My float plane adventure

So out of the 10 or so days I've been in Juneau, two of those days have been nice. Where I could actually see blue sky and the sun! Last Tuesday I went up in a float plane for a nice 45 minute ride over glaciers and icefields.
The picture above shows Juneau from the air, looking south down the Gastineau Channel. Where the cruise ship is, the white spot in the middle of the picture is where downtown Juneau is.


This picture looks back to Mendenhall Glacier and valley which is where I live. It is about 6 miles from downtown.


The views were superb, and I couldn't have picked a better day to fly! Now I just need to learn to fly a plane myself so I don't have to pay the tourist fee for a 45 minute flight!


And as Juneau is not an island but one cannot drive to it, the pictures here show why. The icefields and mountains prevent any possible road access.


I'm glad for any sun I get even if it is only those two days!

Fall colors of Yukon Territory

I just can't help but put more and more pictures up! We passed so many beautiful places and I've got so many pictures! Yukon was full into fall colors. It was fun to pass from summer into fall. (now I'm just in cold rainy weather)


Here Mom and I are almost to Haines, Alaska. We are on the Haines Highway which is quoted to be the "most beautiful highway in the world" and it was definitely awesome!


This was our last night of camping, just outside of Haines at Chilkoot Lake. We had one last sunny day before heading to Juneau on the ferry. Isn't the water amazing?


This bear was hanging out at the river close to our campsite. I finally got to watch a grizzly eat some fish! It was pretty exciting! After watching the bears we stood and looked for all the eagles that were around.


And here are two eagles eating their catch. For those that don't know, eagles don't get their beautiful white heads and tail for a few years. These eagles are juvenile and have kind of a splotchy color. At one point we could look around us and find 5 or 6 eagles at different places along the river!

More adventures

A cool place in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory. Started in 1942 by a simple soldier who missed his home while working on the Alaskan Highway, he put up a sign pointing towards his home with the mileage posted on it. Now, 60 years later there are over 60,000 signs posted by anyone and everyone who has one to put up. About the only thing this town has to offer. :)


Next up: Steamboat Klondike built to ship ore, liquor, food and people to and from Dawson City, Yukon to Whitehorse, Yukon. This was built in 1937 after the first Klondike ran aground.




Then we headed to Skagway, Alaska to ride on the White Pass and Yukon railway. Very much a tourist trap now, especially for cruise ship passengers. This was a lot of fun, especially because we had a gorgeous day! Sunshine and blue skies make the mountains really pop out!




It was a 3 hour train ride, up from Skagway to the White Pass. A very nice climb, a few bridges, trestles, and tunnels along the way.
The scenery was amazing!

Into the Canadian wilderness

My mother and I have been driving for three days now, and this is our first stop in a hotel. We've been camping the first three nights, but the clouds and bears are making us a little nervous. So for $70 more, we are sleeping in a room with a tv, shower and other fun things that don't come with tent sites.
It has been a good drive so far, beautiful weather, much better than expected, no rain so far and the blue skies really help the mountains look even more grand! The first night was spent in Cache Creek, British Columbia and this picture is near that site.


In the midst of our 2000 mile road trip, we decided to take a side trip to Stewart, B.C. and Hyder, Alaska. Along the way, some awesome mountains and Bear Glacier, which is behind my mom and I in the above picture.


Today also featured a lot of bear sightings. Twelve bears total were seen, 11 from our car and one from a bear boardwalk, specifically designed to view bears while they feast on salmon near Hyder, Alaska. This is the bear from the boardwalk.


More nice mountains along the road.


The last bears we saw today were a mom and her two kids. It was fun to see these three together and the mother bear actually growled/hissed at us, protecting her young. We were in the car though, no chance of a bear attack...

Last hike in the NW

Sarah and I did a great unknown hike called Mt Mitchell. A beautiful hike with a super view at the top. When we got to the top, we were in the middle of a cloud, but almost within minutes, the clouds were blown away and we had this awesome view of Mt St Helens. Who wouldn't smile with a view like this in the background?



Mt Adams was also within view and if the clouds hadn't been in the way, Mt Hood and Rainer would have been visible.

Mt. Jefferson

Last week my friend Holly and I hiked to Jefferson Park. It is a really beautiful spot under Mt Jefferson with meadows and lakes and usually a lot of people. Being only 60 miles from Salem, it is a popular destination. But I hadn't done the hike in a few years and wanted to check it out again. I have to enjoy the sun as much as possible before heading to Juneau in another few days. The weather forcast keeps telling me rain..rain...possible showers... Oh well, at least I'm from the NW, right?




So here is a beautiful mountain on a superb day! I couldn't have picked anything better to do on that day. Thanks Holly for a good hike!