Aclimberlooksintoacrevasse,ordeepcrack,onDenver Glacier.

ExploringtheIce

InSkagway,Iworkedasanoutdoorguideandshowedpeoplethearea’sglaciers.Ifpeopleevergotlostoutside,itwasmyjobtohelpfindthem.Todothat,Ihadalotof training.


Oneday,IwasontheDenverGlaciernearSkagwaywithmyteam.Wewerepracticingwhattodoifapersonfellintoacrevasse.Acrevasseisacrackinthesurfaceofthe glacier.


Afterworkingallday long,wetookabreaktohavesomefun.Wewentovertoanareaoftheglacierthathadlargeseracs.Aseracisaridgeoficeonthesurfaceofaglacier.Thesestickuplikesharkfins.Wedecidedtoclimb them.


Now,atthebaseofoneofthoseseracswasacrevasse.Itwasfulloftheclearestbluewateryou’veeverseen.Togetabetterview,Istoodrightontheedgeofthatcrevassewearingallmyheavygear.Iwasconnectedbyropetoapersonwhowasclimbingabove me.


Suddenly,thatpersonslipped.Iwasyankedoffmyfeetbytherope.Iflewthroughtheairandfellrightintothatdeep,icygap.MyheavygearandIsanklikestonestothe bottom. 

Chunksoficeknownasseracsbreakofffromglaciers.Forglaciologists,it’shardtoresistclimbing them!  

IceRescue!

ButwhowasIoutontheglacierwith?Mysearchandrescueteam.Wehadjustpracticedwhattodoifsomeonefellintoacrevasse.Theyweresoexcited!Quickerthanlightning,theyhadmefishedoutofthedeep,icycrack.Theyhelpedmeremovemywetgear,andIwassoonwarmingupinasleepingbag.Iwascompletely safe.

Icaptureanimageofrockthathasbeenscrapedsmoothbya glacier.

ThefactthatIfellisn’ttheimportantpartofthestory,though.What’simportantiswhathappenedafter.WhenIhelicopteredbacktoSkagway,everyoneintownwantedtohearmyglacierstory.So,Itoldthem.Andthentheytoldmetheirglacier stories.


Theytoldmestoriesofglaciersgrowing,retreating,andcalving.Theytoldmestoriesaboutglacierswithtreesgrowingonthem.Theytoldmestoriesofstrangeglacierbehavior.Theirstoriesshowedmethatthepeopleofmytowninteractwithglaciersinallsortsofways.Glaciersgavepeopleasenseofidentity,ofplace,ofhome.Icetoldthemwhotheywereandwheretheyhad been.


Thesestorieschangedmylife.Forme,listeningtothosestorieshelpedmerealizethattherewassomuchwedidn’tknowaboutglaciers,orglaciersandpeople,orglaciersworldwide.IalsorealizedthatIhadfoundacareerformyself.So,Isetouttostudyglaciersandhowglaciersshapehuman societies.