East & West Glacier Trails

View of Mendenhall Glacier from behind the Visitor's Center

There are several hiking trails near the Mendenhall Glacier.  Last week we did the East Glacier Trail and today we did the West Glacier Trail.  Both are really nice trails worth doing.

The East Glacier Trail starts behind the visitors center and starts on the Trail of Times.  It's about a 3.5 mile loop trail, with moderate elevation gain.  The trail is mostly in the forest, but there are occasional clearings to give you a glimpse of the glacier from higher up.  A small waterfall, the AJ waterfall, is also a short walk from the trail.

The West Glacier Trail starts at the end of the road just past the campground.  This is about 3.5 miles one way (7 miles r/t) with 1500 feet elevation gain.  The trail is through forest also, with some creeks and small waterfalls along the way.  There are many viewing spots along the way, and the views get better and better as you get higher up.  Toward the end of the trail there's quite a bit of rock scrambling though, and it can be a bit of a challenge.  We had couple of pups with us that kept wrestling with each other the whole way up.  There were several times they got close to the edge of a steep drop off and had me a bit nervous.  You really don't want your dogs to be playing tug of war with a stick on these rocks.... 

Once at the top there's a rock outcrop with a fantastic view of the Juneau icefields - definitely worth the hike.  From there, you can see people trekking on the icefields.  We also saw a few helicopters who touched down on the glacier for about 20 minutes while their passengers walked around a bit.  They probably paid few hundred bucks for their tour.  Our hike was free.  There was also a yellow igloo like structure towards the left hand side of the icefield.  That may have been the dog camp where people can go dog sledding as part of a tour. 

The rock outcrop made for a great place to have lunch.  It's definitely the best view of the glaciers I've had so far here.  Unfortunately, the sky looked a bit ominous and we decided to turn around to avoid rock scrambling in the rain.  I think if we kept going a bit further though, we could actually touch the glacier.  It's not really wise to go near the face of a glacier since it could break off, but it would be cool to get a bit closer.  Perhaps next time.  Even as it stands though, this ranks high up there on my favorite hikes in Juneau.

View of Juneau Icefields from the West Glacier Trail

Why Take A Cruise?

Majority of the people I know who have visited Alaska came on a cruise.  A popular route is one that takes you through all the towns in the Inside Passage - Ketchikan, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines, etc.  Another route probably takes you all the way up to Anchorage.  What I really don't understand though, is why it is so popular.  I get that Alaska is a hard place to get to, and you can't exactly drive from town to town in the Inside Passage since there aren't roads connecting them.  However, I hear that you only get a few hours to maybe 12 hours max in a port.  How much can you really do in that timeframe? 

In Juneau alone there is so much to do - hiking, kayaking, boat tours, heli tours, glacier tours, wildlife watching, and fishing.  There's no way a 12 hour day lets you explore all the greatness Juneau has to offer.  Why not just fly here and hang out out.  Or, if you really want to port hop, take the ferry.  It won't have all the entertainment you get on a cruise ship, but why do you have to go gambling, dancing, bowling, movie watching, swimming, on a cruise ship?  If you want to gamble or party, go to Las Vegas.  If you want to swim, go to a beach resort.  If you want to watch a movie or bowl, you can do that back home on a weekend. 

Maybe people think they are getting the best of both worlds - entertainment on the boats, and sightseeing in the ports.  What I hope people aren't doing though, is getting on a cruise ship because that's what they hear is the "thing to do".  The cruise ship industry is huge in Alaska, and it creates a lot of job and businesses here.  I can't complain about that, but to be fair to people visiting Alaska, I think they're getting a bum deal. 

For those people planning a trip to Alaska, I suggest skipping the cruise ships and the mad rush of getting on & off the boat at each port.  It might be nice to see all the ports, but to be honest, they're all kind of the same.  You can do just about all the same activity in each one.  So, just stick with Juneau where you have the most choices.  Fly in for about a week, and then spend a few days hiking.  After all, the whole idea of visiting Alaska is to get out in the wild.  Depending on the hike you do, you may even see some wildlife - mountain goats and bears.  Some trails take you by the beach so you may even see whales and seals.  There are many places to go birdwatching, too. 

