the bears. Our excursion included a wonderful sea plane ride to the island that allowed for spectacular views of the water and surrounding islands. We were able to see two bears as soon as we landed, and we're lucky enough to even be pretty close to them. Our guides wanted us to have the best possible experience while keeping us safe and the bears comfortable- after all we were in THEIR home. Admiralty island is a magical place, and ABAK and our guides provided us with an unforgettable experience that we would all recommend

This was definitely the highlight of our trip. Thanks to Beau and Ian we now have 4 new dances based on the glacier. The toe heel, bee bop, crevasse, and oar. But, in all seriousness, we were on a time crunch. We were a group of 12 with 6 people canoeing and 6 people hiking and we wanted to be able to hike the glacier together. Ian was wonderful. He knew the trail well and knew what pace we needed to keep in order to make it to the glacier with our friends. The hike was wonderful. Ian was able to point out edible plants as well as poisonous. He answered questions and had great stories if we wanted to hear them, which we did. Beau and Ian's knowledge of the glacier was amazing. They took the time to explain the gear and how we should walk on the glacier. We had some terrified people in our group and they did everything possible to make them feel comfortable. They worked well together checking out the glacier to make sure we were on a safe path. Ian was also able to tell us much about the science of the color of the glacier. By the end, we were all confidently walking across the glacier. I left the trip exhilarated, knowledgeable, and ready to go back and take on the ice caves with these two guides. Thanks so much for a wonderful experience.

Had a great solo kayak experience, paddling around AukeBay. With help from the employee I had assistance carrying the kayak and launching it from the boat ramp. Borrowing a dry bag, I was able to safely stow my phone, knitting and book. Nice and easy kayak out of the harbor, past the Alaska Marine Ferry Terminal and landed it on a little sandy beach area. With the little experience I have, i felt confident and safe and I was able to have an enjoyable afternoon, staying close to shore, being on the water and a little picnic on a beach. The water was a little choppy, but with temps in the mid 70's I didn't bother with the spray skirt. Winds on my return paddle pulled me out to the channel, which was a little unnerving, but returned safely. My life jackets whistle got caught on the inside edge of my seat, as I got out, which could have been very scary had I dumped the boat. If you feel the water calling you, don't wait for a friend to invite you, just do it. Definitely worth the $45 for a half day!

The Mendenhall Glacier Trek was truly a spectacular experience. As they warn, the hike is more than just a walk, but I'd recommend it to anyone who has the time and is physically fit enough for it. Walking on the glacier is amazing: the colors of the ice are otherworldly. This was a highlight of my trip to Alaska, and I can only hope I get to do it again.

My wife and I had a kick-ass time hiking up to and trekking on the Mendenhall Glacier with Above & Beyond. We were in Juneau for just the day on a shore excursion from our cruise (as a side note, cruises are great and all, but if you get bored easily, bring pants with elastic waistbands because you're going to eat a lot because you're very likely going to be bored for your at sea days). When we first signed up for Holland America, we were pretty excited at all the things we could do in Juneau. There was dog sledding, glacier trekking and ice climbing and all this other stuff. Then we saw they were like $500pp. Umm... screw that. We went out on our own, and by the power of Google, were able to find the same excursions through A&B for significantly less. Screw the cruise and their 50% markup - support your local businesses! Kevin was our guide, and he had tons of information on the local town, the terrain and the history. As we hiked up to the glacier, he talked to us about local wildlife, plants, and trees, how the terrain and plant life changes as we got closer to the glacier, and about what we could and couldn't eat, and what we should stay away from. Seriously, dude is bright and told us everything we ever wanted to know. Then, once we got on the glacier, he spent time with us to get our gear right, took us into all the ice caves, described how certain formation develop on the glacier and all that good stuff. He was knowledgable, friendly, and made sure we were all having a good time while being safe. Honestly, it was one of the best day tours I've ever had and I couldn't recommend this company more highly. The rest of Alaska, as you can all imagine, is unbelievable scenic. You can spend all day just sitting there and soaking in all the splendor. But A&B, and Kevin especially made this the best part of our trip.

Their guide was amazing. We did the full day hike, onto the glacier, into an ice cave. The guide kept us safe, with detailed guidance on the use of safety gear. Clearly, familiar with the area, skilled at safe navigation of the terrain, and professional & fun. These are the guides to go with!

