Nina's Place

Pender Island 01/28/24

Our friend Jenny had planned a short hike up Gordon Hill for the morning. There was quite a bit of fog at the cabin but we decided to go anyway. We started up a fairly steep path that had water running down it from the rain the night before. Surrounded by sparkling forest we were not deterred.Rocks and trees were covered with moss and lichen in a blanket of vibrant green and the air was fresh.

 

Part way up we took a breather and sat on a bench looking out at trees through fog then continued on to the lookout point. Up above us the blue sky was playing peekaboo with the clouds and the sun was shining but looking down the hill we still couldn’t see much. 

We stopped to record the moment and chat with another couple who had arrived. Then we headed down into the fog and through the forest. The path was no longer covered with running water and we just took our time enjoying the near springtime forest. 

Stephen made sandwiches for all four of us before we headed out on our own to drive around the South Island. To get to the South Island you have to cross a sweet little one lane bridge. We went past quite a few farms that had roadside kiosks. Unfortunately, despite checking each one out, there was nothing for sale. We were hoping to find eggs. Our first stop was the Gowland Point ocean access. On the marker the name is spelled Gowlland but on the map it’s spelled Gowland. I’m sticking with the map. 

There was a sign that had paintings of the resident orca pod so if you saw them you could identify them. We didn’t but we did see some Hooded Merganzers.

We had some fun trying to identify the mountains across Boundry Pass. Apparently you can see Bellingham. We did see Mount Baker and Skipjack Island. Derek had told us that there had been a dispute over the San Juan Islands between the British and the United States starting in 1846. Later he gave me a book called The Pig War The last US Border Conflict. I’ve learned that the US thought they might be able to take all of Vancouver Island. I’m still reading the book so I’m not sure exactly how the story ends. Well, ok, I do know that the San Juan Islands are part of the US and Vancouver Island is part of Canada because I’ve seen the map.

Our next stop was Drummond Bay ocean access point where there are houses on both sides. If it was high tide there wouldn’t really be much public space but we did walk along both sides as the tide was out.

 

Our last stop was an access point just off Canal Road. We almost decided to hike through the forest but decided it would be sundown before too long so we just walk out to the view point.

Back to Otter Bay House for dinner and an evening of sharing stories and getting to know our new (newish?) friends better.

 

Pender Island 01/28/24

Our friend Jenny had planned a short hike up Gordon Hill for the morning. There was quite a bit of fog at the cabin but we decided to go anyway. We started up a fairly steep path that had water running down it from the rain the night before. Surrounded by sparkling forest we were not deterred.Rocks and trees were covered with moss and lichen in a blanket of vibrant green and the air was fresh.

 

Part way up we took a breather and sat on a bench looking out at trees through fog then continued on to the lookout point. Up above us the blue sky was playing peekaboo with the clouds and the sun was shining but looking down the hill we still couldn’t see much. 

We stopped to record the moment and chat with another couple who had arrived. Then we headed down into the fog and through the forest. The path was no longer covered with running water and we just took our time enjoying the near springtime forest. 

Stephen made sandwiches for all four of us before we headed out on our own to drive around the South Island. To get to the South Island you have to cross a sweet little one lane bridge. We went past quite a few farms that had roadside kiosks. Unfortunately, despite checking each one out, there was nothing for sale. We were hoping to find eggs. Our first stop was the Gowland Point ocean access. On the marker the name is spelled Gowlland but on the map it’s spelled Gowland. I’m sticking with the map. 

There was a sign that had paintings of the resident orca pod so if you saw them you could identify them. We didn’t but we did see some Hooded Merganzers.

We had some fun trying to identify the mountains across Boundry Pass. Apparently you can see Bellingham. We did see Mount Baker and Skipjack Island. Derek had told us that there had been a dispute over the San Juan Islands between the British and the United States starting in 1846. Later he gave me a book called The Pig War The last US Border Conflict. I’ve learned that the US thought they might be able to take all of Vancouver Island. I’m still reading the book so I’m not sure exactly how the story ends. Well, ok, I do know that the San Juan Islands are part of the US and Vancouver Island is part of Canada because I’ve seen the map.

