You know what's really cool about this job? People come from everywhere to see Exit Glacier. It's that wonderful. Visitors will come into the nature center raving about the glacier. It's great to hear their perspectives; it's really made me appreciate the glacier much more. Plus, I love learning about new places. We share our glacier, and they talk about their homes. It's interesting to see how my home compares and contrasts to the visitors' homes.
Welcome
It's quiet as you
walk
wander
roam
down twined trails
around braided streams
the birds are trilling
the breeze is shaking
leaves into their heart shapes
but somehow it's quiet
still
walking
wandering
roaming
away from home
to the doorstep of a frozen palace giant
that carved a valley
all on its own
not for you
not for us
but we are here
welcome
says the glacier.
Losing 135 Feet
In a land that is so
harsh and soft
cold and gentle
it only seems that
a blue paradox fits,
tucked away into
an ecosystem it
ripped through the valley,
as the freezing beastly beauty
it is.
Perched above us,
it continues to flow onward
down to the
outwash streams on the
outwash plain to regain its
throne,
but it's losing ground
losing ice
losing body
losing blue to change.
With only a steady supply of wonder and cold
from Father Harding Icefield,
we wonder when it will parish,
when power and change
oppose eachother.
-Robin McKnight, Interpretation YCC
So far working at Exit Glacier has been rewarding. I Guess you could hardly call it work, for the most part. I've already learned so much about the park and glacier being around and listening to the rangers. Roving in particular is entertaining. For instance, today I saw a young moose cow. It was pretty awesome.
Once, when I was roving, I went to the toe of the glacier with ranger Marc Swanson. This trip piqued my interest in the glacier and ice field. Littered at the toe were hundreds of tiny, old-looking pieces of wood. Marc told me about a stump found down on the outwash plain that had been carbon-dated as 800 years old. Considering that, how old was this wood?
-Griffin Plush, Interpretation YCC