The mister and I had a fantastic time on our self-guided Mendenhall glacial lake kayaking excursion. Hannah and Katie met us outside the cruise ship docks, and we were spirited away by van to the lake where our kayak and gear were waiting for us. We especially enjoyed chatting with Hannah, whom was native to Juneau. It was interesting to learn more about the city and the changes that have occurred. This excursion assumes that you know how to kayak, so a verbal explanation of the gear is given along with a map of the lake to help you navigate. Snacks and souvenir water bottles were provided and a nice touch. My only very minor gripe with this excursion was that my kayak skirt was not properly fitted, so it kept popping up while paddling, which led to me getting wet. The water was about a balmy 36 degrees when we went, mind. Make sure you wear a watch if you decide to take this excursion because the time passes by fast. The scenery was absolutely stunning, but fair warning to bring gloves because it was pretty cold on the lake especially with the strong winds near the glacier. It was pretty amazing that besides for people on the shore near the visitor's center and near the waterfall, we were the only people kayaking on the lake. That meant that we were able to explore the entire lake without being near swarms of other tourists.

Nervous about such a long day hiking, but Leah our guide was fabulous. Hiked to Mendenhall Glacier & went in an ice cave-beautiful. One of our favorite things we did during our 3 weeks in AK.

My husband, brother and I went on the glacier trek and climb back in the middle of May and this was by far the highlight of our trip! Gabe was our guide - very knowledgeable and just an overall great guide. There were 6 of us in total on our hike that day. They provided waterproof pants and jackets if needed as well as backpacks to carry trek and climb gear along with snacks (bagel and cream cheese, granola bars, chocolates, bottle of water) and any personal belongings that you would like to take with you. The three of us are in our mid-to-late twenties and are fairly active so the hike on the way there wasn't too bad. The first portion of the hike (around 2 miles if I remember correctly) was fairly easy with many switchbacks. The second portion of the hike to the glacier took longer and there was no longer a marked trail - this section required rock scrambling and included steep sections. On the day we went, it was raining in the morning and so it was pretty slippery. Good sturdy hiking shoes / boots are very important. After arriving at the foot of the glacier, we were oriented on how to use our glacier trek gear. The views walking on top of the glacier was unbelievable. I don't think words can express the sights you see while on top of / under the glacier and so I attached some pictures. We also had the option of trying the ice climbing. Not everyone in our group attempted this but I highly recommend it if you have the option to try it. I was initially a little hesitant since I had no experience ice climbing and it looked a little daunting at first, but our guide was very reassuring and it turned out to be SO much fun! The hike back was pretty challenging and tiring since we had spent so much time hiking to the glacier and then glacier trekking & climbing (walking in crampons can be tiring if you are not used to them!) and the rocks were pretty slick so there were several slips and falls, especially in the portion of the hike where there was no trail. In spite of how tiring the hike can be, I would HIGHLY recommend the trip if you are physically fit because the sights while on the glacier are unbelievable!

Found out about Above and Beyond Alaska after doing some research on ways to visit Mendenhall Glacier. The cruise line only offered helicopter rides to the glacier but we were looking for something a little more physical. The hike Above and Beyond offers was the perfect excursion. Above and Beyond was extremely accommodating as well, they discovered our ship was tendering into port that day and gave us instructions on what to do. Our guide waited for us as the tendering process took a little longer than expected. The hike does require some level of fitness and I would not recommend if you have a fear of heights. Part of the hike requires you to scale some rocks for approximately 30 ft that are practically straight up (down on the way back). You start off by walking through the Alaskan rain forest and once you get to the glacier you put on crampons and get to explore a little. We also got to sample the glacier water! Chelsea was a great tour guide and added to the unforgettable experience. My only disappointment from was that we didn't get to explore an ice cave. The ice caves were deemed not safe the day we went on the hike (Alaska was experiencing a heat wave), completely out of Above and Beyond's control. Highly recommended, an awesome way to experience Alaska's rain forest and Mendenhall Glacier.

Ben was an excellent tour guide! It was the highlight of my trip in Alaska. It was safe. The most fit the group is at paddling, the more time you can enjoy at the glacier. So paddle hard and enjoy the tour!

