“Hey Aishani, this glacier earned its name when mountaineers first crossing the Harding Icefield “exited” the ice at this Glacier. The 8-day journey took place in the spring of 1968, beginning in Homer and ending in Seward. With 700 square miles of ice, the Harding Icefield is the largest one in United States and one of four in the entire country”. We took a steep 2.2 miles’ hike to a vantage point. Su started screaming that her heart and limbs will be at severe risk, but jovial Jason told her with an encouraging smile that her limbs have grown stronger already with the day’s activities. Moon, always helping others, found her a tree branch she could lean on as a cane. Signs along the trail dating back to 1800s, mark the extent of the glacier at various years. They clearly show the effect of climate change on glacial recession. Seward is a picturesque port city which is also a harbor for cruise ships. It is situated at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula which is famous for fjords. The historic downtown district is known for its charming shops and restaurants. We basked in the gentle sun and enjoyed views of the brilliant blue waters. We voted against dining at the overcrowded restaurants from fear of COVID, and started back. The drive to Anchorage was uneventful, and everyone felt tired. The driver appeared upset that we did not have dinner and kept munching on health bars to express his distress. The following morning, we took a flight to Fairbanks in Northern Alaska. On the way, the plane flew over snowclad peaks of Denali mountains. The captain of the aircraft swooped down really close to the peaks of the range and swerved to each by turn, to give passengers a close-up view. The view was stunning, but the proximity was a bit daunting. Aishani was a somewhat scared and snuggled up to his father Jit for assurance. Jit asked Aarit what these mountains were called. Exit Glacier near Seward, AK Aarit as usual, had done his homework.“This range was called Mount McKinley in the past, but the name was changed to Denali by local demand”. “What does Denali mean?’ asked Aishani. UPAHAAR 2021 উপহার ১৪২৮ 19
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