St. Elias Range from Yakutat

Fieldwork in Southeastern Alaska, 1979
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It was a magnificent morning with the St. Elias Range spread out along the northern horizon. But an hour later as I boarded the two-seater plane, the sky was socked in. The pilot, Jim Ivers of Gulf Air Taxi, circled town for half an hour, trapped by clouds and being forced lower and lower. He was so cool during the experience that I felt no fear. Finally he had to set down across the channel on the beach. (That's where I picked up this piece of scoria.) Someone came out in a boat and took me back to town. The trip was called off.

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