My wife and I recently did the Mendenhall Lake self-guided kayaking trip, and it was awesome. Hannah and Katie were our guides (or drop offers and pick uppers?) and were easy to find, very friendly, and very knowledgeable about the area. Bald eagles are everywhere in Juneau, and it was cool to see them hanging out on light poles on the road to the lake. We received ABAK water bottles and bags of snacks (a nice surprise), got outfitted with PFDs and spray skirts, and then we were off. With the wind and the icy water temperature (36 or so), things can get a bit chilly, so gloves would be a good idea. My spray skirt didn't fit well, so it wasn't well attached when we left, and it was impossible to get a good fit once I got out of the boat at a stopping point. I got a little wet, but it wasn't bad. ABAK can allow a maximum of six people onto the water each day, and we lucked out by being the only two people in our group. There were a few gigantic war canoes on the lake, but they finished their tour quickly, and then we had the lake to ourselves. The glacier itself is beautiful, and there are many icebergs as well. There's also a beautiful waterfall. My descriptions can't do the natural beauty of the lake any justice, so you'll have to see it in person to see what I mean. I will definitely book with ABAK again the next time I am in Juneau.

I had signed up for an excursion via juneaushoretours.com, and the invoice for our excursion is Juneau Shore Tours, but this is the same company as ABAK. I did the Mendenhall Glacier Paddle & Trek in late May 2017 with two other friends. We did not book through the cruise, where it would have been $30 more. There were three other people in our canoe, and they had also booked independently. For this excursion, our group ranged from late twenties to mid forties. Our cruise docked at 6:30am (we met at 7:00, no delays), and we returned to the ship by 1:30pm as scheduled, leaving two hours at port. The walk to the meeting place was simple to find. We got into the van with our driver, who took us to their company's stationing area. I think you can get a real sense of the company just by the stationing area - everything was neat, orderly, thought through. There was more than enough gear that was clean, good quality, well taken care of, and came in a variety of sizes. The building could accommodate many more people, so it was nice to prepare and organize our gear with ample room. All the workers here seemed like they knew their job functions and operated knowledgeably and confidently. Our tour guide was Brittany, who gave us our orientation, drove us to our canoe area, led us through the ice caves and glacier and back. She had a great personality, easy to talk to, energetic, knowledgeable, laid back. I felt safe the entire time, and you could tell that safety is one of their top priorities (along with fun having). This was a fantastic company to take an excursion with. They gave us a ton of snacks as part of our excursion, and even a souvenir water bottle. Got way more than I bargained for. Of course I wish I could have spent more time on the glacier, but the day was well balanced. Would highly recommend this company.

My wife and I went on the "Mendehall Glacier Canoe Paddle & Trek" and it was amazing. Our group of 12 was lead by our tour guides Eric and Mark. They were friendly, informative, funny, and easy going. Just make sure you listen to their instructions while hiking on the glacier. Good: 1. Hiking on an actual glacier was the 3rd most awesome thing on my list of things. #1 is seeing the grand canyon, and #2 is playing world of warcraft for the very first time. 2. We were lucky and got a chance to go into a small ice cave that just appeared due to some ice melting. Not like the ice cave luke skywalker was hanging from in hoth. 3. The company provides you with rubber boots, metal spikes for your boots, waterproof pants, rain coat, backpack, snacks, a free metal water bottle for you to keep, helmet, life vest, harness, and walking stick. They also pick you up from your cruise and drop you off afterwards. 4. We got to drink glacier water. It was cold and crisp, and tasted like water. 5. You get to paddle with 6 other people on a canoe to the glacier. It takes about 45+ minutes each way. Bad: 1. You get to paddle with 6 other people on a canoe to the glacier. It takes about 45+ minutes each way. 1b. Padding is DAMN tiring. Remember to switch sides when you paddle back so you can give your other arm a workout. I was pretty tired, mostly because i'm out of shape. 2. Hiking to the glacier does require some effort. Don't go if you are bad at walking. I think 2 people fell during the hike from our group. They weren't hurt or anything. 3. Didn't see any pokestops near by. Other: 1. Tour took 7 hours (from picking you up to dropping you off at the dock). 2. Remember to tip the tour guides if you think they did a good job. Don't be a cheap ass.

These guys delivered on so many levels. From the start Kathleen was prompt with her responses and helped to make the booking process seamless. Once I arrived there, everyone was super chill and easy to talk with, got free coffee while I waited for the rest of my group. On the actual canoe and trek, Blake was the MAN! He did great engaging everyone, facilitating the group to get to know each other, and the guy was genuinely interested in what he was talking about it. On this trip I got to check an item off the bucket list, created a lasting memory, and met likeminded people that I now call friends.