Our next stop was Drummond Bay ocean access point where there are houses on both sides. If it was high tide there wouldn’t really be much public space but we did walk along both sides as the tide was out.

 

Our last stop was an access point just off Canal Road. We almost decided to hike through the forest but decided it would be sundown before too long so we just walk out to the view point.

Back to Otter Bay House for dinner and an evening of sharing stories and getting to know our new (newish?) friends better.

 

Pender Island 01/28/24

Our friend Jenny had planned a short hike up Gordon Hill for the morning. There was quite a bit of fog at the cabin but we decided to go anyway. We started up a fairly steep path that had water running down it from the rain the night before. Surrounded by sparkling forest we were not deterred.Rocks and trees were covered with moss and lichen in a blanket of vibrant green and the air was fresh.

 

Part way up we took a breather and sat on a bench looking out at trees through fog then continued on to the lookout point. Up above us the blue sky was playing peekaboo with the clouds and the sun was shining but looking down the hill we still couldn’t see much. 

We stopped to record the moment and chat with another couple who had arrived. Then we headed down into the fog and through the forest. The path was no longer covered with running water and we just took our time enjoying the near springtime forest. 

Stephen made sandwiches for all four of us before we headed out on our own to drive around the South Island. To get to the South Island you have to cross a sweet little one lane bridge. We went past quite a few farms that had roadside kiosks. Unfortunately, despite checking each one out, there was nothing for sale. We were hoping to find eggs. Our first stop was the Gowland Point ocean access. On the marker the name is spelled Gowlland but on the map it’s spelled Gowland. I’m sticking with the map. 

There was a sign that had paintings of the resident orca pod so if you saw them you could identify them. We didn’t but we did see some Hooded Merganzers.

We had some fun trying to identify the mountains across Boundry Pass. Apparently you can see Bellingham. We did see Mount Baker and Skipjack Island. Derek had told us that there had been a dispute over the San Juan Islands between the British and the United States starting in 1846. Later he gave me a book called The Pig War The last US Border Conflict. I’ve learned that the US thought they might be able to take all of Vancouver Island. I’m still reading the book so I’m not sure exactly how the story ends. Well, ok, I do know that the San Juan Islands are part of the US and Vancouver Island is part of Canada because I’ve seen the map.

Our next stop was Drummond Bay ocean access point where there are houses on both sides. If it was high tide there wouldn’t really be much public space but we did walk along both sides as the tide was out.

 

Our last stop was an access point just off Canal Road. We almost decided to hike through the forest but decided it would be sundown before too long so we just walk out to the view point.

Back to Otter Bay House for dinner and an evening of sharing stories and getting to know our new (newish?) friends better.

 

Pender Island 01/27/24

I woke up at 6:45 to this view out a skylight. Not a bad way to wake up.

 I’m taking an online iPhone camera course and I have some homework. The photo of the skylight is part of that homework. I was suppose to take the same photo with each of the three lenses on my phone. I’m sure I understand what each of the lenses do but I’m thinking I should redo the homework. Oh well, it’s a learning curve. 

Our granddaughter called to say she had a busy day starting with ballet class. She also asked to see where we were and what we were doing. 

Our friends invited us to go to The Pender Island Saturday Market. We bought bread, honey, and jam. Stephen also bought two old, leather bound books. The money from that table was going to charity and they were also giving a free book to each child who came in the door. 

This is one of three welcoming poles in front of the community center. There was no information about the artist but they were nice.

After the market we decided to get lunch at The Copper Otter Cafe. The food was good but the portions were too large. The photo was taken after I had given away a crepe  

 

 We drove over to possibly get some chocolate from Pender Chocolates (like we needed more food). Unfortunately they were closed. We stopped into a small gallery/studio and I had a lovely chat with the artist and walk around Hope Bay. 

When we got back to the cabin we spent some time looking around the property.

Looking out to Shingle Bay is a memorial to Dr. Henry Morris by D. Harper. Dr. Morris lived an interesting life. He enlisted in The Indian Army during the Second World War, survived a Japanese prison of war, worked in Barbados, returned to Canada and worked at Lion’s Gate Hospital. 

