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Photo by Claudia Berkley Time Charters
Claudia takes in the view from her balcony overlooking the Matanuska Glacier. Her house was built three years ago by two of her students and their father; the kids were 12 and 13 at the time. |
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Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier |
Claudia Berkley
Not every student can say his or her teacher was a glacier hiking guide. Of course, not every student had a 30-mile bus ride overlooking Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier, either.
From kindergarten to 12th grade, that’s the sight that greeted Claudia Berkley. A former glacier hiking guide turned full-time English teacher who also can shoot and ride, being near the glacier was always part of Berkley’s life.
Like most children growing up, Berkley took for granted the treasure she literally had in her backyard. It wasn’t until her college geology class at the University of Wisconsin that the pieces clicked into place. The glacier they were studying was the same glacier she saw every day in school: the Matanuska.
“It was shocking to me to know that people study ‘our glacier,’” said Berkley.
A Glacial Opportunity
Back home in Alaska, while working for Glacier Park Resort, the opportunity for some informal guiding appeared and Berkley jumped at the chance. She found herself on the ice, and not long after, working for NOVA Riverrunners, a river rafting and adventure company. Her educational background gave her the confidence to become more involved and to show visitors her glacier.
“Being on the glacier is like another world,” said Berkley, who has guided families and even seniors past crevices, moulins (large vertical holes in the ice) and ice lakes. Teenagers with their “I’m too cool for this” attitude are Berkley’s favorites.
“Once they’re on the ice, I start showing them just enough to make them uncomfortable,” she said. “They lose that attitude and start asking questions.”
Berkley’s glacial geology background allows her to teach while still showing families a good time. The experience is more memorable when you understand what you’re looking at rather than seeing a bunch of ice.
The question everyone wants to know is if they’re going to fall in a big hole. Berkley’s answer: not if you’re paying attention.
During the glacier’s summer melt you can hear and see everything, including crevices. Berkley knows how to keep an eye on clients, guide them on the safest route, and tailor each hike to fit their physical abilities.
“I love taking people places where they never thought they could go, and to be honest, showing off the amazing place which I am so fortunate to call my home,” said Berkley.
One of her most memorable moments was taking an 80-year-old woman, whose dream was to see Alaska, on a glacier hike. With an arm wrapped around Berkley’s, the woman stood on the high viewing points overlooking the Matanuska — and cried.
“She enjoyed it so much and didn’t think she could do it,” recalled Berkley. “It was touching for me being able to take her and allow her to experience this moment.”
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Photo by David Pinquoch, Alaska Good
Claudia Berkley took this Sitka black-tailed deer on Naked Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, over Thanksgiving break in 2006. |
Back In The Classroom
Being a glacier guide was always rewarding, but like all things in life, people change. Although Berkley no longer rides the bus, she still sees the Matanuska every day, but now she stands at the front of the classroom teaching grades six through 12 for Glacier View School.
Berkley wanted to live in the place she was raised. There are only a handful of opportunities available, but she also needed a challenging career. Teaching seemed the perfect fit, a decision she made after earning her bachelor’s degree in Biological Aspects of Conservation from the University of Wisconsin.
“Teaching is fascinating, challenging, rewarding, inspiring, exhausting, and sometimes frustrating,” said Berkley. “I thrive on the constant learning opportunities that it affords me, and the lessons I learn from the kids are often priceless.”
Being a guide was fantastic but Berkley knew she needed something more. After fulfilling her parents’ dream of earning her master’s degree in teaching, Berkley again moved to another challenge. She’s now working on her administrative or principal’s certification from the University of Alaska at Anchorage.
“I have a difficult time with stasis and it turns out this decision was a great one,” says Berkley. “I’m fascinated with the concepts and the new ways in which I’m learning to think.”
On The Brink Of Adventure
She may not be guiding as much, but once in awhile Berkley gets a call from to help on a hike. She’s more than happy to be back on the glacier.
Berkley has been shaped by her childhood in Alaska: glacier hiking guide, hunter and horse training dabbler. She is one of many women who have been touched and changed by Alaska and its wilderness.
“The women in this area have been my mothers, my friends, my mentors, and my support,” said Berkley. “I am so thankful they’ve been part of my life, and I wish you could hear their stories.” — Chrissy Koeth