Lots of fun, and a great core workout!! Lauren was great, and we all had a wonderful time!!! Saw a sea lion, several harbor seals!!

The Mendenhall Glacier trek was one of the highlights of my trip! Jacques and Kasey were incredible guides. Not only were they fun and knowledgeable, but I was confident in their ability to keep us all safe. The trek itself was beautiful, though I'd call it more technically challenging than strenuous. Lots of difficult terrain and a few places where you'll get your heart rate up, but nothing too crazy. The glacier itself was phenomenal and the ice cave underneath was one of the most incredibly beautiful and otherworldly things I've ever seen. Definitely would book with them again! Also: the snacks they provided were 10/10.

Kayaking with whales - OMG we were so close - a very small group of kayakers with a guide and captain on the boat - fabulous morning out - whales were awesome that close, easy to Kayak so anyone can do it ! thanks for a fabulous time!!

An awesome day viewing wildlife and kayaking through pristine waters. We booked the Paddle with Whales Kayak Tour.

Highlight of our trip! We booked an ice trek to see the Mendenhall caves and the entire experience has been wonderful. From the booking & the smooth communication to the actual trek itself, we felt taken care of. Arielle was our guide. She made sure we had all the right gear, snacks and gave us great information during the trek. The ice cave is simply stunning. MUST DO in Juneau!

Sarah was our guide and is a naturalist who is freaking amazing. She saved our lives during a bear viewing because she remained calm when we all wanted to run. It was exciting at the same time but scary too. We did the whale watching with her too and she just knows her stuff. The company is lucky to have her. She is young and full of life and an old soul who has lived on her own and has experienced life very quickly with lot's of learning about nature and how to live off the land.

Everyone I dealt with during the tour including booking, pickup, gear outfitting and the kayak tour were amazing. Did the Mendenhall Self Guided Tour which was perfect from everything down to the snacks provided, kayak, safety and maps! When I come back to Juneau, they will be the first tour company I call for a different trek!

Kayaked Mendenhall Lake, hiked up the glacier, went underneath the glacier to experience the awe-inspiring magnificence of an ice cave . All done under the watchful , helpful, friendly eye of our amazing guide. An experience I will never forget. Thank you so much!

We just got home from our cruise to Alaska and we ALL agreed that our hike and experience on Mendenhall Glacier was our favorite thing we did. The hike was beautiful, the lake gorgeous, the glacier amazing. It was so much fun getting out into nature and seeing Alaska on my own two feet. However, our guides, Justin and Dan, were so much fun and really were the ones who made it memorable. They seemed to love what they do, love where they live, and were happy to share it with us. Their laughs were super contagious too! Haha, they sound the exact same when they laugh. They really made the whole trek extra fun without sacrificing quality or safety. They seem like such laid back and easy going guys but they really knew the glacier and were very knowledgeable about the whole area in general. I was a little nervous on the glacier but they made sure we were safe and took all the precautions necessary. I would definitely do this exact same tour again!

My husband and I booked a three day, two night kayak trip to Tracy Arm with Above & Beyond Alaska. The website was easy to use and the staff was extremely prompt in responding to my email inquiries and guiding me through the reservation process. Once our trip was booked, everything went like clockwork! Our guide (Bjorn) made sure we had everything we needed ahead of time and even gave us ideas for some great spots to visit during the extra day we had in town. The morning of our departure he picked us up and brought us from our hotel to the dock where the charter boat out of Juneau awaited. It took a few hours to get out to Tracy Arm, but Bjorn regaled us with stories and was very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife we were about to experience and certainly put me at ease about hopping off the charter boat and into a kayak when we arrived! I wish I had the words to describe the breathtaking landscape we met upon reaching Tracy Arm. Between watching the calving glaciers, seals, birds, and even a bear it seemed like our trip was over in a flash (even at my slow and inexperienced paddling speed). Fortunately I will always have the memory of the scenery, our quiet mornings and evenings at camp, and really great meals I didn't have to do any of the planning for! I am so happy to have booked our trip through this company as the office staff and guides we contacted were incredibly professional, safety focused and intent on responsibly sharing the natural beauty of their home. I look forward to plotting our next escape to Alaska and without reservation would encourage anyone looking for the same to contact Above & Beyond Alaska.

