Dundis bay is a rarely visited pocket of the national park that i've since learned has a ried history as a hide out for solitary misanthropes. Gale winds with gusts up to 59 miles per hour, turned back two crew ships in skagway, about 85 miles north. The weather that plinked at us all afternoon was roiling into a storm soon the big rain started. We rushed through dinner, then loafed in our tent until eventually the loafing turned to sleep.
It was meant to mark the start of their lives out of college, but the adventure quickly turned into a nightmare. Beginning with what seemed to be a lucky whale sighting, three friends set out on a sea-kayaking trip through Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, watching out for bears, and having a good time, when tragedy struck.
In recounting the days preceding and following the accident, which seriously injured one of his friends, the Times journalist Jon Mooallem explains how he was forced to reckon with his fears. Detailing the incident’s surprising repercussions, he muses on the importance of overcoming one’s fears, and finding poetry in life’s darkest moments.
This story was written by Jon Mooallem. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.