Rescue

So this “road” we were driving on to the foot of the glacier wasn't actually a road – but actually just a footpath we discovered. Help arrived in the form of a nearby pickup truck with a tow strap. The digging wasn't doing too much, so we decided to give up and just try to snatch the van from the rear (use the elasticity of the tow strap to apply a quick jerk of force). I got in and rolled up the windows - just in case it tips over in the process – I'm imagining it would be better not to have all that goo oozing into the van thru open windows. I wanted to put my seatbelt on (again, so I wouldn't fall out of the seat sideways), but leaned over that far, the pre-tensioner was locked so I couldn't. I gave just enough power in 4WD-low to almost spin the tires, and the truck yanked back. It was all over in an instant: Hallelujah, the van was extracted – and without damage. I almost dropped to my knees overwhelmed with gratitude! Mud was everywhere, so it took some time to clean everything up, but we were safe again - ahhhhhhhhhh. Few feelings in this world match the tremendous relief when snatched from the brink of disaster.

The van on solid ground again, we opened a special bottle of wine from a friend as we reclined in our seats to take in the view of the glacier. This was an amazing spot, and we had it all to ourselves. The wine was great – life is good!

The next morning, we walked over to the glacier and hiked around on it – with help from our hiking poles. Traction was tentative at times, so we avoided anything with significant exposure. Because we had spent the night there, we had the place to ourselves for much of the morning until the day-tourists started arriving. It was a very cool playground of ice.

We headed to Anchorage with a mile long list of things we needed : Oil change, electrical work on the van, REI, drugstore, car wash (to remove the muck still caked underneath the van). I thought it would be great to be back in the "civilized world" - restaurants, choices, etc. But we couldn't get out of there fast enough - traffic, crowds, ghettos, liquor stores – yuck. Until now, I'd occasionally dreamed about all the things I would enjoy when we get home. Now I wonder if I will be able to handle the frenetic pace of life there.

Fortunately, it was only fifteen minutes of driving south from Anchorage before no sign of the city was even present, and the natural beauty of the area shined. In fact, the road followed a narrow inlet with snow=patched mountains all around. But it was the white aliens we saw in the water next that was most memorable - Actually a pod of Beluga whales, but they are stunningly, unnaturally white and looked more like giant serpents. They lack dorsal fins like orcas or dolphins, so it is a very odd sight. They are larger than dolphins but smaller than orcas, and they only inhabit cold waters - I guess they are white to blend in with the snow and ice.

They swam along with the fast moving tidal current, which fortuitously coincided with our direction of travel. So we drove a few miles at a time and watched as they'd passed – we did this for about an hour and 15-20 miles. It was only the darkness that ended our show.

Having lived in the van for nearly two months, we decided to spread out in a hotel room for a couple of days – unlimited internet, TV for the olympics and Obama VP speech, full pressure hot water showers, and a king size bed. We chose the Aleyeska resort – a four diamond lodge at a ski resort forty minutes south of Anchorage. It was a very nice break. TV without TIVO is unbearable – all those commercials – I don't know how people can watch that way. We enjoyed sushi, massages, and a ride up the tram for views from high above. I wish I had my paraglider – they have a launch and landing zone all set up. Afterwards, returning to the van was not a chore at all – in fact it felt great to be “home” again in our cozy bed with all our stuff at hand.

The famous Portage Glacier is just down the road, so we visited the multi-million dollar visitors center. It's right on the edge of the lake, but the glaciers have been receding so fast that the Portage glacier has withdrawn around the bend and IS NO LONGER VISIBLE from the elaborate visitor's center anymore. They are a bit embarrassed about it – or should be. After driving thru a train tunnel (open to cars in one direction when the train isn't using it), we followed a trail up to a high point where the Portage glacier is still visible. It is really an amazing sight – I wonder if we'll ever tire of seeing glaciers (glacier-fatigue)?

Be sure to check out the next slide set of our most recent best pictures here.