Travel Archives: Yeah, that looks safe.

Picture this. Alaska. Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Circa 1990-something (as I recall). During a cruise with my friend Norma, we took this side trip excursion via helicopter. We were given groovy moon boots to wear, then turned loose on the glacier. I toted pounds of 35mm camera equipment and my brand new Sony videocam, which I’m using here. Back then, I apparently liked living (and shooting) on the edge (I know my dad will frown when he sees this shot—I sure am close to that precipice, aren’t I?). So this is why they made us sign that “withhold from harm” paper. Afterwards, I scooped water into my hands and drank straight from the glacier. Norma frowned and asked, “aren’t you worried you’ll get sick?” I figured if the water isn’t pure in Alaska on top of a glacier, we’re all doomed. And no, I didn’t get sick.

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Mount McKinley, Alaska

I took a flightseeing tour from Talkeetna over the base camp of Mount McKinley when I was in Alaska in 2000. We flew over the longest glacier in Denali National Park—the 45-mile-long Kahiltna Glacier—and between McKinley’s two sister peaks—Mt. Hunter (14,500 ft.) and Mt. Moraker (17,400 feet). What an experience! I think this shot was made straight from the helicopter, right before we landed on a glacier. It was probably shot with my Nikon F5 and my 24mm wide angle lens. 35mm slide scanned by ScanCafe.com

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