LeConte!

Traveling southeast Alaska from Sitka to Petersburg with my friend and fellow photographer Jeff Hanson, I headed out to LeConte Glacier on Thursday evening and Friday morning last week. As we headed towards the mouth of the fjord from which LeConte's frozen Chihuly sculptures pour forth, we were a bit concerned to see a strong rain squall just over the entrance. A bit disappointed at the potential loss of photography opportunities, we pressed on, not sure how we'd photograph the icebergs in a heavy downpour, but persistent on getting photos nonetheless.

As we neared the fjord, a beam of sun cast from the western skies suddenly illuminated a few of the icebergs and an astonishingly bright rainbow lit the far shore beckoning us closer (photos later). We slowed as we approached the icebergs, which we could now see were in fact stranded on high points of rock at low tide. The tide was still rushing out, and as we neared the 'bergs, Jeff had to be very careful to avoid hitting any. Friday evening we were to learn from a local fisherman that a trawler entering Petersburg (about 30 miles from the fjord) had hit a small iceberg at slow speed and sank - just two weeks prior (a following fishing boat picked up the trawler crew just as the boat sank beneath the swells).

This is truly a magical place, whether or not you see rainbows. The light is spectacular in almost all conditions. On Friday morning, we photographed for hours - both before sunrise and for hours after. A remote and beautiful place with living art!

NOTE: The "black spots" on the horizon near the middle of the image is a flock of birds flying just beyond the middle iceberg.