Glaciers of Gold

We had taken off from Buckley Field, Denver, on our way to Albuquerque
in the F-100-F, which has two cockpits. Jim VanScyoc was flying in
the forward cockpit, and I was relaxing in the rear. An avid skier,
Jim wanted to see what the snow pack looked like west of Denver, so
after we cleared Denver traffic control, he turned to the west across
the Front Range north of Alamosa. The microphones in the fighters are
"hot," that is the intercom is always on, so that you even hear your
companion breathing. Jim said, "Take a look at your 3 o'clock," and I
looked out to the right. We were in a gentle bank to the right, and
as I saw mountain peaks lightly dusted in snow with the aspen past
their brightest yellow and the cottonwoods in the lower levels of the
valleys in full autumn color. At that moment Jim said "glaciers of
gold." The image and remark have remained vivid in my mind for almost
40 years.

Have Questions or Comments ? Contact Us.