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!!

July 24- Glacier Bay Adventure - Day 6 - Return to Juneau

After a day of monsoon rains, I wake up to a sunny morning (yea). Great start for my last 1/2 day in Glacier Bay. Three of us (plus the guide) decided last night to walk the Upper Falls trail (which is about 2.5 miles one way). The trail starts near the lodge so its easy.

With the rain drops still on the vegetation the Fireweed looks extra nice this morning. And the creeks are flowing.

The landscape varies from open to forested (sitka spruce and hemlock still). We see Fireweed, Lupine (just a few), Lady Tressis Orchids, Monkshood (which is new for this trip), Grasses of Parnassis, 

Skunk Cabbage (with spent flowers), etc.

Its a good bird day as well with Chickadees, a woodpecker and many many LBB (Little Brown Birds). The highlight are Stellar Jays (beautiful blue). 

At first we see one on the road and just a little further up there are at least 4-5 of them - perhaps a family of Jays. (It's here we also hear the pecking of the woodpecker and of course see it.)

The trail gives some pretty good views of the water towards Glacier Bay.

After passing the old pump house, its just a little further to the falls. We of course hear it before seeing it tucked into the forest. Pretty decent size and its following pretty good after all the rain. Looks a little dirty probably because of the tanins in the water from the conifer trees.

After sitting a resting for a bit, we head back to the lodge - our van awaits for the trip to the airport and back Juneau.

Had a great time here -- the folks at the lodge were so helpful, happy, and family-like. 5 stars for me. And Glacier Bay is spectacular!!!!

The next adventure is the flight to Juneau. We pass by our home (Bear Track Lodge) as we leave the airport.

And the flight is wonderful. I see 3 Bald Eagles on the way. Two were flying beneath in different spots along the way. The third was on a sand bar as we were descending into Juneau.

No glaciers to fly over but lots of open water and little lakes and islands.

At one point, those of us on the left side of the plane could see humpback whales bubble netting. There was a vessel nearby watching them.

As we approach Juneau, I can see the Mendenhall Glacier (that's where we are going later this afternoon). Pretty nice.

After lunch, we head to the glacier. We park and I wonder why there are so many people gathered in one spot off the parking lot. I see Rangers so I figure they are giving a talk. But someone says there's a bear! I head over and sure enough there is a Black Bear!!! Looks like he is eating the grasses --- but he's really eating the Nagoonberries. He also takes a small tree brand in his mouth and strips the leaves off.

I walk away to see the little creek (Steep Creek) in back of the bear - there are Salmon (we were told Coho) in there starting their migration up to their spawning grounds!!

I head back to watch the bear - he gets to the little bridge, stands up and takes a scratch on two legs!! It's a really long shake-n-shimmy; must feel good. I also figure out that the "he" is really a "she". I've only seen that kind of scratching on TV.

Time to head out to see the glacier.

And on the larger rocks, I can see the scratches remaining from the glaciers.

We head out to Nugget Falls (just a mile walk). Quick little walk - see a porcupine in a tree right alongside the trail.

We get to the falls -- really nice.

Time to head back. Before getting back to the hotel, we make a stop at the Hatchery. It's closed now but the outdoor tanks are still viewable.

The tanks are built as a fish ladder with the fish moving from one tank to the next as they would moving upstream (and over obstacles) in the wild). And there a tons of fish - Chum Salmon. These fish are large and not being released into the wild but returning "home" to the hatchery to breed and ultimately die as they are at the end of their life cycle.

And it's a bubbly brew of fish in every ladder "tank"

And in channel's water waiting to make it up the ladders.

The fish are bred and released from here years earlier. This site is imprinted in their beings and this is where they will ultimately return to be counted, utilized for the next generation and ground into dog food and other products. Sounds mean but they have completed there lifecycle at hatchery instead of the wild where they still die or get fed upon by predators. It's still the circle of life.

On the way back to the hotel, we did see quite a few Bald Eagles in the Channel.

Good day!

July 23- Glacier Bay Adventure - Day 5 - Rain Day

Today is a "free" day and I'm supposed to go sea kayaking in Bartlett Cove (where yesterday's glacier tour started) with man on the trip and his two grandsons. Pretty exciting until I wake up and here the heavy rains.

I really don't want to paddle in this consistent downpour (and its not letting up).

We are given the choice to opt out and we decide that it would be best.

So the morning is spent in the lodge. Sounds boring, but its a really beautiful lodge. Some read, others watched movies in the rec room, I worked on a puzzle and played ping pong with the guide.

Thankfully, the weather clears (i.e., it stops raining) and after lunch we set off on a two mile hike.

The afternoon clears up a bit to hike the Nagoonberry Trail (2.2 miles - Nature Conservancy property). The hike is not through a dense forest but a more open area (with trees around) The area is filled with wild strawberries (which the kids gobbled up), willow, purple asters, and goldenrod, and lots fireweed and lupine. 

We see a Green Orchid 

And Lady Tressis Orchid

Very pretty trail.

It starts to drizzle as we reach the beach.

There are 2 ravens to greet us - I scare them away before the rest of our group got there. (oops).

We didn't stay long because 1) it was raining harder 2) we had a pick-up time at 4pm.

We walk through fields of Fireweed on the way back.

I find a several slugs on the goldenrod.

It's a nice little hike.

