A-Mused in A-laska, Seward to Vancouver, 27 May to 6 June 2019

[Unibok]

 

We’re almost live on the Muse ... let the fun begin! We have arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska, having flown through Detroit and Seattle on our way here. Our connections seemed perilously short when I booked them so many months ago, but today we were charmed with all our flights arriving early, and with adjacent gates for our connecting flights.

 

It has been quite a frenzy for us to get to this point. Dear Daughter graduated from college last Sunday, with 3 days of smaller ceremonies and festivities leading up to the big day. Add to that the many out-of-town friends and family, and the graduation party hosted at my place. Oh, and she moved out of her apartment as well. Somehow, it all worked, and here we are.

 

Fairbanks airport is small and efficient, airy and well designed. Bags arrived to the carousel immediately, and 3 of the big cruise lines had stations set up for their people. We were in and out in no time for our DIY pre-cruise trip to Denali.

 

This time through, Fairbanks is just a quick pit stop for us, a place to rest for the night before boarding the train to Denali early tomorrow morning. We’ll have to come back to give it the exploration I hear it deserves.

 

Looking forward to joining all the good folks on the Muse in just 5 days. Until then, Denali here we come 🙂

Edited May 23, 2019 by Unibok

[Daveywavey70]

I’m so excited for you Unibok and looking forward to hearing all about it. We’re just getting into excited mode for our upcoming! Have a fab time. 

[Stumblefoot]

Have loads of fun!  And, remember, if you meet a bear on the trail, there are no zookeepers to protect you. 😁

[RachelG]

Congratulations on the graduation.  We had two big ones last week as well, son from law school and daughter with accounting degree.  We feel like we just got a raise.  

 

Your pretrip sounds great.  We have not been to Denali yet.

[les37b]

Have a fab time Unibok. Looking forward to your blog. If its even only half as good as the last, it'll be a corker.

[mysty]

Enjoy Denali Unibok!  It is a memorable trip!  And have an awesome sail on the Muse!

[TLCOhio]

3 hours ago, mysty said:

Enjoy Denali Unibok!  It is a memorable trip!  And have an awesome sail on the Muse!

 

Yes, yes, yes!!  Grrreat initial post and picture, plus so many nice follow-ups and comments.  Congrats on the graduation and best wishes for this sailing!  Glad your air connections worked, luggage there, etc. Are you doing Denali on your own or through a Silversea excursion?  Where are you staying at Denali?  Look forward to any and all details, plus other insights, tips and secrets from your sailing on the Silver Muse, its staff, etc. We are now 63 days from when sail up, UP to Alaska from Vancouver on that newest SS ship.  

  

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[lem_100]

48 hours until we are on the way to join you!

How’s the weather out there?

[TLCOhio]

13 minutes ago, lem_100 said:

48 hours until we are on the way to join you!  How’s the weather out there?

 

Great to see this posting by lem_100 and that you also will be sailing soon.  Hopefully you will use that free ship Internet to share here ALL of the fun details about your sights, ports, the Silver Muse, etc.  

 

As to the weather, I just checked AccuWeather and below is what they are are projecting for Seward:  

SAT., MAY 25, High 56°/Low 43°, Occasional afternoon rain

SUN., MAY 26, High 51°/Low 44°, Cloudy, showers, some heavy

MON., MAY 27, High 54°/Low 43°, A morning shower; cloudy

 

Good luck with the weather and our best for all of you doing this "adventure"!  Looking ahead in their forecasts for later in June, they show warmer temperatures with high's in the low 60'sF and less rain or showers.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,446 views.

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[Unibok]

Thank you, all! I hope that anyone else sailing on this voyage will feel free to chime in with their experiences as well -- it's not just our story. Lem_100, Alaska is ready and waiting for you! Terry, the weather in Fairbanks was a shockingly warm 75 (F), and Denali has been in the low 50s, mostly overcast and with a short burst of sprinkling rain when we were on the train.

 

 

The day started early with our do-it-yourself trip to Denali. The Alaska Railroad had told us to check in an hour early, and when we did we were disappointed to learn that our Gold Star car had broken down and was waiting in Healy for repairs. They still gave us all the goodies that come with Gold Star reservations (included breakfasts, adult beverages, access to the open-air observation deck, etc.) and refunded the difference in our fare. I have to say, they handled it well and we had a lovely experience even though it wasn't quite what we thought we were getting. After an edible breakfast in the dining car and refreshing mimosas, we headed up to the observation car and spent the remainder of the 4-hour train ride up there, savoring the views and the quiet. I'm happy to give more details about the train, its component parts, and what you might want to do when, if you like.

 

Arriving in Denali, every hotel has a shuttle lined up and waiting for passengers to disembark. Luggage is whisked away, and ours was waiting at our room before we even got there. We are staying at the Denali Bluffs in Canyon, just a 10-minute ride from the train station. We are in the newer section, with rooms in their second year of use, and a view over the river to the foothills beyond. Free shuttles run regularly and on schedule, and sometimes other busses and shuttles will pull over to pick you up if they happen to be driving by. Granted, it is very early in the season, so nothing is filled to capacity. Except Moose-AKa's (more on that below).

