"You can see the problem, this storm out over the ocean," the air traffic controller pointed to the weather map. Jim nodded, he could see the tight lines of the isobars indicating a deep depression and the arrows indicating high winds.
"The weather office reckons it will be here in about three hours. Down here at the airport it will be 10 below freezing with wind gusts up to 50 mph. Up in the mountains 30 degrees colder and gusts over 80.
"It'll be here for three days, maybe three feet of snow."
Jim cursed. This was supposed to be his farewell treat for his daughter Vicki. She had just left school and had won a scholarship to an overseas univeristy. He had wanted to take her on a mountain safari in his plane.
A few years earlier he had quit his city job to return to the mountains he loved. He had sold his house and with the proceeds had purchased an elderly single engined Cessna. He specialized in flying tourists on hunting and fishing trips, off trail skiing in winter and general sight seeing.
Early on he realized that he was working for his insurance company, his bank, aircraft maintenance companies and the government. His net income just about covered his living costs in a good year. This didn't concern him, he was in the mountains he loved, the safaris kept him fit and lean. He met a lot of people, only a few were difficult, most shared his thrill of being in the mountains.
"Don't worry Daddy," Vicki gave him a hug. "There are lot's of other things we can do together."
He looked at her. 18 years old, an elegant confident young woman, but he could still see traces of the child he had loved all these years.
He had fallen in love with her the first time he held her as a new-born baby and their bond had grown ever since.
He had divorced her mother after 10 years of increasing acrimony, but Vicki bore a strong resemblance to the stunning beauty he had married 20 years ago. She had her mother's long elegant legs and slim figure, but Vicki's dark, wavy hair flowing six inches below her shoulders showed some of her father's influence.
At the small mountain airport there was no sign of the approaching storm. It was a brilliant, warm, early autumn day, not a cloud in the sky and almost no breeze. Vicki was wearing a light blouse and skirt while Jim was in a shirt and shorts.
Joe, the air traffic controller saw the disappointment in her face.
"Look Jim, you could do a quick trip to the glacier, 40 minutes each way, 20 minutes for a walk around, and you would still have over an hour's safety margin."
Jim didn't like risk, but he saw the gleam of excitement in Vicki's face.
"What the heck," he thought. "I won't be seeing her for at least a year."
They took off. The elderly Cessna has skis fitted for landing on the glacier and had been checked overnight by the air mechanic. Jim had been worried by occasional misfires in the engine.
"Injectors mate," said the mechanic whom Jim had not met before. "I fixed them so you'll be fine."
They climbed quickly and a brilliant panorama opened out. Below were bright blue mountain lakes, ahead the high peaks of the main divide. The sky was still clear and the sun glinted off the snow on the higher peaks.
They flew up the glacial valley. The mighty river of ice had hewn its valley over countless millennia. The steep rocky walls of the moraine towered on either side. At its widest the walls were almost a mile apart. As the glacier inched down its 12 mile length the surface varied. In some places it was steep with jumbled ice and deep blue crevasses, but in other places it was smooth and almost flat. A light covering of powder snow from the first falls of the season gleamed in the sun.
Jim landed on the highest flat area as he had done a hundred times before.
They got out, felt the warmth from the sun and felt exhilarated by the pristine landscape which they had to themselves.
"Watch out Daddy," Vicki shrieked as his back was turned. Too late, the snowball hit him on the back, the cold snow penetrating his thin shirt.
"This is so lovely," Vicki walked over to her father and put her arms around his neck. "I'm going to miss our times in the mountains together.
"And I'm going to miss you so much, Daddy." She hugged him tightly.
Jim put his arms around her shoulders, felt the tears welling in his eyes and couldn't say anything for a minute as they held each other.
"Come on madam, time to get you out of here." He smacked her on the bottom. "That'll teach you to throw snowballs."
They took off and headed to the main ridge 2000 feet above. Once there they could see the enormous black storm clouds advancing across the ocean. Jim banked the plane into a turn and headed for the airport.
"Shit," he thought as he noticed that same misfire. Vicki, without his ear for the engine didn't notice. But she did notice a minute later when the engine cut out completely before spluttering back to life in a few seconds.
"Daddy, what is it?" Her eyes were wide with fear.
"Injectors. That fucking mechanic," cursed Jim.
A minute later there was another cut-out and his mind was made up. They couldn't risk the 40 minute flight to the airport and would have to land on the glacier.
"Joe," he called on the radio to air traffic control. "I've got an injector problem. I'm putting us down on the glacier. Can you get David to come and pick us up?"
David was the only other pilot at the small airport qualified to land on the glacier.