We then head to the Gustavus library because yesterday while listening to a Ranger talk about Snow the humpback whale at Glacier National Park, she mentioned that the local library now has an Orca (aka Killer Whale) skeleton at the library - we had to stop.

The skeleton is of a juvenile (4yrs old) female orca found dead on Glacier Bay's Young Island in the summer 2005. Necropsy determined she died of pneumonia and malnutrition from injuries sustained after swallowing a halibut fish hook. Park staff decided to have her skeleton preserved. As in the case of Snow (the humpback whale), folks and students from the community had the opportunity to help. The whale was named "Keet'k" by Huna elders and on Valentine's Day 2014, she went on permanent display in the Gustavus Library. 

We are on the way back to the lodge and then detour to the airport where to lodge guests that plan on leaving today have their flights canceled due to weather (it's pouring again) -- not good flying conditions for small planes. Hope that doesn't happen to our flight tomorrow.

Good day.

July 22- Glacier Bay Adventure - Day 4 - Glacier Bay Glacier Viewing

I am awaken by the barn swallows outside my window this morning. I check for moose out my window as my room faces the meadow. No moose. :(

We have an early start this morning leaving the Inn at 6:20. We head into Glacier Bay park for the docks and our boat. It leaves at 7:30am -- very calm seas this morning.

It's a cloudy morning and off we go heading out of Bartlett Cove.

Several sea otters on the water.

We head out past Strawberry Island in the direction of South Marble Island and a sea lion pull-out and bird rookery.

We see a few humpback whales in the distance.

We arrive at South Marble island and see many sea lions laying on the rocks. 

There a few in the water - some playing. You can sure smell them!

Lots of birds flying and in the water: Cormorants, Glaucaus (Grey) Guls, Pigeon Guiilimots, Kittiwakes, Common Murres and the prized Tufted Puffins!

There's a flock of puffins on the rocks and two of them seem to be either greeting or fighting each other. Pretty interesting to watch.

There still may be at least one sea lion pup out there - or he's a very small sea lion.

We pick up some sea kayakers from an island and then continue.

Next we head toward Gloomy Knob (this is where mountain goat are common). On arrival, there is a single mountain goat 

And a Bald Eagle. 

We watch the one goat for a bit and head on looking for more. And we find another.

And leaving we find a third goat!!!

Gloomy Knob has a cool rock pattern.

We spot 1 Tufted Puffin and 2 Horned Puffins in the water -- the rangers were quite excited by the Horned Puffins, I guess they are pretty rare to see here.

Now it glacier time, I see Reid Glacier as we pass by.

We are heading almost to the Canadian border up the Tarr Inlet to see the Margerie Glacier. We pass a few more glaciers.

Afterwards we spot a single Brown Bear walking along the beach! Our 1st bear!! Boy did he have big white claws! He was on a mission - paid absolutely no attention to us. He walked quite a ways down the beach before heading into the woods.

A little further, we spot another Brown Bear walking the edge of the water. This guy is quite aware of us but keeps walking the beach and digging in the rocks. 

Eventually, he spooks and run up the beach a bit and then continues moving along. But he ends up running off.

When we arrive there's a cruise ship parked in front - kinda breaks the spirit of the glacier. But the ship does add perspective on how large the glacier is!

There are a few icebergs floating around - one was a make-shift island for gulls.

We slowly approach heading around the ship from the far side getting a good view. The glacier calves - ice crashing into the water.

There's an ice cave in the glacier. I can see blue horizontal lines.

We spend about 30 minutes in front, listening to cracks in the ice and seeing 2 additional calves. Nothing big a fabulous but a calving no less. But the sun and a little blue sky happened which made things quite beautiful!

Oh, there a harbor seal swimming to the glaciers far right - I notice it pretty early but it takes most a long time to find it.

As we pull away, I can see the upper part of the glacier.

Time to turn around, once we were away from the glacier, it went back to clouds.

We stop at Lamplugh Glacier -- this one has already receded from the water. Most people were in line for food at this point so only a few went on deck for a look. This one was much bluer than the other.

We pass by Reid Glacier again.

The rest of the way, more birds and otters. 

And the cherry on a perfect day, an orca. I come in from on deck -- looking for otters -- and I see the captain looking ahead with his binoculars. Then I see this tall black dorsel fin come out of the water, grab my coat and head back on top. The captain then announced the orca to the boat.

I just see the one orca but people behind me say there are a few more in the distance. The one orca is actually 2 Orca - a mom and her calf!!! They came up together once!! Pretty cool!

Perfect cruise!!!

We get back to shore and listen to a Ranger talk about Snow a 44 year old humpback that was hit by a cruise ship in 2001. She washed up on shore and the National Park decided to reconstruct her bones. The local community (including students) helped in this process. This year the exhibit opened and we are one of the first to see it. Pretty neat to see the complete skeleton of a humpback whale!

We also see some Tlinglet trail markers.

Then we took at walk on the Forest Trail outside the Glacier Bay Lodge. Very mossy and green!

After the hike, we listened to a Park Ranger talk about glacier isostatic rebound - when the glacier retreats, the land starts to rise. In fact, the place where we were standing was a sea level back in 1966 and we are a good 3-4 ft above the shoreline.

While we were waiting for our ride back to the lodge, a blue heron flies in and lands in the tree above us. There are a total of 3 herons up there!

 Perfect day!!