In addition to hiking, spend a day (or more) fishing.  If you're going to fish anywhere, Alaska, home of America's largest fisheries, is it.  Then spend a day at Mendenhall Glacier.  Then take a day tour of Tracy Arms Fjords.  You can spend another day on a kayak tour, or another day on a glacier trek tour. 

If you have more then a week, you could spend a week getting from Anchorage to Fairbanks, while stopping in Denali along the way.  Or you can visit some of the other near by towns, like Haines or Sitka, on the ferry.  You can also drive from Skagway, which is a 6.5 hours ferry ride from Juneau, up to Whitehorse, YT.  From Juneau, you can also easily get to Glacier Bay National Park for a 2-3 day get away.

Coming to Alaska on a cruise is probably better than not coming at all, but if you haven't planned your Alaska trip yet, skip the party boat and enjoy your time in Alaska.

3 Months Later: My Thoughts on Alaska

It's been just over three months now since I first arrived in Alaska.  When I first got here I was excited about being in a new place.  I marvelled at the beauty of the snowcapped mountains and the sight of the Gastineau channel just outside of my office window.  I was also very elated to find out that many people here are dog tolerant and walk them off-leash on trails... and there are many trails here.  I also had nearly a month long sunshine spell that helped tremendously.  Since then, I've had a chance to settle down a bit and experience some of the downsides of Alaska.
Probably some of the most common gripes of living in Juneau, and perhaps everywhere else outside of Anchorage, is the lack of good shopping and restaurants.  Well, fortunately I do not enjoy shopping, and I am not big on eating out.  Much of what I need can be bought at Fred Meyer, Safeway, and Costco.  Other items can be bought on Amazon.com.  Clothes shopping might be difficult online though, so I may have to start dressing down like an Alaskan, or schedule shopping time when I travel to other States.  As for restaurants, I can count all of the ones I would go to on one hand.  Occasionally I wish for a good Japanese restaurant, but I am one of those so-called eat-to-live people and not the live-to-eat.

Juneau also lacks choices when it comes to other things, such as pet services, gym, martial-arts training, or doctors.  I am pretty much having to make do with whatever is available, and I find that ok.  What they do offer here for pet services, gym, and doctors are acceptable.  I only wish that I had my favorite karate school here, but I would have that problem no matter where I went except Virginia Beach where it is located. 

When it comes to hobbies, I have only gotten into hiking since I had my dog to walk often and there were so many trails to try.  However, I am now thinking of getting into fishing at some point.  I've only done it a few times but remember enjoying it.  I am sure it would be an even better experience here.  Plus, it has a practical aspect in it that you can eat the fish you catch.  Catching salmon yourself would be so much cheaper than buying it.  Oh, and in the winter, I have yet to check out the ski slopes here, but I will have to make sure I do so next season.

I still find the scenery in Alaska to be magnificent.  I was starting to take the beauty of it all for granted, but with the warmer weather arriving, the snow has melted, grasses turned green, and flowers started blooming.  It's a whole different scenery now and it's great.  Maybe in some years I will take it all for granted all year long.  Maybe when I visit family and other built up places I'll appreciate more of the place where I live.  One thing I wish Alaska did do though is build more charming homes and buildings.  It's such a beautiful place here but the somewhat dumpy homes, buildings, and industrial parks that dot the towns here and there kind of ruin it for me.  In this regard, I would have say that Europe has done a much better job of designing towns and villages that better fit in with the beautiful surroundings.

One of the biggest downsides here, which I do find to be an issue, is that Alaska is very far far away from the lower 48.  It is a long way just to visit family and friends on the East Coast.  In Juneau, the only flights going in and out are to & from Seattle or Anchorage.  It's at least a whole day getting East, if not two.  Coming back can be one day, but a very long one day.  It's also very expensive - more expensive than any flight I have taken overseas (mostly thanks to the rising cost of airfares).  I miss my family & friends a lot, which does suck.  I suppose though, that even when I lived 3.5 hours drive away, I only saw my family a few times a year.  I've also spent years living abroad so this really isn't much different.  It's just the price I pay for being a nomad.  What I may have to do here is try to find excuses for a business trip out East, or arrange some telecommuting option so that I can stay East a bit longer when I do go for a visit.  I'm sure something can be worked out where I will still see family & friends few times a year. 

