In Juneau today we visited the awe-inspiring Mendenhall Glacier and its falls. Nearby we breathed in the purist air on the planet near some old man’s beard. A catamaran to Colt Island at Orca Point Lodge included a beautiful and delicious luncheon, with whale-watching on the return, and Duck Farts and beer finished off our day. I think we are officially in love with Alaska!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this trip, visit The Trip of Our Lives 2023.
To start at the beginning of the cruise portion of this trip, visit North to Alaska 2023.

Good Morning Juneau!

It’s always special to be awake when we pull into a new port of call. Very few shipmates are out on their balconies and the cities are still and quiet as our captain slowly glides us into shore. This morning I opened the balcony door to a fabulous full-length waterfall and an eerie silence in the low clouds. Given the information below, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the low clouds – we are in a rainforest after all!

“… the summers are cool and wet; the winters are long, freezing, snowy, and windy; and it is overcast year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 25°F to 65°F and is rarely below 7°F or above 75°F. Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Juneau International Airport for warm-weather activities is from early July to mid August.” ~ READ MORE

With no road access, Juneau can only be reached by air or water, so later in the day its shoreline will be bustling with cruise ships, boats, and floatplanes – and an international airport is only eight miles away.

“Tongass National Forest. Spanning across 500 miles of Alaska’s Inside Passage and bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, the Tongass is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world and is home to a majestic array of islands, mountains, forests, glaciers, salmon streams, fjords, and bays.

Tongass National Forest, the largest in the United States, received its name from the Tongass Clan of the Tlingits. More than 80 percent of Southeast Alaska is in Tongass, spanning 11,000 miles of coastline, and home to approximately 70,000 people living in 32 communities, including Alaska’s state capital, Juneau.” ~ READ MORE

Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls

Today’s excursion took up about half of our time in Juneau but it was fantastic, starting at the Mendenhall Glacier. Built into a cliff above the valley, the glacier’s Visitor Center is accessible by stairs, an elevator, and an easy ramp. Inside there are interactive displays, Forest Service rangers to answer questions, great views of the glacier, and a treasure trove of information about the Juneau Ice Field.

A video compares the glacier in a photo from 1958 to one in 1985, 2003, and 2010, showing the glacier’s retreat. I’m sure soon they will be adding another photo to their display with twenty more years of melting. The weather was pretty drippy and foggy, but I still love the pictures.

“Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. Here, you can enjoy views of the thirteen-mile-long river of ice, which terminates on the far side of Mendenhall Lake, and watch blue icebergs floating in the water amidst reflections of southeast Alaska’s coast mountains. The Mendenhall Glacier is one of many major glaciers that connect to the vast Juneau Ice Field, a 1,500 square mile remnant of the last ice age, cradled high in the coast mountain’s lofty peaks.

U.S. Forest Service Rangers staff the center and are available to answer questions and interpret the landscape around you. The story of Mendenhall centers on a changing climate and retreating glacier but includes the return of a forest and wildlife. State-of-the-art exhibits, a 15-minute film featuring the dynamic interplay between the Tongass National Forest and its many glaciers…” ~ READ MORE

“Mendenhall, one of the most beautiful and accessible glaciers in North America, is just 13 miles from downtown Juneau and a few minutes from the airport. It’s a must-see destination for any Alaska vacation. You won’t believe your ice! A half-mile wide, with ice up to 1,800 feet deep, it’s little wonder this is Juneau’s most popular destination. Whether you’re in town for a day or week, there are many ways to experience the glacier.” ~ READ MORE

Nugget Falls

While the full-length falls we saw this morning was a pretty cool, it wasn’t very impressive by width or volume standards like Nugget Falls (a.k.a. Mendenhall Glacier Falls). And since Nugget Falls drops 377 feet in two tiers of 99 feet (and 278 feet that can’t be seen from this location) it may be close to (or taller?) than this morning’s falls! Now that’s impressive!

