July 25 - Glacier Bay Adventure - Day 7 - Juneau

This is the last day of the trip. Just two of us are headed up the Mt Roberts Tramway to a mountain visitors center, nature center and various hiking trails. (The others in the group have already been here when they arrived in Juneau at the start of the trip.)

Its a partly sunny/partly cloudy day when we head up. The ascent is 1800ft in 6 minutes. Lovely views of an ever shrinking Juneau (including the cruise ships), Juneau, Douglas and Admiralty Island, the Gastineau Channel, Inside Passage, Lynn Channel and Chilkat Mountains (though the mountains were not too viewable today).

And we see a single Bald Eagle perched on a tree.

We have time constraint on this adventure because me and 3 others are leaving for a short kayak trip at 11am - we get on top at 9am. We watch a movie on the Tlingit life history (very good) and head towards the Nature Center. A quick sit in an eagle nest (thunderbird pose), a measure of our wing spans and then we were off to walk the Alpine Trail.

We didn't get too far when the other person decided that they could not complete the trail, so I went by myself - I have about an hour to get as far as I can and then back.

Many view stops over Juneau along the way.

I get to a point where a trail to the Father Brown Cross branches off. I have time, I take it and walk to the cross. Explain the cross.

I still have time so I continued up - where, I have no idea. :)

I see a little fluffy baby grouse on the trail and watch for a bit before I need to make the little guy move. He was so cute because he didn't know where to go - up the trail and I continue to follow, he started right and went left and then right before finally finding that perfect spot to go hide in the grasses.

I see blue geraniums, very small monkshood and find some Harebell.

I can see a carved out glacier bowl ahead - grassy and a waterfall and river flowing through now (and there's still a bit of snow at the upper portion of the waterfall.

Around a corner and I see a Hoary Marmot looking over that glacier bowl. This must be his territory because a lady coming down the trail said he was there when she came up.

The marmot of course moves as I pass by.

I continue to go higher - it's starting to sprinkle now. Just in time for my 10am turnaround time. Down I go back to the Visitor's Center. (I get probably 1/2 way up.)

On the way down, the marmot is back on the trail - definitely his spot.

I stop to see the resident Bald Eagle.

And it's time to go. Lovely trip only wish I had more time - but I have better plans - the kayaking trip.

We get into the van that drives us to Douglas Island. There are just 8 participants which is nice and small. The earlier morning session passes by after completing their trip; there are 40 of them - Ugh!

We are directly across from the Mendenhall Glacier -- a good distance away - and definitely not paddle-able in 1.5 hours and make it back.

The water is very calm and the sun is still out - though the clouds are building.

The teenagers from my group are together in one kayak and I with their grandfather (who is steering). We start heading across to the Mendenhall wetlands.

We see Merlets, gulls, and Arctic Terns (it's breeding season of them). At one point, we see 2 birds overhead quacking - they thought they could be Canadian geese. I'm not so sure.

Lots of Harbors Seals popping their heads up around us. At one point we counted at least 8 heads up out of the water.

And the Bald Eagles, plenty of them. The first is the one is on the buoy marker, then there is one on the ground feeding, presumable on salmon, with the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier in the background.

As we move north, there were many many more eagles!!

Oh, and the view of the Mendenhall Glacier isn't too shabby either!!

The clouds are rolling in now -- but the sky still looks wonderful and the water very glassy.

Perfect in so many ways!!!

Time to head back to shore and wrap of the entire trip.

Wonderful people, spectacular scenery, and good weather (except that one morning). But it all worked out wonderfully in the end.

Great day! Awesome trip!!