Alaska
At the bottom of the photo is the engine of our light plane as we travel north from Anchorage over glacier fields in the direction of Mt. Denali, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.
As we pass over miles of incredibly rugged country the peak of Denali appears in the distance.
As we approach Denali you can see the wind and snow storms whipping over the peak. Our pilot did not dare go much closer for fear our light plane would be overpowered by these powerful and unpredictable winds.
We leave from this booming port town on our all day boat excursion in the ocean off the south shore of Alaska
Our boat's powerful engines leave a foaming wake in the surreal landscape of bays and islands
We cruise slowly by immense cliffs roosted by millions of sea birds
And spectacular Alaska vistas
Whales cross the bow of our boat
And dolphins race beside us
We float off cliffs sculpted over millions of years by the sea
We arrive at our destination: Holgate Glacier
Here our cruise ship has approached Holgate Glacier on the south coast of Alaska. Another cruise ship (in the photo) was just leaving. Our Captain-guide told us that the glacier was 800 feet wide, 400 feet deep and 12 miles long. Just 10 years ago, he said, it was 25 miles long. Like all the other frozen areas of the world, this glacier is disappearing at an incredible speed, symptomatic of impending global climate change and probable disaster for humankind.
Still-life of a rogue with his paramour and progeny