As expected there are stunning shots of whales, brown and black bears, moose, harbor seals, mountains, bald eagles, wild flowers, sunrises, sunsets and, of course, glaciers. Peppered amongst the wildlife, small human figures, tents, rubber rafts and cruise ships offer a sense of proportion against backdrops of impressive land and ice formations. The photos are crisp and clear and make me want to go there. Local fans of Sherry Simpson's writing won't be surprised that her short essays are as crisp and colorful as Mark Kelley's photographs. Things proceed at their own mysterious pace.
Glaciers recede and advance.
Vegetation forges ahead. Even the ground rises measurably each year as it rebounds from the weight of ice that smothered this corner of Southeast Alaska two centuries ago. You can examine each tiny cog and study every subtle ratchet, and still these movements cannot explain the whole laid out before you. As I read I found the photographs distracted me from the prose, the prose distracted me from the photographs. The writing here is still thoughtful and intelligent.