Juneau, the capitol of Alaska, is accessible by sea plane or boat, located at the head of Glacier Bay…
With this being the last ship to sail into Juneau for the season, shops were taking inventory to close up for winter storms coming soon. So it was relatively quiet.
We took the plunge and booked a seaplane adventure where we flew over the expansive wilderness east of Juneau, hoping for a taste of what Alaskan wilderness really consisted of! Breathtaking vistas, SO MANY glaciers, rivers unsullied wilderness. It was evident that the end of summer would suddenly turn to winter. Indescribable colors and textures beyond human touch, mammoth crevasses, uninhabitable, impassible … except by sea plane. Our single engine plane was built in the 1950’s ~ immaculate, sturdy, reliable and well maintained.
I was particularly thrilled when the pilot invited me to fly up front with him. Many thanks Dan the Man @ Wings Airways ! Honestly, I seldom tear up these days, but that flight opened my sense of wonder in a new way. I had been to Alaska twice before, and had flown over glaciers, but something in the angle of the light, or the clear skies felt different this time.
At every turn glaciers hung from summits, draping down into valleys like luxurious locks of hair that tumbled to the forest floor.
Rivers of ice poured in jagged crevasses over cliffs, frozen in time. It felt like another time warp… to experience the lives of multiple glaciers, an overview of wilderness before winter storms blustered in, before our plane landed on a serene bay. It was more than a shore excursion; it was a heart opener! God bless Juneau!
L.S. Berthelsen 