As I always say, you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get on Kauaʻi—one minute it’s raining, and the next the sun is shining. But Alaska, especially high up in the remote wilderness on a glacier, takes unpredictable weather to another level.
When I stepped off the helicopter, we were surrounded by brilliant blue skies, crisp air, and endless white mountains. Then, barely 20 minutes into our dog sledding adventure, the atmosphere completely changed. Dark storm clouds began building over the peaks, the wind picked up, and the landscape suddenly felt wild and untamed. The dogs pulled us steadily across the glacier as the weather shifted around us, making every moment feel like we were racing through a living, breathing wilderness.
I quickly pulled out my camera, knowing I might only have seconds to capture anything while the sled bounced and moved beneath me. Ahead, another sled team disappeared and reappeared through the changing light as they mushed toward the other side of the mountain. I waited, watched the movement, and pressed the shutter at exactly the right moment. The soft light from the sky reflected across the snow while the storm clouds wrapped themselves around the mountainside, creating an incredibly dramatic scene.
Everything was moving—the dogs, the sled, the clouds, the light—and somehow, for one brief second, it all came together in a single frame. It was exhilarating, unpredictable, and completely unforgettable. An adventure like this makes you realize just how small you are in a landscape this vast. What an adventure of a lifetime.
