Authorities are still taking stock of Mendenhall River flooding, but new temporary riverfront barriers appear to have staved off the kind of severe damage seen in 2024.

The U.S. Forest Service has warned Juneau residents to avoid the Mendenhall Glacier due to a large crack that could lead to significant calving, posing risks to those recreating on the frozen lake.

A window of cold and clear weather has drawn hundreds of people to skate, bike and walk on the lake ice in recent days.

Juneau resident James Wycoff noticed on his regular walks to Nugget Falls that the face of the glacier seemed to be retreating faster this year than he’s ever seen before. The Mendenhall Glacier’s terminus retreated more than 800 feet.

“It was a beautiful event that we were lucky to have survived,” Andrew Hooper said.

Authorities in Alaska are investigating the deaths of three kayakers whose bodies were found in the water of a glacier.

The fall of a climber into a crevasse highlighted this season's risky combination of crumbling snow bridges and splintered climbing teams.