The weather forecast for our trip was rain, rain, and more bloody RAIN! But as you know by now, we’re pretty lucky and we arrived to blue, cloudless skies. I immediately called ERA Helicopters to book my favorite tour of all – a helicopter ride across the Juneau Ice Field, with a short stop on Taku Glacier. Lucky again, they had space for 4 at 2pm!
Doodle and I went for a nap at the Goldbelt Hotel while Tomcat, Grandma, Peanut and Little Man took off for what I sincerely hoped would be the best experience of their lives. A few hours later I heard a tap-tap on the door and Tomcat pulled me into the hallway with his arms stretched wide, “That was INCREDIBLE! I can’t believe the Russians sold us this place for $7 million bucks!” Apparently, they cried when they had to sell it and it’s easy to understand why. Nothing can prepare you for the vastness that is Alaska. I’ve been on the helicopter tour twice and each time I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.
When glaciers advance, they crush the Earth, smashing 100+ foot evergreens like toothpicks. Then they recede, scraping the Earth smooth. And they’re noisy! It’s like Rice Krispies all over the place followed by thunder, which is actually the glacier calving off huge chunks. The ice itself is black from debris, until it calves and reveals a blue, bluer than the Caribbean. You simply must go. You’ve got to hear it with your own ears and crunch it with your own feet and see it in all its magnitude with your own eyes.
That picture of the ice field is unreal!
ReplyDeleteI just had to comment and say your quote of the day on "appropriate behavior" is absolutely hilarious.
ReplyDelete