Thursday, August 19- Juneau to Seattle

 “We have concluded that there are many infallible signs of rain in this region.  If the sun shines, if the stars appear, if there are clouds, if there are none; these are all sure indications.  If the barometer falls, it will rain; if the barometer rises it will rain; if the barometer remains steady it will continue to rain”.-Professor Harry Reid

 

View of Juneau Harbor from my stateroom

Yes, it was raining again.  The number of passengers was dwindling; many had gone off to other adventures or headed home.  I had a brilliant thought at breakfast and asked if it would be OK to leave the ship earlier than planned, leave my bags at the nearby UnCruise office, wander around Juneau and then retrieve my bags and head to the airport?  Sure, since I wouldn’t be getting back on board the ship.  I was the last one to leave, right after lunch, and they all waved goodbye and wished me a safe trip home.

A local crew member had said that the Perseverance Trail just at the edge of town was great for hiking.  I headed over there, stopping for a few gift purchases, and according to my Garmin I was only at the trail head after 2 miles!  



An interesting poster in one of the shops- they're opposed to proposed limits on cruise ships in Juneau, claiming it would mean a loss of $75 million to the city's income.  This gives you an idea of how much these ports depend on mega-cruise ship traffic.






I'm always amazed at the beautiful flowers that survive in harsh climates.


It was a beautiful walk- a lot uphill but I wasn’t trying to keep up with any 30-somethings.  I got closer to the waterfalls and saw where they fed a roaring river and in some places were channeled into tunnels under the road. 

Waterfall from melting snow high up in the mountains

 Below, sluice constructed to channel multiple streams.  The water at this point was carried with so much force there was a roaring sound,


Layers of slate were almost vertical, indicating upheaval with tremendous force.  Lichens and moss were breaking up the slate and allowing other plants to take root. 


I ran across the occasional huge boulder, scraped up from somewhere else and left behind by a receding glacier.  Note the size of the one in the background below- it gives you an idea of what kind of force the glacier had to move boulders this size.

 


I walked briefly into the woods but remembered that this is where bears live.  I had no bear spray and it’s safer to go in groups, so I headed out again and back to town.  

 

More boulders and rocks left by receding glaciers.



According to my Garmin: 4.27 miles, 338 foot elevation gain, average temperature 75 degrees.  A wonderful walk!  I felt as if I'd gotten some of my vacation back.



The trip to the airport was brief and I arrived well before flight time.  The TSA line was empty. That was a first for me.  It was a small airport with not a lot to do airside but I was finally able to plug in all my devices and access consistent Internet so I was very happy.  

Arrival of the inbound flight.



The plane arrived and took off half an hour late, but it had started in Anchorage, and stopped at Cordova and Yakutak before landing in Juneau.  Given that, half an hour wasn’t bad.

 

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