I got lucky and saw an otter fishing just off the deck but they were too far away to get a photo. The clouds were hugging the land and we were so taken with it we forgot all about the fact that we were committed to going to the Community Centre for a movie. Stephen cranked out a very good dinner and we made it to the movie. Whew.

 

Pender Island 01/27/24

I woke up at 6:45 to this view out a skylight. Not a bad way to wake up.

 I’m taking an online iPhone camera course and I have some homework. The photo of the skylight is part of that homework. I was suppose to take the same photo with each of the three lenses on my phone. I’m sure I understand what each of the lenses do but I’m thinking I should redo the homework. Oh well, it’s a learning curve. 

Our granddaughter called to say she had a busy day starting with ballet class. She also asked to see where we were and what we were doing. 

Our friends invited us to go to The Pender Island Saturday Market. We bought bread, honey, and jam. Stephen also bought two old, leather bound books. The money from that table was going to charity and they were also giving a free book to each child who came in the door. 

This is one of three welcoming poles in front of the community center. There was no information about the artist but they were nice.

After the market we decided to get lunch at The Copper Otter Cafe. The food was good but the portions were too large. The photo was taken after I had given away a crepe  

 

 We drove over to possibly get some chocolate from Pender Chocolates (like we needed more food). Unfortunately they were closed. We stopped into a small gallery/studio and I had a lovely chat with the artist and walk around Hope Bay. 

When we got back to the cabin we spent some time looking around the property.

Looking out to Shingle Bay is a memorial to Dr. Henry Morris by D. Harper. Dr. Morris lived an interesting life. He enlisted in The Indian Army during the Second World War, survived a Japanese prison of war, worked in Barbados, returned to Canada and worked at Lion’s Gate Hospital. 

I got lucky and saw an otter fishing just off the deck but they were too far away to get a photo. The clouds were hugging the land and we were so taken with it we forgot all about the fact that we were committed to going to the Community Centre for a movie. Stephen cranked out a very good dinner and we made it to the movie. Whew.

 

Pender Island 01/26/24

A little technical problem here  I can’t seem to post this from my phone to the correct date so I’m including the actual date in the title  

We were invited to spend a few days on Pender Island by new friends. It was an opportunity to get to know them better and to spend some time on Pender, where we haven’t been for many years. 

This is a shot of the Tsawwassen Port taken from the ferry as we started off. We caught the ferry,  bought a book, and relaxed. 

The Salish Eagle’s art was designed by John Marston, a Coast Salish artist. 

We had to change ferries at Mayne and we almost missed the turn off which was exciting for a couple of moments. We also almost missed the turnoff when we pulled off the ferry at Otter Bay. We managed to get there and our cabin was lovely. We lit the fire and looked out the window at the Salish sea and the passing ferries. 

The fans on top of the wood stove are powered by the rising heat and they then send the heat out across the room. How cool is that?

 

Alaska: Glacier Bay

We got up at midnight to see if we could see the Aurora but had no luck so I took photos of the moon. 

The ship looks great at night.

I took some photos of the moon while hoping to see the Aurora. No luck but I ran into some kids who work in the Casino. All three were from Manila. Paolo asked me to airdrop this photo to him and I did but I joked with him that he needed to give me credit. When I said I wasn’t interested in gambling Marico and Sam (Samantha ) enthusiastically told me to never, never take up gambling.

This is Sheehan's Bar and Grill. We got gave up looking for Northern Lights around 2:30 and began looking for a drink. When we got here I found another painted rock made by the same person with the same message. I picked it up.

I threw caution to the wind and ordered a Kaluha and a coffee.

Around three we decided to order some fish and chips. We couldn't help ourselves. And then we went to bed.

I took this photo at around 8:30 in the morning. It's one of my favourites from this trip so far.

We are just entering Glacier Bay, part of Glacier Bay National Park which is part of a 25 million acre World Heritage Site. A park ranger boarder the ship near here and started making announcements. It was hard to hear them.

Our first view of a glacier today. I am afraid that I didn't hear which one this one and didn't make many notes.

We were happy to just take in the view. Each glacier looks different.

