Hubbard Glacier, Alaska 2008

by Jen Dolen

11x14 framed • photographic inket print $$150

Did you know a large hunk of ice in Alaskan waters lays claim to its own passport stamp? Wrapped in a scarf and several more layers of clothing than I'm used to wearing in late August, I viewed the Hubbard Glacier from the upper decks of a cruise ship in 2008. For several days my family toured Alaska's inside passage, stopping at Juneau and Sitka, among other places, to view wildlife and scenery. Even though the viewing was arranged and out of my control, Hubbard still felt like a privileged glimpse into an alien world. Confined to the decks of the ship, separated by a broad expanse of water, I was captive, awed by the massive wild blue ice. Standing in the open expanse of upper decks, buffeted by wind blowing across the water off the ice, I explored its surface through a lens and was transported to a cold and unforgiving environment whose beauty entranced for hours. My hands and face numbed; my eyes roamed the frozen expanse until it was physically impossible to see any more as the ship turned away.