America's Best Idea

Wrangell St. Elias National Park

As we finally embarked on the long-anticipated trip to Icy Bay, the excitement was visible. Tim's dream of catching halibut on his 40th birthday was about to unfold. Our crew assembled, ready to conquer the Frontier State of Alaska.

Boarding a small bush plane for the first time in Yakutat, I found myself caught in a whirlwind of thoughts. What if something happened to the captain? Would I need to fly the plane? Amidst these racing thoughts, slipping on the co-pilot's headset and tuning into a favorite Zac Brown Band song, "Loving You Easy," immediately calmed my nerves. As I reached for Tim's hand, I embraced the breathtaking Alaskan scenery—this was the real deal, not just scenes from a TV show.

Flying over Icy Bay Lodge, the remote isolation hit me. No tourist traps or bustling ports, just untamed wilderness. Landing in a vast field, we were whisked away by truck to our camp, exclusively ours for the next week. Surrounded by log cabins and basking in 23 hours of daylight, it was a novelty I'd never experienced.

The fishing? Exceptional. The thrill of fishing runs through my veins—it's a passion that ignites when that first tug on the line sets the reel into motion. There's nothing quite like the exhilarating sound of the reel as it sings out, someone shouting "fish on," and the rush that comes with the anticipation of what's on the other end.

On this trip, every catch held a special significance as each species was a first-time catch for me. From the mighty halibut to the vibrant yellow-eyed rockfish, the regal king salmon, and even the humble shrimp, each species marked a new chapter in my fishing adventures. Each encounter with these diverse fish added depth and excitement to my angling experiences, making every catch an unforgettable moment on the water.

But it didn't end there. The true magic happened at the dining table. Every single catch became a culinary masterpiece, a sea-to-table journey. Transforming our fresh catches into delectable meals was an art. Each dish we prepared, photographed, and devoured became a testament to the incredible experiences we had.

The joy of reliving those moments through the flavors and aromas of those meals is unique. Every photograph of those dishes brings back the essence of that amazing trip, evoking the sights, sounds, and tastes of our adventure, engraved it into our hearts and palates forever.

On days when halibut fishing is off-limits as per the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we found ourselves with an unexpected day off. A surprise invitation to visit Wrangell St. Elias National Park swiftly filled our agenda. The anticipation surged within me; this unforeseen delight was an unexpected adventure. Wrangell–St. Elias stands as the largest national park in the United States, spanning over 8 million acres in total—an incredible expanse waiting to be explored.

We explored Icy Bay, a remote and untouched place welcoming visitors to see glaciers breaking off, walk among old ice formations, and feel the wild beauty of Alaska. Near the Tyndall Glacier, the GPS showed where land used to be, now covered by water—showing how much it had shrunk. Our boat captain talked about walking where no one had been before, making us even more excited. Being in Alaska's amazing wilderness—walking in ice caves, floating on glaciers—was so thrilling and hard to describe.

We explored Icy Bay in July of 2015. Then, come October 17, 2015, shocking news hit us— a colossal tidal wave had struck Taan Fiord. The staggering force of 180 million tons of rock sliding into the fjord, triggering a tsunami that ripped through acres of forest in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, left me utterly speechless, especially knowing we had been there just months prior.

Reflecting on this catastrophic event, I was struck by the fragility of nature's wonders. Witnessing the landscape we had recently admired undergo such drastic transformation was a stark reminder of the fleeting nature of these breathtaking vistas.