The Ranger pointed out the moraine, sometimes called glacial till. This is a terminal moraine that is formed at the foot of a glacier.

This is Margerie Glacier. Certainly the most beautiful glacier I’ve ever seen. So beautiful that I'm going to bore you with another photos of it.

The blue is caused by the compression of the ice. Someone who had binoculars said that those two black dots were sea otters.

I thought these were called Ice Floes but it turns out that they are Ice Burgs. Floes are salt water and Ice burgs are fresh water.

This is a cave like the one the man at Mendanhall Glacier talked about.

We went to hear the ranger's talk and then headed to dinner.

The special tonight… roast pig. It was a little dry but you know I love roast pork.

I wasn’t supposed to take this photo.

The best one ever. We took it and put it up high on a shelf. Will Kandi find it?

No luck seeing Aurora tonight either. Once again we met interesting people and enjoyed the moon.

 

Alaska: Skagway, part two

On my own I started to walk to the Historic Cemetery while keeping an eye out for a shuttle. One never came despite the sign that said it came by every fifteen minutes. I later learned that you had to phone the shuttle to come and get you after September28th when the "Tourist Season" officially closes despite the fact that ships are still coming in October.

This train is on the town side of the slide. It hasn't moved since July. By the time I got here I was sweating because I still had my winter jacket and my sweater on. The sun was blazing.

Made it to the cemetery. There was a washroom there so I shed my jacket and sweater, tying them around my waist, and stepped into the cool of the forest.

W. J. “Mull” Mulvhill is one of the first graves you see. He is buried close to the railway tracks for good reason. Shortly after the track from Skagway to Whitehorse was completed he became the dispatcher in Skagway. He soon got promoted to Chief Dispatcher which allowed him to move into a pretty fancy house on 7th and Alaska where he installed a dispatcher telegraph so he could keep track of things even when he was home. A front runner in the “work from home” trend.
As an aside, Stephen was a dispatcher in Calgary when I met him.

There are several Unknowns buried in the cemetery but this one comes with a story. A man entered The Bank of Commerce in Skagway around 3:00 pm September 15th 1902 carrying several sticks of dynamite and a gun under his coat. He asked the teller for all her money. She panicked and ran to the back of the bank. He started to pull his gun out when it discharged and set off his dynamite, blowing him to bits. They never did figure out who he was.

Frank H. Reid was an American soldier, teacher, city engineer, vigilante, and one of the combatants in the shootout on Juneau Wharf that ended the life of American outlaw Jefferson "Soapy" Smith, as well as Reid's own life.
Reid was also credited with the layout of the streets in Skagway.

I found this rock between the cemetery and the waterfall. On the back it says “keep or rehide. Post on fb.

It was definitely worth the walk to see this waterfall and wander around the cemetery, it was beautiful, cool, and interesting.

I took a photo of me before I started the walk back.

This is the recent rockslide that has stopped the trains.

As I walked past a maintenance shed I was looking at these two. They waved at me so I walked in and asked if they knew how to get a shuttle bus. I knew I could walk back but if I could get a shuttle I'd be happy. They told me that you had to call it and offered to call for me. The phone call sounded like this... Hi, Bob here at the maintenance shed, I have a lady here who needs a ride. I offered to walk to the closest stop but the driver said he'd come and get me and he did. Bob and his partner in crime offered me a bottle of water while I waited. When I asked if they were maintenance for the train Bob said, "We are maintenance for everything... (dramatic pause here) except the trains." Before I left I asked if I could take their picture so I could give them credit for rescuing me.

Back at the ship people are hard at work. It turns out whenever the ship pulls in workers swarm out and do what needs to be done.

Not me.

We decided to keep it simple and have dinner in The Garden Cafe. The chicken was tough but the rest was delicious.

As usual we walked out to the back of the ship to have a look at the view. Alaska is incredibly beautiful.

Back in our room Kandi had left a bear. We are still charmed.

Goodbye Skagway.

Alaska: Skagway, part one

I've realized that fog is a constant here in the early mornings. I love fog but it's hard to know how to dress.