Nugget Falls drops into Mendenhall Lake, which drains via the Mendenhall River into the Inside Passage. “Prior to the recession of Mendenhall Glacier, it was said that the falls would drop “directly on the glacier”, or that the “glacier covered the waterfall”.” ~ READ MORE

Although the trail to Nugget Falls was easy and flat (1.5 miles round trip), there wasn’t enough time to ogle the glacier, scour the Visitor Center, and also take in the trail. Looks like we’ll be coming back again!

Floating Chunks of Glacier in Mendenhall Lake

Old Man’s Beard

At the end of our time here, we met our guide to return to the bus. On the way he showed us a plant that only grows where air pollution is at its lowest levels – and right here is one of the few places on the planet where it can be found! Our guide told us to breathe deep, because this is some of the purist air we’ll find in the world!

Although it had a large range and was once common, Usnea longissima is now considered rare. Reasons for its rarity include pollution and loss of habitat. ~ READ MORE

Orca Point Lodge

Our driver dropped us off near the dock where a catamaran was moored. This is where we began our cruise through Stephens Passage to Orca Point Lodge. “Orca Point Lodge provides the perfect venue for any special occasion… Located on Colt Island, this private retreat provides peaceful seclusion with modern comforts in an idyllic wilderness setting.”

It was quite a ways out to Colt Island, so we were ready for the wonderful (and beautiful) buffet that our hosts designed for us. Several things on the buffet were things I never thought I’d try (let alone enjoy), but I couldn’t imagine where I’d get better salmon, bison meatloaf, or seafood chowder than in Alaska! It came with a beautiful little salad and lovely noodles gently swirled around a fork and placed in just the right place on our beautiful plates – with beignets for dessert. It really was amazing!

Always Be Aware of the Tide

After lunch we could roam around the island for a while and watch for wildlife through spotting scopes. There was a small cabin with marine life touch pools and more information about the wildlife on this island. We could stroll the beach before re-boarding, as long as we didn’t go over to Horse Island. As you can see, the causeway between Colt and Horse Islands was quickly disappearing as the tide came in, and it could rise another 15 feet!

The whale-watching portion of this excursion was not as exciting here in Auke Bay Harbor. We spent a lot of time looking at spouts and backs of whales, but very few tail shots, and no breaching. I’m not sure if it was the time of year we visited (June 6), or that we were in a larger boat. The smaller boats seemed to get in a little closer. But we have seen whales breaching in Hawaii and Cape Cod, so I was just happy to be out on these Alaskan waters. Think positive, right?

Red Dog Saloon

When we arrived back in Juneau, our driver gave us two options. Rather than get dropped off back at the ship, we chose to walk back through town. Once we saw Tracy’s King Crab Shack, we decided to check that out, but once we saw the lines (and the prices) we decided we didn’t want to spend the rest of our time in Juneau, Alaska standing in line for overpriced crab when we had free food back on the ship. But a beer…

Instead we stopped at the Red Dog Saloon for Duck Farts and beers and a little music. What a fun place – complete with sawdust on the floor and an old fart at the keyboard singing funny, slightly off-color songs to warm up the crowd until the better singer came out. Oh, and it turns out Duck Farts are equal parts Kahlúa, Bailey’s and Crown layered in a shot glass – so not so gross after all!

A Little History

“Originating during the heyday of Juneau’s glorious mining era, this world famous saloon has provided hospitality and fellowship to weary travelers and local patrons alike. Early day proprietors, Earl and Thelma (Pederson) Forsythe provided dancing and long time entertainer “Ragtime Hattie” played the piano in her white gloves and silver dollar halter top. During territorial days, during his tenure of over twenty years as owner, Gordie Kanouse would meet tour boats with his mule that wore a sign saying “follow my ass to the Red Dog Saloon”. In the early seventies the Harris family bought the saloon and continued to grow and protect the priceless collection of furs, guns and antiques.” ~ READ MORE

Walk About Town

Our Ship Looks Kinda Pretty!

Goodbye Juneau

Another Great Day Ahead!

Next up: Gateway to the Klondike

Happy trails,
Barb