Gilkey Glacier
North to Alaska and Type 2 Fun!
Thirteen days in Alaska! It promised to be the landscape photography trip of a lifetime. Mountains, glaciers, endless twilight, and enchanting light from clearing storms awaited us.
The first eight days were scheduled in the remote wilderness, camping in mountains accessible only by helicopter. The next five days were in Juneau and Petersburg, with boat trips to the glaciers and doors-off helicopter flights into the mountains. Our small group was thrilled with the possibilities.
We went there during the last two weeks of July. After departing Juneau on a gorgeous partly cloudy, 60-degree morning, our helicopter dropped us off in a high alpine valley.
The temperature was 42 degrees and it started to rain. And it didn’t stop raining for the next ten days. The good news was that even the mosquitos refused to come out.
Within hours, all of us were cold and soaked. We wanted to change locations, but the helicopter was grounded for the next three days due to fog.
And when we finally changed locations, it continued to rain. It was so rainy for two days that we only left our one-man tents to go sit on a wet rock and eat our meals.
Type 2 Fun
It was day six when Scott, a member of our group, proclaimed over breakfast, “This is Type 2 fun!” We all gave him a puzzled look, so he elaborated. “Type 2 fun isn’t fun at the time, but after weeks, months, or even years, it becomes fun in retrospect.” Yes…Type 2 fun!!!
For the next four days, when we asked the leader for the weather report, he said “Type 2 fun without a chance of clearing.” We all laughed hysterically in the rain.
Scott later explained that that Type 1 Fun is fun at the time of your experience. Type 3 Fun? That’s never fun, but the experience might make a great story if you wait long enough. My long-ago internal medicine internship was definitely Type 3 fun.
Lots of Type 2 Fun Time in the Tent
Our second campsite had the advantage of a great view over the Gilkey Glacier.
This was the only photo trip where I was well rested. My day consisted of naps followed by more naps. There was time to read five novels. In case you’re wondering what a day in a rainy tent looks like, see below.
The Shot
When you chase the light, sometimes you’re lucky, and sometimes it eludes you.
Our luck was bad. The weather didn’t cooperate for ten straight days. So, we enjoyed being there and tried our best to find images in the gloom. And we stocked up on potential Type 2 fun stories.
It wasn’t far from my tent to a stunning overlook above the Gilkey Glacier at camp two. Placing a person in the shot helped to provide a sense of scale to the massive glacier extending miles and miles into the mountains above us.
On the morning of our ninth day, we helicoptered back to Juneau. A hot shower, our first change of clothes in eight days, a cheeseburger, and a soft bed seemed heavenly!
Do you have a favorite Type 2 fun story to share?
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus