With Climate Change and all, who knows how much longer we'll have big chunks of ancient ice - you ever think about this? In our lifetime, the ice may be completely gone...and then what?
Alaska is an enormously beautiful country. We are very fortunate in many ways to be blessed with such wonder.
Mendenhall Glacier
Just in case you missed it the first time...
High Tide Near Walmart - a VERY unusual site to see the tide this high unless of course, it's November!
As you will notice, I did not include photos taken during our storms sometimes with 100-mile-an-hour winds – of course I didn’t include any here because I wasn’t out in the storms. During November, I was too busy preparing for the Public Market to run around in our Fall storms.
Lemon Glacier in unusually sunny weather during November in Juneau, Alaska
5 Swans in our first snow of the season
Winged Mt. Jumbo on Douglas Island
Hadn't seen this sign in a good 15-20 years!--Hmm...did we even have trail signs back then?
go at your own risk: sounds like life, don't it?
The first part of the trail is nice and wide...seems quite easy for strollers...
The cliff; can you tell we're rising higher into elevation by the level of that cloud in the distance?
View North...as we stand at the Corner...
Standing on that same corner...view West...
Hmmm....the first road in Alaska? That's what this sign said...
Strolling families....
54 years later...and I have yet to give Mt. Juneau a climb!
Mudslides and avalanches happen...
Baby ride - sleeps through it all...
Egan Drive looking South from the highway near Walmart - check out the high tide - truly awesome!
During the last new moon over a week ago, the Fall tides were up – I hadn’t seen the tidal flats full of this much ocean since who knows when!? (Of course, I haven’t been living here full time since 1993!) Driving up the rise heading into downtown Juneau passing Walmart, I was struck by the illuminating beauty of a very full high tide – the tide reached the base of the highway, which rarely happens at any other time throughout the year. This full tide was just a couple of days directly before the big storm of 60-100mph winds and sideways rain blasted through for 24 hours!
Always look forward to the Fall tides, as they are generally the fullest! Watch for another New moon high tide the first week in November.
Facing Southwest/West from Egan Drive
My Tlingit bloodline is strong in me. The name “Tlingit” translates as the “Tides People”. It’s only obvious why we called ourselves this. Our lives have depended upon the sea from time immemorial. I grew up with the ocean outside my window, out on the boat fishing with my father, playing down at the docks and building huge bonfires on the beaches out Thane Road.
Looking West across the bar
Northwesterly towards the Chilkat Range in the far distance
For those of you who may be wondering how I took these photos if I were on Egan Drive passing Walmart: I slowed down to 55mph and whipped out my trusty Nikon Coolpix point and shoot that generally sits in the cup holder between the driver’s and passenger seat.
Fireweed going to seed at Eagle Beach Boy Scout Meadow
Like I mentioned earlier in a blog a couple of days ago, I hadn’t spent a whole lot of recreational time outdoors in Juneau (except when I had my landscaping company 25 years ago – but this doesn’t count because I was running a landscape business; it was not necessarily leisure). When the Bill of Rights celebrated it’s 100-year anniversary (1996?), they celebrated it in Juneau because the U.S. Government deemed this place the most beautiful capital city in the U.S. – really? You mean Honolulu is not more beautiful? – After romping through the forests, beaches and mountains of Juneau this past Summer, I too deem this place the most beautiful capital city in the States!
There are few ways to survive the weather in Juneau: 1). get out in the weather for a walk, hike, whatever, every day, 2) attend all the social & cultural activities that interest you, 3) get into doing some kind of art that pleases your soul, and/or 4) spend time with the very young and the very old. I recommend all of the above. Please share if you have any other suggestions!
Eagle Beach Boys Scout Camp Meadow stretches about a square mile wouldn't you say?
Nagoon Berry at Eagle Beach
If you ever receive a jar of Nagoon-berry jelly from someone, you must be really, doggone special to that person because it isn’t easy to find this berry in the Juneau area anymore…I found two little berries this day I was at Eagle River. Berry folk like myself know this is the best berry in the world – and we’ve got fields of these gems in specific areas in the northern part of Southeast Alaska. Dundas Bay (part of Glacier Bay National Park) is a great spot; the berry stalks are taller than any of us have ever seen in the Juneau area!
The beauty of ebbing - how many of us know how to do this?
Eagle Beach ebbed peninsula
You think you've seen one sunset so you've seen 'em all?
Do you know anyone who is tired of sunsets?
Eagle Beach cannot help be Sunset Alley
Eagle Glacier alpine glow
A mysterious reflection
So at first we saw this big porcupine at a distance and thought it a small cub!
When's the last time you saw a frog? huh?
Jellyfish Horizon
Have you ever seen a beached jellyfish? We think this was a sunburnt jellyfish – got caught by the Indian Summer weather at Eagle Beach near the Boy Scout Camp out here in good ole Juneau, Alaska. Check out the sunflower character looking like a jello mold!
Checking out the alien...
You asking how big this thing was? Maybe 18″ diameter. Do jellyfish get bigger than that? I have never seen a jellyfish out of water so I cannot gauge what this one would measure when it’s in the ocean. What does the jellyfish feel like? jello? I don’t know. We shoulda poked it as any normal human would.
Jellyfish Swirl
Jellyfish Close-up
What do Jellyfish and sunflowers have in common?
Mt. Roberts trail head signs
I cannot remember the last time I hiked Mt. Roberts Trail: 10 to 15 years ago? I done see some new improvements during the entire hike beginning right at the trail head. In the “olden days” there weren’t the modern conveniences of a metal stairwell up the first part of the trail head of Mt. Roberts, let alone signs telling you where you are, what to do and how to behave! Gawd! Like have we advanced or what!? These amenities musta been the result of the City and Borough of Juneau accommodating to the few walking tourists…I have to say that walking up the metal steps at the trail head is sure a lot easier than the steep, and often times slippery and muddy path that once was. Aren’t you glad we have tourists? !^P
Log Walkway
A covered rest area!
The covered rest area has a view!
This view has overgrown indeed – time to cut the entire forest down so we can see what we’re looking at from the rest area, doggone it!
Another log walkway
For you "cheechako's", remember that Devil's Club berries are poisonous!
What's up man, like holy cow! - To how many walkways do I subject you guys!?
It's just not true that once you've seen one root and log walkway, you've seen 'em all!
Getting closer to the tramway, there are still lots of blueberries ripe for the pickin'
View across to the town of Douglas, Alaska
A Spruce head
Tramway view looking down at the Gastineau Channel
Looking west from Mt. Roberts tramway to the beloved Chilkat Range
The name sake sits in the woods at the edge of Eagle Beach
At one time, there must have been more eagles at this beach. Lots of ducks, lots of seagulls, even Canadian geese, however only one eagle; like what’s the deal? How come nobody give the names “bird beach” or “Geese Beach?” What happened to all the eagles? Are they out fishing in other rivers plump with spawning salmon. Isn’t it too late for spawning salmon; aren’t we at the tail end of all that? Too much road construction for the eagles? Too many hikers, campers and beachcombers? Too much noise? One eagle, folks, that’s what was out here on a beautiful early evening. Better enjoy it while we can!
The tide is going out catching the reflection of another glorious sunset
Aerial Mushroons are like most mushrooms, they suddenly appear, then the go back from where they come
Some clouds erupt like volcanoes
I swear, like all the other photos on this blog, I DID NOT photoshop that lovely sight directly above us in the clouds!
"Rear Mirror Rissy" in her Alaskan safari style scoping the dramatic scene
The sun has set; do we really have to go home?
We Alaskans know we gotta catch a sunset while we can!
Sunset Close-up
The same sunset!? LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING!?
Fly with it while we can!
Like many of us who live in this isolated, condensed community of Juneau, my life is full. I have family, relatives, life-long friends, appointments, art to create, classes to teach, website to update and lately, blogging. However, I make sure I get out into Nature as often as possible every day, even if the moon rising! During my outings, I have come across all kinds of natural sculptures. While you are out and about in the Juneau area, maybe you will discover these guys too! Here are some recent shots (I do not enhance these photographs; I do not tamper with the sculptures either, these photos are as is)–enjoy!
Pretty dang cool, eh? Stay tuned for additional shots! — thanks for the visit!