We are docked in Skagway and I took this from our balcony before sunrise. Beautiful hey?

The fog starting to lift at the very same spot. It seems like the fog just blows in and out every few minutes. This is the part that makes it hard to decide what to wear off the ship.

This is Suzanna. She watched me drawing and then told me she wanted to draw, had felt pens in her cabin but couldn’t get started. I gave her an assignment, wrote it up for her and gave her two blank postcards. I’m hoping that she sends me a photo.

I’ve started to have breakfast with breakfast dessert. As I look at this photo I think its a heart attacking on a plate. Hey, it’s only seven days.

Out on land. Still some fog.

This fish ladder is built on reclaimed land. So is the cruise ship pier.

We started our time in Skagway walking The Pullen Creek and the railway tracks. Harriet Smith Pulled arrived in Mooreville in 1897 after having left her husband and four children in Washington. She had $7 in her pocket. She  was determined to make a fresh start and be reunited with her children. She got hired by Moore almost immediately to cook for his pier building crew. Her first entrepreneurial venture was apple pie. When not working for Moore she collected cans and beat them into pie pans and began selling apple pie to the many gold hunters in town. She soon was able to start a freight business using the seven horses she brought from her Washington farm. Her next venture was to buy Moore's three story house in Moore's Park and convert it into The Pullen House Hotel. Ever resourcful she started to save memorabilia as the Gold Rush started to wane. She became an influential Skagway citizen and deserves having a creek named after her.

We stopped to use and admire the parks new bathrooms.

And noticed the fog rolling in as we walked across the park towards the creek.

The park has lots of informational signs and we were happy to be able to confirm the types of plants we saw along the way.

I don't actually know what this is and it wasn't on the sign. The wrong one to start with?

Western Hemlock  This grows in the forest near our place and I've had tea made with it. It was also used to dye spruce root baskets and tanning hides red. It's easy to recognize because it has tiny cones.

We didn't see any salmon but this is a view point next to a very nice picnic shelter on the creek.

Snowberry is often used as an ornamental, it was once used as a medicinal as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer treatment. It required real knowledge as the berries are toxic. Snowberries were widely used by indigenous people, chewing the leaves to use as a poltice on cuts and rashes, eyewash, and many other things.

The train is not running just now due to a rock slide. We heard that tours on the train are expected to start up again next tourist season. 

Well, who knew? I guess it shouldn't be a surprise as most of the town is in a valley at the oceans edge and we are on the Ring of Fire. Tsunami can start in Japan and make their way all the way across the ocean.

The Shaggy Mane is edible when its picked young but the most interesting thing I know about it is that when it has released its spores it turns black and dissolves itself. It's beautiful no matter what.

Stephen is actually looking for matches in the hope of building a fire. Turned out it was private property. Good thing they hadn’t stashed some matches.

We were just walking around a more residential area when we came across this sign. Free. What is free? No hints but maybe the locals know.

This was the first building William Moore built on his 160 acre claim in 1887. It was an all purpose building; home, office, warehouse, whatever was needed. The Moore family eventually lost most of their claim but Moore himself was convinced that they would be so important that a museum would be made from their next home and in fact, what is left of the homestead is now part of the Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park that was established in 1977.

 Shagagwei was primarily a Tlingit village and hunting ground when Moore arrived in 1887 they started calling the place Harrisburg but no really liked Harris much and renamed the place Mooresville. It was a very small community but Moore had high hopes for the place and made his claim.  Ten years later the population had risen to between 8,000 and 10,000, many of which were "stampeders" expecting to make their fortune from the Gold Rush.  When Skagway incorporated in 1900 a census was taken and it had 3,117. By 1904 Moore's son Ben and his Tlingit wife were living in this 1.5 story house with their three children. It was a marriage that was one of economic advantage for both parties. It ensured that Moore would have a strong relationship with the Tlingit. 

It was a bit surprising to me that a sign like this would be required for the Moore House Museum so I had to look up if Alaska was an open carry state. I'm not sure why I was surprised that it was.