My boyfriend and I got incredibly lucky and this trek turned out to be the highlight of our trip to Alaska, though our experience was a bit unique. We were originally set to hike with 5 other travelers, but when we met the guides in the morning they informed everyone that due to very poor weather conditions, we likely wouldn't make it to the glacier; they offered everyone the option to cancel with a full refund. After a pretty convincing you-should-probably-cancel pitch from one of the guides, (who we think may have been exaggerating a bit) the other 5 travelers canceled and we ended up with a de-facto private tour with another guide Madisyn, who was awesome and just as gung-ho as we were to attempt the climb despite the torrential rain. Madisyn did so much to make our trip great and get us onto the glacier despite the earlier warnings that it was perhaps inaccessible. She thought to bring waterproof boots, which made it possible for us to hike through the flooded terrain. We never would have made it in sneakers or even hiking boots... we were literally hiking through 8-9 inches of flowing water at times. She was friendly and helpful, and really made the extra-wet adventure fun. She even brought hot chocolate for us, which was a fantastic touch. After a couple of hours spent hopping across quick-running streams and scampering up slick rocky terrain, we reached the glacier and ice caves underneath, both of which were stunning. Madisyn (plus other guides from the company who had hiked earlier to scout the area) worked to find an alternative way for us to get onto the glacier, since the river between the trail and the access point was flooded. We were eventually able to explore the ice caves and climb the glacier itself, and while the micro-spikes we strapped onto our boots took a little getting used to, the gear all worked fantastically on top of the ice. We really couldn't believe how lucky we got -- not only were we able to complete the whole hike in surreal and wild conditions and walk on the glacier itself, but we practically got the whole mountain to ourselves because so many other tours were cancelled due to the weather. Madisyn was instrumental in making this happen, and she was super fun to hike with. Our trip may not have been 100% representative of the larger group tour that it should have been, but we definitely got the impression that Above & Beyond Alaska works hard to make their treks fantastic for their clients, and we were so glad we didn't miss this.

They're quite serious about their moniker - "Above & Beyond" as our guided trek to Mendenhall Glacier this August 09 was truly that - above and beyond. Our cruise ship guided hike seemed like a Mendenhall glacier trek hors d'oeuvre compared to what we wanted, and after Googling, found A&B highly recommended on another travel site. (Call A&B directly and book as you'll save money BTW). When ship docked in Juneau, we went to the meeting place with about 9 other intrepid souls and waited. When the van finally showed up with a new driver, who was really nice but should invest in a GPS, we went hunting for a client at another stop - he wasn't there, he was at another hotel. We went hunting again, and I was getting annoyed, as the driver was sacrificing the group for the sake of one. Wisely, the driver aborted the snipe hunt as some of the clients were openly expressing annoyance. This was the only minor ding of the trip as I was worried it was a harbinger of our coming trek. But after that things flowed. Off we went to the takeoff point. There we met our two sibling mountain goat-like guides, who as I soon learned were very capable and knowledgeable about the flora, fauna and glaciers. We were handed gear - packs, ice axes, crampons, water, harness and a small bag of snacks . After gear instructions we set off. It starts off slowly, but soon you're deep in a temperate rainforest of astonishing beauty that soon turns to rocky terrain and then to a moonscape just before the glacier. After traversing some very rough terrain, climbing a steep rocky cliff, we stood before the glacier. Crampons go on at the edge of the glacier and wielding our ice axes, we hiked around the glacier, marveling at the jaw dropping majesty of the glacier. Our guides directed us to pure glacier water, which you can drink unfiltered and shepherded us around deep crevasses. The highlight was entering an ice cave. It's mind blowing - it's like crawling into a diamond. Startlingly blue and the air inside was charged with oxygen - oxygen thousands of years old. A cathedral of ice, I was almost in tears at the otherworldly beauty. From there we headed back through some very dense rainforest and very rocky almost non-existent switchback trails. It's deep bush, straight out of a movie. Our interesting and well-traveled guides kept us entertained and made sure everyone was okay. I was feeling the 8 mile fast paced hike, but could have turned around and repeated the trip just to be on that glacier again. IMPORTANT. Bring boots, sturdy grippy waterproof hiking boots with ankle support as you traverse some very rocky terrain. You will ascend and descend steep rocky grades and cross streams and be wearing crampons. You can do it in tennis shoes, but I suspect you won't be comfortable. It helps to be somewhat in shape so you can enjoy the trip, because if you aren't you'll be hating life before you even reach the glacier. Trust me, you'll be tested. But you'll make it, because you always want to see what beauty spot lies around the next bend, and Above & Beyond will show you the best. I highly recommend them. And that missing client? He took a taxi out to meet us at the starting point. He exclaimed later that if he had missed the trip, he couldn't know what he had missed so he wouldn't feel too bad, but after doing the trip, he realized missing the trip would have been a huge mistake and he was so glad he made the effort.

