warm in the winter

on my last day in alaska, my brother and i made the six hour drive from valdez back to anchorage. the alaskan country side, at least along the roads we took, is one of the most beautiful pieces of earth i've ever seen. fall had started to set in some, so you had this incredible spectrum of color -- reds, yellows and greens of all gradations -- set against winding rivers and granite (at least in color) cliffs.
as if that weren't enough to make me say "damn" every few minutes (and it was), about an hour or so outside of anchorage, i took a detour off the main highway and drove about four miles to a glacier. there was a short path made of wood and metal planks that took you from a parking lot to the glacier itself.

i walked past the sign that told me to stop unless i knew what i was doing -- even though, of course, i didn't -- and scrambled and slipped over the ice. i just felt like i had to keep going, like this was the only chance i'd ever have to really experience this sort of immense beauty. finally, i came to a crest where i couldn't see a way forward. i stood there, just sort of soaking up the moment, hoping it would be a long time before i'd forget what it was like to be in that place. then i took two polaroid pictures and turned back.