The Moore's had gone to quite a lot of trouble to make this home Victorian in flavour. Tlinget-sai-yet was born to an aristocratic and wealthy Tlingit family. When she became Ben Moore's wife they kept close ties with her family but in town she was called Minnie Elizabeth Moore and lived a primarily EuroAmerican life style. 

I asked the person working in the Moore Museum where to get stamps and mail a letter. She sent me down the alley saying that I could see a few more historical things on my way. This building is in the process of being restored and I believe it was one of Moore's warehouses.

The fog is rolling in again.

And rolling out. There are a few murals in town and this is by far the most beautiful.

This is Molly Walsh. Its a tragic story… two men were interested in her, she married the wrong one. He shot her. Dead. The other never forgot her and unveiled this bust in 1930.

We arrived at the Skagway Museum but before we went in we found this beautiful spiders web. The only way I could get the web to show up was to ask Stephen to provide a black background. My original plan was to cut him out of the photo but this turned out much better. If you're interested the building in the back is the museum.

One of the first things you see when you come into the museum is this beautiful Duck Neck Skin quilt. It was made by Jennie Olsen Ramunssen who had come to Alaska as a missionary who lived in Yakutat. The family learned many survival skills from the Tlingit, including how to preserve the duck neck skin with salt. Jennie and her family moved to Skagway in 1914 and she helped establish the Skagway Museum in 1961.

Back outside the museum we had a close look at the train and took some photos of the many flowers still in bloom. As you can see the sun is back out.

According to this guide you are supposed to shimmy across a Skagway street.

There were a few tours still making their way around Skagway. Many of the stores are closed with signs that say "Closed for the season: Even though there are at least two more cruise ships coming to town it seems many locals traditionally close September 28th.

We walked around the more residential part of town looking at people's yards and gardens then we dropped into the Visitors Center, watched a video and made jokes with the same person who was manning the Moore House Museum. Then I asked her where we could learn more about Tlingit culture. She was sweet and said I could contact the Tlinget Council by phone and they might be able to help. She suggested that there was a sign that talked about Tlingit language but we had already seen it. Then she surprised me by saying that they were supposed to tell the history of the Gold Rush and she didn't really know much about the Tlingit.

This sign is one of the few things in town that are really about the history of the place before 1886. Even when we saw objects that were Tlingit they often didn't't have very good information. Things are changing but slowly.

I needed some small change to get on the shuttle bus so I went to get a snack and break $100 bill. I was surprised when she said sure and pulled out a special pen. It turns out that US bills have a special coating that won't let the pen leave a mark but if it's counterfeit it marks the bill. How cool is that?  Maybe it will come to Canada. At any rate, I got change but couldn't find the shuttle so I decided to walk to the Historic Cemetery. Stephen decided to go back to the ship so I was on my own.

Alaska: Juneau Here we Come

 

I woke up early thanks to turning back the clock an hour. Alaska doesn’t have daylight savings I guess it’s like, what’s the point. I went up to deck 13 and took some photos of the view. It is quite a bit cooler and because we are late we are moving along at a good clip so it’s quite windy on deck. This photo was taken at the Prince of Whale-Hyderabad Census Area on our way to Juneau just before sunrise.

Getting closer: the Hoonah-Argoon Census Area. The sun is up there somewhere.

I brought a few of my felt pens and some postcard sized card and sat in The Garden Cafe and sketched.It was early enough that not many people were there although a few staff stopped to check out what I was up to.This one is based on the first photo in this post.

I sent this one to my brother.

Actually not a penguin. I’m not sure what kind of bird it is but I don’t think it’s long for this world as it has splayed legs. The staff quickly scooped it up.

I met a couple who have lived in Vancouver for 33 years but are originally from Poland. They asked me where I thought we were so I took them to The Bridge Viewing Room to see the maps.

We were supposed to be in Juneau in the morning and our excursion was supposed to start at 10:30 but arrived at 1:30 instead. Norwegian did a good job of rejigging everyone’s excursions. They automatically extend the time you get back on the boat but they can’t adjust the time for the sunset.

