This is a day trip I remember taking the first winter we were in Alaska. Darren and Christopher Noble were there along with their father, John.
It was an afternoon of sledding with the Black Rapids glacier as a backdrop. Black Rapids was known as the "Galloping Glacier" after it gained national fame in 1937 for pushing its way out towards the Richardson Highway at 220 feet per day!
It's a different story now. I revisited the Black Rapids lookout area in the summer of 1997 - the same place we went sledding some twenty two years earlier - and I had a hard time seeing the glacier, even with binoculars. The glacier has receded far back into the mountain range as have so many other glaciers. The signpost and the faint remains of the old lodge were still there, however.
Anyway, in 1974, the sledding was a blast!
click images to enlarge
Modeling my new snowsuit!
The "bunny hill" - not nearly as fun as the hill we chose on the other side of the ridge.
My Mom models her new parka. I think that's John Noble in the background. Darren Noble and I are looking at something. What is it? (Remember, you can click on these pics to enlarge them.)
So that's it! Darren and I were trying to roast marshmallows over a frying pan. That's pretty weak!
Another lookout view
Darren and I checking out this guy's snowmobile. Not sure who he was, but John Noble is standing next to us.
Moseying into a roadhouse somewhere along the way. Time for an apres sledding Hamms or two. We start at an early age in Alaska.
On the Richardson Highway
I remember when Christopher Noble went sledding down the steep hill overlooking the vast glacier. He was the first to go and and he simply vanished. My dad was watching as Christopher flew down on his sled and when Christopher disappeared over a rise and didn't reappear, my dad raised an eyebrow. After several more seconds, Christopher was nowhere on radar. My dad bolted upright with a look of concern on his face. Several MORE seconds passed (my dad must have been hyperventilating at this point) and what do you know - Christopher popped into view on the bottom of the hill - a small, distant dot which shot out onto a wide open snowfield. I remember my dad's nervous laughter as he said "Christ, I didn't realize this hill was so big."
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