While the remoteness of Alaska keeps people in, it also keeps people out.  The population of Alaska has remained relatively low.  So low you might struggle make new friends with someone who shares your same interest. There are benefits to being remote and sparsely populated.  There's no long lines anywhere, or traffic on the streets.   You can get trails and beaches all to yourself.  It's the ultimate getaway without having to get away.  Most people go to places like this to get away because they live a hectic life in a crowded place.  I suppose in my case I would have to get away when I feel like I need to go to a big city to be part of the crowd and go shopping. 

All in all I think Juneau is a wonderful place to live.  Then again, summer is the best time to be here.  The temperatures have been just how I like it (not too hot) and it has not been raining so much.  It's so perfect right now.  I suppose I'll have to write another post a year later though to see how I cope with the rainy fall and cold winters.  Stay tuned.

Sitka, AK

When Memorial Day weekend approached, I felt as though I had to take advantage of the long weekend and go somewhere.  I couldn't go far on three days, so I decided on Sitka.  You can get to Sitka from Juneau in 4.5 hours on the fast ferry.  It leaves at 0800 from Juneau, arrives at 1230 in Sitka, departs Sitka at 1330 and arrives in Juneau at 1800.  I left on a Saturday and came back Monday.

For this trip it was just me and Millie.  Brad got a job as a Security Officer and had to work every weekend in May.  I actually wanted to go sans doggie, but I couldn't leave her at home because Brad was working 10 hour days and she couldn't be left alone for that long.  Putting her in a kennel raised so many other issues that it seemed almost easier to just bring her with me.  Finding pet-friendly lodging in Sitka is pretty tough tho.  There's hardly any hotels there that allow dogs, and the ones that do charge an arm and a leg.  Super 8 wanted something in the area of $150 a night.  Ridiculous.  So I opted for camping. 

I didn't make this decision to camp lightly.  I had a few concerns.  First, there was no way I could get the 3 man tent we had up by myself (I practiced).  Second, Sitka has grizzlies.  Third, it could be cold and rainy (forecast called for rain).  Fourth, Millie could tear down my tent.  And the list goes on....  Once at the Starrigavan Campsite though, I did manage to get help from the site host to put up the tent.  The host also informed me that there had not been any bear sightings there yet, so that was a relief.  The weather was a tad gloomy, but not so bad that it was a problem.  However, it did get pretty cold at night and I didn't dress warmly enough thinking it wouldn't get that much colder.  Millie must have thought it was cold too because she ended up sleeping on me or on my airmattress.  I spent most of the night curled up in a fetal position to stay warm, and also because I only had about two-thirds of a 28"x72" mattress.  My butt cheeks were a bit cramped from holding that position for so long.  I must've gotten some sleep though, because I woke up fairly refreshed. 

I had roughly 2 full days, most of which was overcast.  It didn't give me a good impression of Sitka, but I could see that it was about as beautiful as Juneau, in my opinion.  Most think Sitka is the most beautiful of all the Alaska towns, but I'm not so sure.  It does not support as much tourism though, which helps.  I also expected to see more Russian culture and architecture since it was previously a Russian colony and the purchase of Alaska from Russia took place here.  The town does embrace it's history, however.  Castle Hill gives some history about the exchange of land between Russia and US.  I didn't make it to the Sitka Historical museum but no doubt it does too. 

Another part of Sitka's history are the native Alaskans.  Little of their culture is left today after the arrival of Russians and Americans, but some of it can be seen at the Sheldon Jackson museum.  It's a peak into the life of an Eskimo.  The Sitka National Historical Park is the oldest National Park in Alaska, and it commemorates the largest conflict held between the Europeans and Native Alaskans.  There are a few trails around the park, and many totem poles.   

Sitka also offers many wildlife viewing opportunities.  There is a whale park from where you can view whales in October, November, and March.  The campground I stayed in had the Estuary Trail from which you could do bird watching.  Then there is the Alaska Raptor Center where hurt Eagles are cared for and trained to re-enter the wild.

In addition to the cultural attractions, there are some nice trails around Sitka.  Most are not very long, but are of moderate difficulty.  Since I had Millie with me, I had to spend most of my time outdoors and on the trails.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how well maintained the trails were compared to Juneau's, which are often muddy and wet.  I went on several trails - Thimbleberry/Heart Lake Trail, Forest & Muskegs Trail, Mosquito Cove Trail, and Herring Cove Trail.  Herring Cove Trail was my favorite since there are couple of nice waterfalls along the way. 