Joe shut his eyes in anguish. "Jim, David's gone fishing. We couldn't get him here inside two hours, by which time this airport will be snowed in."
Jim patted Vicki on the knee. "Looks like a boring three days with your old man."
"OK Joe, we'll be fine. I have a tent and sleeping-bags and enough food and fuel for a week."
Vicki was very anxious but she felt a little better knowing that they had put the provisions for their trip in the plane the evening before.
"OK sweetheart, we'll have about an hour and a half before the storm. We'll be busy."
"I love you Daddy, I know I'll be safe with you" giving him a hug and a tender kiss on the cheek.
There were two more misfires before they landed on almost the same spot as they had been half an hour before. The valley walls were too steep and rocky for a tent, they would have to take their chances out on the glacier.
They set to work with an urgency. Although there were no clouds the wind was starting to pick up and the temperature was dropping. Jim took a spade and started to clear the loose powder snow from an area about 50 yards from where he had tethered the Cessna.
Vicki unloaded their supplies from the plane. They each had a parka, not snow parkas, but at least they provided some protection from the wind. But their legs were bare.
After 15 minutes Jim had cleared the powder snow from an area large enough for Vicki to erect their tent. It was a dual cover dome and she easily set it up as she had done many times before. The tent was designed for Antarctic blizzards and both knew it was up to the task.
As Vicki put their supplies into the tent Jim piled and packed snow on the upwind side. This was to build a snow rampart as shelter from the icy blasts that were coming.
As soon as she had everyting set up inside, Vicki took the other spade to work with her father. The first of the storm clouds appeared, dark and looming over the ridge. The wind was stronger lifting some powder snow from the ground.
Frantically they both dug and packed down the snow for their rampart.
It suddenly became darker and colder as the clouds covered the sun.
"Ten more minutes," thought Jim. He could see Vicki shivering so he sent her inside to make some soup.
It started to snow, the flakes coming almost horizontally in the strengthening wind and now Jim was starting to shiver. The rampart was better than he had anticipated; almost three feet high and more than twice as wide at its base.
The height at the center of the dome tent was about five feet and he had to stoop as he stood. Vicki had laid out the two sleeping-bags side by side on foam plastic insulation mattresses. She was half in her sleeping-bag as she tended the soup on a gas burner she had placed above the head of their mattresses.
"You look so cold."
Jim took off his parka and lay on her sleeping bag as she put her arms around him in a bear hug. Then she showered the top of his head with soft kisses.
"I'm so glad I have my brave Daddy to look after me."
Then she bathed his feet with hot water to restore the circulation.
"That's better," she giggled as she kissed each foot. "Your feet are so ugly."
He wriggled into his sleeping-bag.
With the soup and sleeping-bags they both started to warm up.
"This is so snug. Did I do a good job setting up the tent Daddy?"
"You did wonderfully Princess." He stroked the side of her face. She held his hand there, then kissed it.
"This is so exciting.
But Jim was gravely concerned. First he cursed himself for putting his daughter at risk. Then he was worried about the cold. The storm had not yet reached full force and the temperature was going to drop a lot more, especially at night.
The tent was fine, it was hardly moving in the wind. If they had true alpine sleeping bags and thermal clothes they would have been fine. But they only had their thin summer clothes and the sleeping-bags were designed for lower altitudes where he always camped.
"If it's going to be three days, I don't want this digging into me. No peeking." She fiddled under her blouse and removed her bra.
Vicki never traveled anywhere without a book.
"Could you read this to me, the way you used to read when I was little."
So he started to read. At first his daughter cuddled up to him, her arm across his chest. But after ten minutes she felt the cold on her arm and snuggled back into her sleeping-bag.
Jim continued to read, but after an hour started to feel the chill.
"I'm starting to feel cold Daddy. Will it get much colder?"
"I'm afraid so sweetheart. It's time for plan B."
"What's plan B?"
"You'll have to share a sleeping-bag with your grumpy old father." He looked to see her reaction, hoping she wouldn't be too shocked.
But her face lit up. "Oh, that will be just like it was when I used to snuggle in bed with you and Mummy."
But that was ten years ago. Now she was an elegantly beautiful young woman. They had always been "touchy" in a fond, affectionate, non-sexual way. They would hug tightly when they met, kiss each other's hair and cheeks and sometimes an affectionate pat. But these were always fleeting moments, now Jim was facing three days of constant contact. However, it was one sleeping-bag or freeze.
Quickly he rearranged things. He took her foam plastic mattress to add to the insulation on the floor. Fortunately his sleeping-bag was a one and a half size. Some of his tourists needed that and more.