We did the Mendehall Glacier Canoe Paddle & Trek. Definitely one of the highlights of our cruise, if not the top! Adam and Miles were awesome guides and prepped us on all gear and procedures, kept us safe by communicating perfectly throughout! This was definitely rugged and slightly strenuous but they did well keeping everyone motivated and I think the whole group agreed the effort was well worth the views that were nothing short of amazing. I especially loved that they provide all of the gear - you don't even need hiking boots!

This review is sorely overdue. We went on a cruise to Alaska in August 2011 and I made a conscious effort to book our excursions with Alaska based companies rather than through the cruise ship. Above & Beyond is a great little company. When my sister and I booked the Mendenhall Glacier Trek, my biggest concern was that I would be too out of shape for the trek. I called them up to ask how strenuous the trek would be and Crystal was just fantastic. We determined that if I was comfortable walking 30 or 40 city blocks, I should be okay exercise-wise and she was totally right. Our guide was Dawn and she met us exactly on-time. There was one other client on the trip and she was fantastic as well. As soon as we met, Dawn told us our options. Apparently, it had been raining pretty heavily in Juneau for the past couple of weeks and the trails would be muddy and slippy so it would be best if we kayaked to the glacier. Remember the me-not-being-in-shape thing? Well, I also have a don't-know-how-to-swim thing and an afraid-of-water thing but Dawn was really great and put me at ease. Actually, she basically convinced me that it would be far safer in the kayak than on the trail. First we went and picked up the kayaks and then we drove down to the lake. Dawn got us all set up in the kayaks and out we went. The lake was so calm and there was no one else on it - that by itself was a surreal experience. The kayak ride out was actually pretty fun although I still don't have the hang of steering the thing. Even on the lake, Dawn took time to point out the blue herons that were just hanging out on the rocks and tell us about the icebergs. Once we got on the glacier, we got all geared up had a short lesson on walking with crampons. Dawn was like a walking geology lesson and I think that really added to our experience. On the glacier we went into an ice cave and peered down into a crevice. We had lots of times for photos and just being there on top of a glacier! We had our hearty snack of bagel and cream cheese and kayaked back. This is the absolute best way to see Mendenhall. I'm not exactly a nature-girl but after this trek, I would seriously reconsider my stance on the whole nature thing. It was an exhausting trip but a really great kind of exhausting. Everyone should do this if they can - I guarantee it will be one of your lasting memories from Alaska.

Wow! What an amazing and awesome day! We did the Mendenhall Glacier Trek. It was a small group of us (6), plus our guide, Beau. The hike was maybe 4-5 miles to the glacier and was beautiful (plus 4-5 miles back). There were a couple of beautiful look outs as well as education spots along the way. Beau did an excellent job talking to us through the hike about the glacier, the area, and making sure we were prepared for some of the more difficult terrain on the trail as we came up on it. The glacier itself was truly awesome. Even though we had crampons, walking on the ice was certainly not intuitive or comfortable at first. The crevasses in the glacier were beautiful and awe-inspiring. A couple of us froze up a little due to heights around the crevasses, but Beau did a truly amazing job helping to get me to overcome fears, proceed, and truly enjoy the experience. After getting a little comfortable on the ice and with the gear, we felt very comfortable and safe. I loved this experience and would certainly do it again!

My husband and I did the Mendenhall Glacier Trek and we enjoyed it so much. Our tour guides, Gabe & Connor were amazing - informative, helpful, entertaining, good conversationalists. We were fortunate to be joined with a group of 7 other people who all seemed to be in sync with one another. We all hiked at about the same pace, cheered each other on, took pictures for each other and rallied together to support each other. The hike is pretty intense and even the most experienced hikers in the group were tired at the end of the day. You are scooting down on rocks, using tree branches to hoist yourself over rocks and tree trunks, etc. Hiking boots are essential not only for the hike, but when you're using crampons on the ice the boots offer the support you'll need. One girl in our group only had tennis shoes on and though she did fine, the glacier trekking was tougher for her as her feet got wet and her feet were sliding around more than is comfortable. Another one of our companions completely blew out the soles on both of her boots and Connor was so prepared he was able to repair it with duct tape and zip ties - enough for her to finish the hike. We got to spend a bunch of time on the ice, ice climbing, repelling down into an ice cave - it was amazing. I wish we could bottle up the amazing feeling it left us with and revisit it every day. Thanks Above & Beyond Alaska - it was the highlight of our trip and the first thing we tell our friends about! Our trip was in August 2012

