Blue.....glacial ice

  Blue is the title of this entry as it described the glacial water that surrounded us as we traveled from Valdez to Whittier by ferry. Our inland passage provided us with first hand knowledge of Valdez Harbor and Prince William Sound. This fishery and travel corridor for Alaskan oil represents the heartbeat of Alaskan industry. Camping beside Peter Pan and other canneries, while looking off shore at fishing and cargo vessels, made for a night of viewing a harbor at work. Remember, it doesn't get dark so activities can go on for as long as one likes. Our first class ferry service, aboard the Aurora, made the 5 hour trip past the site of the Valdez oil spill and along side floating ice from the Columbia Glacier, very enjoyable. Jane became well informed about investment banking, where to sleep while riding a bicycle across Alaska, why not to be left on a ventilator, why to have a living will, the cost of assisted living and why a single attractive man in his late 40's isn't married. It wasn't hard to guess why! After exiting the boat in Whittier and traveling through the longest train tunnel in N. America which involved staggered starts by outgoing vehicles, incoming vehicles and trains, all using the same tunnel with fresh air forced in to keep us all from dying, we followed the Turnagain Arm back to Anchorage. Glaciers, waterfalls and rugged snowcovered peaks continued to surround us keeping us mindful of climate change ????? George and Bucky have found it impossible not to include an add on to their grass roots movement of making Denali the world's tallest mountain; this being an ice crystal movement concerned with the dangers of advancing glacier activity. To learn more, watch for upcoming posts.