Melting Into Alaska’s Thin Air

After the better part of 20 years living on Baranof Island, it seemed about time to check out my backyard, and cross it. I had heard stories of scaling cliffs, traversing ice fields, and crossing pristine glaciers. Along with my friends Danny and Xander, I decided to give the rugged 17-mile hike a shot. 

A few weeks before departure, I opened my laptop on the workbench, gear spread out around me, and examined the terrain—in particular, the Mahsa Icefield. Zooming in, I tried to envision where the crevasses would be. Also, what it might feel like to traverse a three-mile field of ice. How cool would it be to cross a glacier, then descend that day to sea level to soak in the waiting pools of Baranof Warm Springs. 

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https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/melting-alaska-s-thin-air