Since I did so much walking the first and second day there, I was pretty beat by the time 5pm came around on the 2nd day.  It felt a bit chillier then too, or maybe I was just tired.  In any case, I had no idea what I would do myself back at the campsite for rest of the night but all I wanted to do was relax.  The thought of staying in a hotel crossed my mind again and I called a few places to see if I could find a decent rate.  Although Sitka Hotel doesn't normally allow dogs, they let me stay for $110.  It was the best I could do.  What I got for it was a dumpy smoking room (because of the dog) and somewhere in the hotel people started partying and woke me up in the middle of the night.  I had to call front desk to complain.  I was almost better off camping.  Definitely better value. 

On my last morning in Sitka I finally got some sunshine.  What a bit difference it makes on your mood.  As if the fresh and crisp air wasn't enough, the sun being just makes it that much better being outdoors.  I went around downtown again to retake some photos.  Then I took Millie for a walk, packed up my camping gear, had lunch, and headed over to the ferry.  I had a good nap on the ferry, and relaxed by reading a book.  It was a great way to end the weekend.

Ten Reasons Why Ferries Are Better Than Planes

I've now had an opportunity to go on a ferry couple of times to and from Juneau.  I must say that it has been a fairly pleasant experience, unlike flying, which I hate with a passion.  I've been hoping for more alternatives to flying, and in Southeast Alaska, the ferries are it.  Here are my ten reasons why taking a ferry is so much better than flying:

10.  There is plenty of legroom

There's about 2 feet of legroom in front of you.  I could almost stick my legs out straight.  The seats are also wide enough I can prop my legs up on it.  The seats on the ferries are a lot wider, and most rows have only 2 seats next to each other so there aren't many 'middle' seats.

9.   The windows are much bigger

Pretty much the entire cabin area is wall to wall window, so you have a great view of the beautiful scenery.  It's like being on a cruise but for cheaper.  If you're lucky, you may also spot some whales or dolphins too.

8.  The food is much better

Although food isn't included in the trip, you have an opportunity to buy it at the snack shop or cafeteria.  On long haul trips, it's cooked right on the boat so you get a proper hot meal - not something that looks and taste like a cheap microwave meal.


7.  You can take your car with you

No need to rent a car at the other end because you can bring your car with you on most ferries.  Plus, the AMHS ferries often offer 'driver goes free' discounts, so it may not cost much more than if you went without your car. 

 
6.  You can bring your pet with you

Although you have to leave your pet in your car or in a crate on the car deck, I think your pets are much more safer and comfortable than in the cargo area of an airliner.  There's plenty of ventilation, and in the winter, the heat from the engine will keep the car deck at a reasonable temperature.

5.  There's no security hassle

There's a few restrictions on firearms and hazmats, but for the most part, there's no serious screening of passenger baggage.  So no x-rays and baggage search, and the long lines that go with it.  On the long haul ferry, there was a bomb sniffing dog running around the vehicles on the loading area so there is some security, but none that you have to be involved in.

4.  No worries about falling out of the sky and crashing to your death

Although flying is supposed to be relatively safe, there's enough stories about plane crashes to worry me.  I'm not a huge fan of turbulence either.  If you're like me, you'd be much more comfortable on a ferry.  It's also not very likely you'll get seasick either because most of the trips are usually on the inside passage where the waves aren't so big.

3.  Clean and roomy bathrooms

You don't have to try to squeeze into a compartment the size of a linen closet to do your business.  There are proper men and women's segregated bathrooms with proper toilet stalls, sinks, hand towels, and trash bins.  There are even showers on the long haul ferry.

2.  You can rent a cabin

If you are on a long trip, you can rent a cabin for the duration of the trip.  This will assure you a comfortable rest and some privacy during the trip.  Some cabins also come with full facilities - toilet, shower, and sink.

1.  No worries about lost luggage

There are only so many places your luggage can go at the ferry terminal so it is not very likely that your luggage will get lost.  You can also choose to take your own luggage on and off the ferry so you always know where it is. 


In this age where there's so much to complain about regarding the airline industry, I can find very little to complain about for the ferries.  The downside, of course, is that it takes a little longer.  However, because it is so comfortable, I would almost rather spent 5 hours on a ferry than an hour on a plane.  It's actually relaxing.  You can sleep, read a book, or watch the scenery.  On the long haul ferries there are movies to watch and a bar to go to.  Since you can walk around easily on the ferry, you can also meet new people easily and talk to them without having to shout over jet engine noise.  If I could ferry everywhere I would.  Give it a try if you have the opportunity.