Our first view of Juneau.
The area was settled by Tlingit until Joe Juneau, a Canadian prospector, and Richard Harris, from Philadelphia,showed up in 1880 and found gold. The town grew up quickly and was named Rockwell for a short time. Being guided by Chief Kowee Juneau and Harris panhandled 1000 pounds of gold. The town was renamed Harrisburg but people didn’t really like him so within a year they renamed it Juneau. I wonder how George Plitz , who financed both trips to the area, felt about this.

Juneau became the state capital in 1907 and by this time mining had taken over from panhandling. I guess Plitz made out ok.
Chief Kowee, who is credited with exploring much of the area where Juneau now stands as the second largest city by area in the US has a creek on Douglas Island named after him. Small oversight there.

This is Dylyn (pronounced die-lin). He had some good stories. As we drove through town he pointed out the state capital and mentioned that it was the fiftieth most beautiful capital building in the states. When we passed the building where the post office was on the third floor he told us that they found out about a federal rule that said post offices have to be on the first or second floor. Alaskans are a practical people. They renamed the first floor ‘Ground’ and then one and two.
Dylyn pointed out a road and said if you kept going you would come to a sign that said ‘End of the Road’ and if you took it the other direction you would come to a sign that said ‘The Other End of the Road’. Juneau is one of only two state capitals that are not accessible by road to the rest of the state. “There are only three ways to get to Juneau, by air, by plane, and by birth canal.”

On the boat and looking for whales.

Scanning the horizon. While waiting for some whale action I met a young couple who were newlyweds. Last night we had read a notice that said someone’s suitcases had gone missing. It was theirs. They were very upbeat about it. They were making due with what they had and had only bought a couple of things like toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Humpback whales taking a breath at the surface near Admiralty Island. The island is the 7th largest in the US and is mostly old growth forest. There is a Tlingit community called Angoon that has 572 people living on the west coast of the island. The Tlingit fought to have the island included in Alaska Conservation Legislation and continue to steward the land.

 

The highlight of the day.

The last sighting.

Off the boat and on our was to Mendenhall Glacier. We drove past Auke Lake. Auke means Little Lake in Tlingit so it’s now Little Lake Lake. We also passed the Fred Myers. When Fred Myers came to town it lowered those cost of living.

Our first view of the Mendelhall Glacier. She's a beauty.

The glacier was originally known as Aak’wtaaksit (The Glacier Behind Little Lake) by the Tlingit and called Auke Glacier by naturalist John Muir. In 1879 it was renamed to honor Thomas Corbin Mendenhall. Mendenhall who was the first professor hired by Ohio State University and the Superintendent of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey. But my favourite thing about him was that he was an advocate for the US adopting metric. That said it might be time to go back to the Tlingit name.

Mendenhall Lake is a proglacial lake, formed by a damming action by a retreating glacier. We had a ziplock bag with us so we scooped up some glacial silt and melt water to bring home. The silt is incredibly fine.

I was talking to someone on the ship about abstract art and so I took a few shots I might edit. This is a wall inside a tunnel heading into the Mendenhall Visitor’s Centre.

I was chatting with a man who came from the area. He was telling his friend about coming out of the cave in the 1969 photo when it collapsed. You can see the cave in the bottom right corner of the bottom left photo. He said his mom was watching and thought he’d died. He asked me if we were going to Glacier Bay. I said yes but not getting off the ship. He was so enthusiastic about it. He told me that a Glacier Park Ranger will answer any questions I had and he guaranteed we were going to love it.
The photos are documenting the retreat of Mendenhall Glacier. It’s retreated 2.28 km. since 1929.

Back on the pier we meet Patsy Ann who lived in Juneau in the 1930’s. She had a home but was a bit of a gad about town. Despite the fact that she was deaf from birth she could tell when a steamship was coming in and would make her way to meet it.

This is one of a series of sculptures set on the original bollards that were used to moor cruise ships. They are called Aquqileans from the Latin words for eagle and cetacean. They are meant to tie the idea of the sea and the sky to Alaska.

We ate dinner at Chin Chin a full service restaurant with a modern Chinese take.

Potstickers

I think these might be shrimp. I tried the crisp noodles and they were good.

The potions were small so the waiter convinced me to have two. The dishes were a bit sweet, pretty good but not very authentic

Goodbye Juneau..