SUMMER DAYS ON ICE

St. Elias Icefields, Kluane National Park, Yukon

It's hard to imagine being excited about donning a toque, mitts, long underwear and snowshoes during the longest days of summer. But this is exactly what the guests of Icefield Discovery are eager to do. "This is so unique, so different than any place I've ever been," enthuses Konrad Portmann, a well-traveled Swiss businessman whose tour group of ten has journeyed to the lodge in the heart of Kluane National Park for three nights. Portmann and his companions have flown up the Kaskawulsh Glacier and into the icefields on a perfect sunny day. As each of three planeloads of guests arrives, the dazed looks and absence of small talk speak volumes about their first impressions.