When you’ve seen one glacier, you’ve seen them all. I’ve used this disrespectful quote before when it comes to trees, animals, and other forces of nature. Just like with food, I’m simply not discerning enough to appreciate  the finer things in life. We’ve seen about 25 different glaciers on our Alaskan tour so far that in my feeble mind are nothing more than dirty snow sliding down a mountain. They have kind of an ugly blue tint to them that reminds me of Tidy Bowl. I simply can’t seem to get my mind around all the years it takes to form one of these ice slides nor can I seem to appreciate the years it takes to grow a tree. Admittedly, I’ve seen a lot of beauty on our Alaska cruise, but I’m not yet ready to become a nature lover. 

Today, the cruise ship stopped at the base of the Hubbard Glacier with its 400 foot wall of ice that sent giant fragments violently crashing into the ocean below. I stepped outside on the deck this morning to admire the blue skies, dark sea, and the white chunks of ice floating by me as we faced this mountain of moving ice. I felt like I was looking into a giant cup of Diet Coke without a straw big enough to take a sip. The entire bay was surrounded by towering mountain peaks that glistened in this apparently rare moment of Alaskan sunshine. 

While others stood for hours admiring nature’s work, I was ready to head inside to get my miles in on the boring treadmill. The deck was too cold and slippery, so I ran on a virtual beach that reminded my of Oregon with giant rocks just off shore. Horses trotted beside me and people walked by without waving as I navigated the artist created route. It was as close to a hike that I’ve taken on this trip, without the worries of loose sand, wet shoes, or any threat of an ankle injury. In the last week, I’ve ran on a fake track, through a fake woods, and on a fake beach. I can’t wait for tomorrow.