A climber looks into a crevasse.
Exploring the Ice
In Alaska, I worked as an outdoor guide. I also trained for search and rescue. That was just in case someone got lost or in trouble. One day, that someone was me!
The search and rescue team was practicing what to do if a person fell into a crevasse. A crevasse is a crack in the surface of a glacier. After working all day, we took a break. We wanted to climb some large seracs. They are tall ridges of ice.
At the base of one was a deep crevasse. I stood on the edge. Some rope connected me to a person climbing above me. When that person slipped, I was knocked off my feet.
We wanted to climb seracs like these.
I take photos of what I see when I’m out studying glaciers.
Ice Rescue!
I fell into the crevasse with all my heavy gear. I sank to the bottom. Luckily, the team fished me out. Soon, I was warming up in a sleeping bag. I was safe.
Back in town, everyone wanted to hear my story. So, I told them. Then they shared with me their stories. I discovered that ice meant something to people. Glaciers gave people a sense of self.
Their stories changed my life. I knew that I had found a career. I would study glaciers. I would study what glaciers mean to people.
