Perseverence Trail

The Perseverence Trail seems to be high on Juneau's list of recommended hikes.  I bet it would be one that is recommended at a vistor's center, and you can also find information on this trail if you search for Juneau hiking information online.  I've been wanting to see what this trail was all about for a while now.  I tried to hike it back in early May with some friends, but we ended up turning around after getting two-thirds of the way because of all of the snow.  I think we were also too busy trying to make our way through the thigh high snow to actually enjoy it.  Well, now that it's mid-June, the time seems to be right.

The trail head is at the end of basin road, about a mile or 2's walk from downtown up the hill.  The hike itself is not difficult so if you don't have a car you could make an all day trip of it.  If you start at the trailhead, the hike is about 6-7 miles round trip with about 700 feet of elevation gain.  Most of that elevation gain is at the beginning of the trail.  You walk mostly along a cliff edge and if you are with a dog, you might be slightly nervous if he/she gets near the edge.  Also, I wouldn't recommend this hike before early May when the trail is cleared of rock slides.  If a rock slide blocks your path and you try climbing over it, you could very well slide off the trail to your death.  Don't worry in the summer though.  The trail is plenty wide so unless you're walking on the edge of the trail, you should be fine.

The trail becomes more safer and more beautiful after about three quarters of a mile in.  You are no longer near the cliff edge, and the scenery becomes more green with vegetation.  Since it rains a lot in Juneau, it's all very lush.  Add some wildflowers, a few butterflies fluttering about, and birds chirping in the background, and you almost imagine this must be what heaven is like.  Or perhaps someone's garden.  Only when you look in the distance and see the snow capped mountain do you remember that you are in the wilderness of Alaska.

It's possible to see bears, and perhaps other wild animals.  I did not see any, but Millie had a close encounter with a porcupine.  She got so close that she got stung by one of its needles.  I did not see this, but after some moments of playing in the bushes, she came out with a needle stuck in her nose.  I think she was a bit excited or scared because she wouldn't let me near her.  These needles are hard to pull out even when she is still, but nearly impossible when she's not.  Since this happenned just as we turned around at the end, she had to walk all 3 miles back with the needle stuck on her.  One trick I learned today from various passerby's is that if you cut the end of it off, it will let the air out of the needle and make it easier to take out.  Once home, I had to get Brad to hold her firm while I snipped the needle and pulled it out.  I think she bled a little from it, but was otherwise alright.  This is actually her second time being stung by a porcupine so I hope now she has learned her lesson.

Looking down top of a
waterfall (requires side hike)

Aside from the porcupine incident, the hike was very nice.  The end of the trail was a little anti-climatic though, since it ended at a pile of landslide.  The trail itself is in the valley between Mt Juneau and Mt Roberts, so there are also parts where sun doesn't shine as much.  We found an area towards the end where there was a pile of snow. 

In addition to the main trail, there's a few shoot offs.  About a mile into the trail is the trailhead up to Mt Juneau.  There's also the Red Mill trail that serves as an alternate route for part of the way.  Near the end of the trail is another short trail to the Mining Camp.  Since I was a bit concerned about Millie's well-being with the needle stuck in her nose, I ended up just taking the most direct route back.  I'll have to do this trail again so I can check some of these other routes.