Mountain Top Meadow

Mountain Top Meadow, Tongass Region, Alaska

I had never been in a helicopter before.  I'd seen Alaska by train, plane, boat, and horse, but helicopters were new and a little scary.  I get nervous with vertical motion.  At theme parks all across the country I usually avoid rides* with names like "The Giant Drop", "The Big Dipper", or "Blast Off".  The vertical ascent and the rapid descent is built into my muscle memory, so even though I'm a rational person, I can't help but think this helicopter isn't going to work right.

I remember looking at the ground during take off.  I pictured myself jumping at the moment we left the ground, and as we climbed higher and higher, it was like I was a super hero jumping through the sky.  Then we hovered...  

Hovering doesn't feel natural.  Hovering feels like "I'm about to plummet."  Hovering is what in physics class we'd call potential energy, we haven't converted all of our stored energy into kinetic energy.  That kinetic energy, aided by gravity, is what I would call "falling to my death energy."  But strangely none of this happened.

Our pilot tipped the nose down ever so slightly, and we moved forward.  Then he said some soothing words which included "You can relax, I've been doing this for 30 years."  Nothing will put you at ease like confident assurance.  And our forward motion was nothing like I would have expected.  In video games, helicopter flying is always portrayed as the constant struggle between moving forward and descending altitude.  This was smooth.  Like being in an airplane, but slower.

Higher and higher we climbed, over the mountains, through the clouds, until we spotted a clearing.  A little meadow with a stream.  It peaked our interest because it was so remote.  A little paradise enclosed by mountain rock and sheer cliffs.  We landed, and though I had largely gotten over my fears, feeling soil beneath my feat was certainly a relief.  

I started exploring and saw some beautiful wild flowers, tiny and fragile.  The stream was shallow, and seemed more like water spilt on a table, running over the edge and dripping on the floor.  I climbed the hill from where I took the picture and looked out.  I was so high up, but all I could see was this meadow.  Secluded by the mountain walls and clouds near the edge.  Totally alone.  Unspoiled by humanity.  In a place like this my troubles and worry couldn't touch me.  Regret melted away.  It was just me and this place.

It was very calming and meditative.  I felt like a new man, reinvigorated with life.  I sat back down in the helicopter, the engine started up and I thought "Please don't hover!!!"

Greg Inda

World Class Traveler

*I enjoy the "Tower of Terror" ride at Disney.  Even though its a vertical drop in the dark, I like the story element, and apparently that can go a long way.

-The photo was shot on a Canon Powershot S400 on full auto.  I'm not sure of the ISO, but the shutter speed was 1/500th at f/2.8

-For information on touring the Tongass region of Alaska, visit http://www.theboatcompany.com

-To see more photography by Greg Inda, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/trefrog66