Juneau

Sailed through the night to get to Juneau by 8am.  Had booked the Mendenhall Glacier trip.   On the way called into a salmon hatchery.  It is a non profit organisation which breeds salmon and release them into the wild.  Fascinating story from conception to their death after they breed.   Got the bus to the visitors centre then walked the waterfall walk towards the front of the glacier.  Saw some salmon and a bald eagle…still no bears.   Looking from the ground up to the face of the ice gave us another perspective of the power of the ice and the swath it cuts through the mountains.  The water in front of the face is a muddy brown, caused by the deposit of ground up rock coming from the ice as it melts. 

Called into the Juneau museum for a brief history of the town and Alaska in general.  Unusually Juneau is the capital city of Alaska, it has a population of 30,00 whereas Anchorage has a population of 300,000 and Juneau hasn’t even got a road out of town, only way out is plane or boat….politicians – who can understand them.

I had a beer in the Red Dog Saloon, apparently the most famous bar in Alaska, was a fun place, very traditional décor with the piano player, buxom wenches, cold beer and moose heads displayed on the walls.   

 Cath and I then decided we wanted to see the glaciers from a different angle again and we caught the seaplane for a 45 minute trip over the 5 glaciers in the Tacu Valley.  Mysteriously Pam chose to keep her feet firmly on the ground today, there was general laughter when the guide asked if Pam was going for the flight as well.  Pam decided to wave goodbye and then set out to spend the life insurance money which she was sure was soon coming her way.

Smooth flight with altitudes ranging from 2300 feet to 800 feet, depending on how close we could get to the mountains and glaciers.  Glorious views looking down into the crevices of the ice with colours ranging from dark brown to brilliant blues.   Climbing over pine covered ridges and dropping down into deep narrow valleys.  Sometimes getting so close to the pine trees, I felt I could reach out and touch them.  Came back to Juneau and landed on the bay, taxi into the jetty adjacent to the cruise ship.   Just another highlight to add to the list.

We had been told Juneau is the diamond buyers centre of the universe, Pam was so busy looking she forgot to buy any, maybe we can come back one day?  Worse day weather wise for us today.  The locals considered it a sensational day because even though it was overcast there was no rain.  So we got the views, just makes the photos a little misty looking.

Back on board at 3.30 for cruising to Ketchican for docking at 8 in the morning.

About to disembark at Juneau

The aquarium at the salmon hatchery.

We went anyway.

They can't see the bear watching them, licking his lips in the undergrowth.

Mendenhall Glacier on the left, waterfall on the right, winter wear models in the foreground.....

Face of the glacier.

From a different angle.

Glorious site.

Chunk of ice calved from the glacier.

The happy (and cold) couple.

Bald eagle on ice.

Reflections in Steep Creek.

One of millions of salmon we saw.

The Red Dog Saloon - line-up to get in.

Well worth it though, great atmosphere.

Fueled and ready.

Strapped in, hope this thing can fly?

South Juneau.

One of five glaciers we flew over.

Every one is different.

The face of the glacier.

Ice for miles.

Patterns in them reveal an interesting history in the climate.

Looking down into the crevasses shows how blue the colours are and how dangerous these things are.

Dowmtown Juneau.

This ship followed us all trip - from Amsterdam.