Reflecting on the season’s most memorable moments, perhaps none were stronger for Captain Norm Degner than his time in the Glacier with Dr. Donald Hart and Donna Wilcox.  Pushing through thick floes of ice while admiring the scenic wonder of LeConte Fjord, Norm warned his passengers that going farther into the ice and towards the face of the glacier may result in missing the floatplane back at the mouth of the fjord.  Those of you lucky enough to have spent time with Norm on a glacier run know that few can get you more safely back into the ice than him, but also that the massive amounts of ice and the unpredictable flow can create exciting challenges on the exit.  Sharing his experience with Don and Donna, he asked them, “what would you like to do.” Don and Donna reflected on the choices, and probably a bit on the great trips and times the two had been sharing in the last year, and certainly a moment on the noble battle Donna is fighting with cancer.  With very little thought, and in respect for the mysterious pull from the massive LeConte ice field, Donna gave Norm a big hug and a kiss, and said with a twinkle in her eye, “push on Captain, what the heck, you only live once.”  And Donna is living large.  Every day she spent at the lodge inspired the crew.  And it seems, in some little way, Alaska inspired Don and Donna.  Don spends most of his working time around his home on the Yucatan peninsula, studying the ancient Mayans and other early peoples.  So it was no surprise that he acted like a kid in a candy store when hopping along the rocks at Petroglyph beach.  We started the day biking around the little town of Wrangell, admiring the totems and Chief Shakes long house and visiting the impressive new museum which houses a large collection of artifacts from the ancient peoples of Southeast Alaska.  After powering up with lunch at the Diamond C Café (where Norm’s wife serves the meanest crab salad in Alaska), we pedaled over to the beach.  With scores of rock carvings estimated at thousands of years old, Don hopped from rock to rock admiring the hidden wonders.  No one knows who carved these intriguing designs at the mouth of the mighty Stikine River, but we’re glad they left behind a piece of their art.  On the trip back from Wrangell, we spotted a pod of Orcas feeding in the 1,000 foot deep waters between Zarembo and Wrangell Islands.  Bright sunshine, calm waters, and spy hopping killer whales seemed an appropriate ending to a magical trip.  Keep on fighting Donna, we love you and will feel your impact for a long time to come.