Point Bridget State Park

I'm not sure how true it is, but I heard from a friend that the cruise ship passengers get 10-12 hours in Juneau on their tour of Alaska's Inside Passage (South East Alaska).  There's no way anyone can appreciate the full beauty that Juneau offers in that time.  If you're encouraged to do the typical touris thing, you'll probably end up walking around downtown, catch the tour bus to Mendenhall Glacier, and take the tram ride up Mount Roberts.  You probably don't even hear of places like Point Bridget State Park, which is amazing, because I didn't even know anything about it until I went this weekend. 

The trailhead begins at Mile 39 on Glacier Hwy (aka Egan Drive).  It's about a 3 mile trek through rainforests and meadows to the point closest to the water.  On the way we saw a cute cabin that is available for public use (must reserve).  It'd almost be a great place to stay if it weren't all the hikers that will pass by.  The views all around on the trail were quite fantastic but once at the end you had a panoramic view of the water and the mountains.  Combined with the awesome weather we had yesterday, it was just a gorgeous place to be on a gorgeous day.  We stopped a bit here to grab a bite to eat and just enjoy the view.  Using our binoculars, we could see orcas and sea lions out in the water. 

After a little break, we headed up another half mile to Blue Mussel Cabin.  Not as many people come all the way to the end, so it was a very peaceful place to be.  It was very tempting to just lay down across the picnic table for a nap after the long walk there. 

The trip out to Blue Mussel Cabin and back was 7 miles.  There is an option to loop around back to Glacier Hwy (but not back to the same parking lot), and there are some lakes along that route.  Perhaps next time I will try that route.  Oh, just a little warning about the trail - it's quite wet and muddy in many places.  You definitely need waterproof shoes that go above your ankle.  If you have ExtraTufs (Alaskan rainboots), even better.

The Cruise Ships Are Here!

Downtown Juneau

The first set of cruise ships arrived in Juneau this weekend.  With the tourists, the whole of downtown Juneau came to life.  There are people everywhere and all of the sudden there are shops I didn't even know existed.  It was a great weekend weather wise, too, for the season start.  It had been on the rainy side lately so the sun was a welcome change.

Waterfall near Mendenhall Glacier

Since my last post on Windfall Lake Trail, I had been on several hikes.  Most were my usual favorites: Boy Scout/Crow Point Trail, Airport Dike Trail, Rainforest Trail, and the Mendenhall Glacier area.  I did do a few new ones, too.  One was the Mt Roberts Trail.  I had a friend in town from Japan last week (it was Golden Week there), and since nothing was quite open yet for the tourists, most of the activities had to involve hiking.  The tram to the top wasn't open yet either, so I thought it would be nice if we could hike up there for a view.  I wasn't certain of the conditions, but we went anyways and found it to be about as bad as I thought, but not bad enough to turn around.  We got at least to where the tram was, after trudging through muddy and icy conditions.  It will be at least another month or so before the snow up there clears for better conditions to go further.  Similarly, the Perseverence Trail I did this weekend wasn't quite cleared of snow either.  It is actually a fairly level hike, but about a mile or so in, we started hitting snow.  We hiked through snow for about a mile, and some parts were thigh deep.  As we were stepping in spots we hoped was packed snow, we often sunk in.  This made the hike difficult so we turned around before reaching the end of the trail.  The trail will still be there once summer hits.

Creek along Perseverence Trail

Mt Roberts Tram

After hiking Perseverence Trail, I went up the tram since it was Juneau Appreciation Day on Saturday and the ride was only $8 (normally it's $27).  Although I had been up there already, it was nice out so I thought I'd go up there again and have something to eat after the hike. 

I'm looking forward to summer a lot.  It has been a long winter.  I can see green grass growing and flowers budding here and there.  The change in season keeps things interesting even when I do the same hikes over and over again.  With warmer weather I am also starting to see more wildlife around.   So far they are mostly birds.  I've seen a few Eagles already.  I have yet to see a bear or mountain goats though.  Shouldn't be long now though before things get more interesting. The salmon will start running, bears will be out, and maybe I'll get to see a whale or two.  Come on summer!!