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Ice Fields - Alaska
with his life.”
Ani lost no time getting them from North Pole to Fairbanks, which sprawled along the Chena River. The clock read nearly midnight as they headed east to take the loop road toward the GlacierPort facilities. The sun sank below the horizon just as they pulled into the parking lot.
“Someday,” Ani said as she switched off the engine, “I’m going to be a geologist here.”
“If you get your Ph.D. they’d almost have to hire you, wouldn’t they?”
“I’m hoping so. Some people think my dad was crazy.” Ani pulled on a parka, zipped it and drew up the hood before opening her door. “He did have some college work, but it was in Russia, and he didn’t make himself all that popular with the ivory tower folks when he first moved here back in the seventies.”
“People thought he was a communist?”
“Technically, he was, but politics meant nothing to him. Glaciers don’t know national boundaries. Anyway, somehow theories about ice sheets were part of the red menace. U of F was the most welcoming place, don’t get me wrong, but even so, drilling, measurements and demolition were all they certified him to do. The only person he ever got to teach about ice, about geology and history, was me.”
The wind blew away the bitterness in Ani’s voice. Eve quickly yanked on her gloves. Shouting over the icy gusts, she asked, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“The parking lot’s a wind tunnel. It’ll be easier on the other side.”
Her guide obviously knew the way. In the gathering gloom of night Ani was certain in her steps and Tonk had already disappeared ahead of them. Eve thought Ani must have been haunting the teaching laboratory for years. If ice was in your blood, this was the place to study it.
Following a path that was only available in summer, Ani led her around the northernmost building and over the wooden footbridge that spanned the gap between solid ground and the glacier’s surface.
The reflected aurora borealis temporarily dazzled Eve the moment they cleared the shadow of the building. The glacial landscape was painted with brilliant pink and green, and the dramatic moraine striping stood out in even starker contrast. Ani’s face was washed with gold. There was really nothing else to say but, “Wow.”
“In a nutshell,” Ani agreed. “If we had the gear, we could hike and climb on down to the Chena from here.”
Several times a week Eve drove past the dramatic panorama where the glacier emptied into the river. “Where does it start? All the way at Mt. McKinley?”
“Not quite. Naomi Glacier is an offshoot of Ruth Glacier, which does originate below the mountain.”
“Nice,” Eve said. “About the names.”
“I wish it was after the Bible story, but I think the Naomi was named after somebody’s wife, not Ruth’s Naomi.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Eve said. “It’s still nice.” She paused before stepping off the bridge. “You’re sure this is safe? People fall into the crevasses all the time.”
“The nearest drop is about twenty feet that way.” Ani pointed. “Because this is a heavily used access, we ultrasound the area regularly to make sure nothing has opened. We’re just going to go about ten feet this way. Was I right about the wind?”
Eve nodded. Now it could be termed a light breeze.
“Then you should trust me.” Ani held out a hand and Eve put hers into Ani’s grasp. Trust…okay. She would give that a try.
Ani’s boots had to be fitted with Yak Trax or something similar, because she didn’t hesitate finding footing. A few shaky steps out onto the ice, however, Eve slipped. Her yelp of surprise was cut short by the firm grasp of Ani’s arms, setting her upright again.
“Thanks.”
Tonk loped into sight, gave Eve a look of concern, then settled into step with them. A short distance from the bridge Ani spread out the insulated reflective tarp and Tonk promptly took the middle.
Eve pointed at the dog. “Thermal power
Gary Pullin Liisa Ladouceur
The Broken Wheel (v3.1)[htm]