My husband and I did a 5-day, 4-night trip with these guys from Juneau to Admiralty Island. We had been kayaking once before in Alaska and had seen glaciers so we wanted to do something different. This trip was a spectacular opportunity to see bears, eagles, seals and lots of other wildlife in a gorgeous setting close to Juneau. The owners of the company are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and attentive to their customers. Our guide was a Juneau-native who was confident, professional and a pleasant guy to be around for 5 days. The food was plentiful, varied and very tasty. We also ended up using their equipment, which was clean and of good quality. The main purpose of our trip was to kayak to Pack Creek, a brown bear viewing area co-managed by Alaska Fish and Game and the USFS. To start our trip we were dropped off via boat from Juneau at the Oliver Inlet (45 minute or so journey) and kayaked to the portage ramp that took us to Seymour Canal. We spent the next 4 days kayaking in the beautiful waters of this protected canal. Soon after we started our trip in the canal I was excited as I saw a bald eagle. I looked closer with my binoculars and saw 4 more! Over the course of the trip we saw eagles doing everything from sitting on nests to scooping up fish and fighting mid-air. As we kayaked in the canal we saw harbor seals, a few deer, more eagles, a pine marten and lots of dungeness crab and sea stars. We soaked up all of this wildlife viewing with a beautiful dense, lush forest and plentiful cascading waterfalls as the background. To visit Pack Creek you need a permit. On the day we were scheduled to visit Pack Creek we only saw two bears from very far away and were a bit disappointed. But, since we were camping on the island nearby, we were able to buy a permit for the next day as well and return to try again. On our second day we ended up seeing 4 bears, including a mother and cub and a young male bear VERY close up. For me, this was really the highlight. If we had come by airplane on that first day like everyone else, we would not have been able to return so easily. I highly recommend this trip and this outfitter. For my husband and I, it was just perfect. As we were not familiar with concerns about tides/currents and/or brown bears, we were a bit concerned about venturing out on our own. This allowed us to do the trip we wanted but feel relaxed and comfortable.

First, I have to say that the glacier hike itself was absolutely incredible. It was such an amazing experience to be able to see such magnificent scenery up close, and I thoroughly enjoyed the excursion itself. However, Above & Beyond Alaska cannot take credit for my enjoyment. If anything, our guides hindered the experience, as they were unbelievably rude and condescending throughout the trip. Our guides provided little information about the glaciers, and instead condescended us for asking questions (which they were unable to answer). In addition to condescending us, they yelled at us repeatedly throughout our canoeing and hiking excursion. Asking questions about directions, talking, taking a brief break while paddling (nonstop for an hour each way I might add), trying to take pictures of the scenic landscape, or any false step during the hike warranted harsh remarks from our guides. They justified their words by claiming they had to be tough for "safety purposes," but I've been on enough excursions to know that there is a way to be safe and still make the experience fun. We did, however, witness some much more enjoyable guides in action (although we are unsure if they were affiliated with Above & Beyond Alaska), but we did not have the privilege of experiencing their tour. Overall, I would absolutely recommend the glacier hike tour; I cannot say if all of the guides are as horrible as our's was, but if you are scheduled to spend the day with Adam and Sarah I would definitely reconsider.

We had the greatest adventure and saw things that I have never seen thanks to the great guides and well run company of above and beyond. I felt safe the whole time I was walking around the glacier and I was taught and shown many things that I had never known about glaciers. What a great adventure. I would recommend doing and excursion with above and beyond to anyone who is in Juneau.

If you are debating a nature-adventure in Juneau, then this company is the way to go. 1. They provide you with everything that you possibly need on the trek. So you don't have to pack much pre-trip. 2. My guides were awesome. Shoutout to Brad and Elliot. If you can, work with them. 3. Do the paddle and glacier trek. It's pricy. But worth it. Memories of Mendenhall, up close and personal, will stay forever.

The trek with ABAK was by far the highlight of our honeymoon. Adam and Kaitlyn were our guides for our Mendenhall Glacier canoe paddle and trek and boy, am I happy they were there with us! The day started at 7AM, we were picked up by Adam and taken to headquarters to get on our gear and snacks, then off to Mendenhall Lake to start the paddle portion of our trip. It was steadily raining by this point, but I was still excited to get out and get some exercise after being on a cruise ship. While we are paddling to the glacier, Adam mentioned how the wind usually isn't this bad on the lake and should be better on the return. It took about 45 mins to get to the glacier, and the hike through the blue caves, crossing the steadily flowing stream onto the glacier itself is other-worldly. Once on the glacier, our expert guides led us safety around to look at various crevasses, glacial streams, and we filled our water bottles with delicious glacier water! I have to say, leaning back into a crevasse was just as scary/amazing as it sounds, although I was getting concerned about our trip back across the stream since it had been raining non-stop and I have read too many book about people being swept away down stream in swiftly moving rivers (ok, it was one book in particular called Death in Yosemite, but that's besides the point). There ended up being no need to worry as we made it quickly and safely back to our canoe for the paddle back. However, if we thought the paddle out was tough, the paddle back was even more difficult with cross-winds creating 1-2 foot high waves on the lake. We were back at around 2PM, fully exhilarated and ready for a nap at the same time. Long story short, this trek was awesome, our guides were amazing, and I HIGHLY recommend spending the money and doing a trek with ABAK if you are in the Juneau!

We had such a great day kayaking with Sarah at ABAK today, that I had to write a review. At the meeting place, a young man met us carrying a sign, so we knew where to meet up. He escorted us to a van where Sarah was waiting for us. She announced that she would be our guide, as she gave us a tour of Juneau on our way to their facility. We learned about the lay of the land, the history, and about plants and animals. At the facility we found ABAK to be very organized. Each of us had our rain gear, boots, life vests and spray skirts laid out for us. We each had a snack bag filled with goodies, and bottled water was provided. We piled back into the van and drove a short while to the put-in. We carried our gear through a beautiful forest to the beach where the kayaks were stored nearby. We were happy to carry our kayaks down to the beach where we loaded them up, and Sarah made sure we put into the water safely. We had a great paddle, and saw Salmon jumping, Bald Eagles, and Stellar Sea Lions close up. It was a great experience, and we would highly recommend it to those looking for a day of adventure and discovery.

We went on the Mendenhall Glacier trek and it was the highlight of our cruise. Got to hike to the glacier, and hike on the glacier. We then actually got to ice climb and even visited and ice cave. The guide was top notch and was very knowledgeable about the area as well as the geology that created this wonder.

We did the canoe and glacier tour at Mendal (offered through Royal Caribbean). Our guides were amazing!! We set off in a van to go to the warehouse, leaving the cruise ship dock. On the way we saw lots of wildlife, like many bald eagles. A the warehouse we were provided with all of our essential gear. The guides explained all of the items and made sure everything fit properly before we left. We got to the lake and walked over to the canoes and loaded our gear up. We had two groups and two guides traveling together that day. Someone made a joke about racing and next thing we know we are flying across the lake. Normally the journey takes about an hour, but but our canoes made it in 30 minutes. We had a short hike to wear we put on all our extra safety gear and started climbing the ice. A guide was in the front and another in the back of the line. We all carefully followed all directions as we slowly climbed the glacier. The guides gave us plenty of photo opportunities, and even took us into the ice cave toward the end of the journey. While it was very dangerous tracking around up there our guides were knowledgeable and made us all feel safe. We were so thankful we took this tour. Forget the helicopters and the sled dogs. Get out there in a canoe and hike a real glacier if you want to truly experience Alaska!!

Before I took my cruise, I had thought that my kayaking excursion on Mendenhall Lake would be the highlight of my trip. I was right! I am so thankful that I read about Above and Beyond's excursions online since they aren't linked with the cruise line and it was really an amazing, almost once in a lifetime opportunity. I and another cruise passenger got to kayak right pass beautiful icebergs and pretty close (as close as was safe) to the Mendenhall Glacier! Wow! It was spectacular and fun! It was also a bit scary because the lake water is hypothermic ; luckily we didn't fall in and were fine. We had almost the entire lake (with a waterfall as well) to ourselves. It was so beautiful and peaceful and fun to be doing something active. This company was very friendly and professional. Our terrific driver Matt gave us a wonderful glimpse into what it's like to live in Alaska. I highly recommend the self-guided kayaking tour on Mendenhall Lake!