 

 

After settling in our room (picture taken from our balcony), we grabbed a shuttle into the park to hike the Horseshoe Lake Trail, a relatively mild 2-mile lollipop down to the lake and back. First, however, we needed to stop by the Visitors Center for some maps and advice about tomorrow. There was much excitement when we arrived, as this fellow was making his way verrrrryyyyy slowly through the brush trying to get his fill of tender spring leaves. The rangers seemed unusually insistent about making sure people kept their distance from the moose; apparently there was an incident yesterday that sent a bicyclist to the hospital with superficial wounds.

 

 

We choose not to wait for him to finish his meal, and instead caught another shuttle to our trailhead. It was a lovely starter trail for our experience here, the highlight of which was a sophisticated beaver dam that seemed to stretch on forever.

 

 

By the time we finished the hike and returned to the Visitors Center, our moose-y friend was still there, blocking the way to the entrance, chomping away on a different bush. Two hours had passed, and he was still there, just taking his time. We were glad we hadn't waited! Moose time is different than people time, and moose time will always win.

 

For dinner, we had made reservations at a tiny Serbian place here, Moose-AKa's. I learned about it on the Alaska forum, and WOW. The flavors and spices had depth I have rarely experienced. I had a stuffed pepper, and DD had the moussaka. We cleaned our plates and seriously considered making reservations for two nights from now. This is a don't-miss experience, and reservations are a must.

 

A half-mile walk back up to our lodge, and now we are ready to crash for the night. Sorry to keep this short tonight, but tomorrow's adventure into the park beckons early. I am very happy to answer any more questions, or provide any more detail for those of you who wish for more specificity to aid your own planning. 

 

Cheers,

 

[JohnGinPBG]

7 hours ago, Unibok said:

Thank you, all! I hope that anyone else sailing on this voyage will feel free to chime in with their experiences as well -- it's not just our story.

 

Great stuff, Unibok! We were in Denali last year on the SS pre-cruise trip and had an incredible experience. I assume you're going on the Tundra Wilderness bus tour, which is more or less mandatory. For your sake, I hope you have as good weather as we had and get a view of the big mountain. You've already checked the moose off your list, but  should also get grizzlies, Dall sheep and caribou in Denali. Enjoy the rest of the trip!

[JohnGinPBG]

7 hours ago, Unibok said:

tomorrow's adventure into the park beckons early.

 

On the Tundra bus tour, they provide a few snacks, but by no means could they be considered lunch. Be sure to pack something else to munch on!

[TLCOhio]

7 hours ago, Unibok said:

Thank you, all! I hope that anyone else sailing on this voyage will feel free to chime in with their experiences as well -- it's not just our story. Lem_100, Alaska is ready and waiting for you! Terry, the weather in Fairbanks was a shockingly warm 75 (F), and Denali has been in the low 50s, mostly overcast and with a short burst of sprinkling rain when we were on the train.

For dinner, we had made reservations at a tiny Serbian place here, Moose-AKa's. I learned about it on the Alaska forum, and WOW. The flavors and spices had depth I have rarely experienced.

 

More wonderful details, pictures and postings.  I have copied down the info to my trip file on the laptop about that Serbian place, Moose-AKa's.  Sounds good and interesting!!!  On TripAdvisor, they are rated as "#1 of 38 Restaurants in Denali National Park and Preserve".  The pictures for this location on TA looking interesting.  Great sharing!!  Here is the connection to their website and nice visuals of their food, etc.:

www.moose-akas.com

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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[Unibok]

JohnGin, thanks for sharing your inspiring pictures! As you'll see below, we were able to see quite a bit of wildlife today. Terry and lem_100, today's weather was cloudy and chilly (mid-40s F), with a few spots of blue sky in the afternoon. We dressed warmly, with woolies under our hiking pants, multiple layers on top, and warm hats and gloves. 

 

For much of DD's childhood, we visited a different U.S. National Park each year: Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rainier, Glacier, and so on. To commemorate her graduation, we thought we would visit Denali, the biggest and most remote of the major parks. Because we have a long history of hiking together, we opted to take the Transit bus rather than the Tundra Wilderness Tour (TWT). Transit busses act as a shuttle, allowing you to get off wherever you like and hike around a bit. They are also a fraction of the price, but just as comfortable and most drivers offer a commentary comparable to the TWT. We chose it for the flexibility, and it was the right choice for us. Our hotel had prepared basic (and pretty tasty) boxed lunches for us, complete with insulated lunch bags that we may keep or donate to Alaskan schools. 

 

The sun rises around 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning, and our bodies are still adjusting from the East Coast, so rising early is not a problem. We caught a hotel shuttle to take us to the Denali Bus Depot, where we met our green and white Transit Bus at 8:00. The driver announced it would take about 3.5 hours to reach Toklat River, which this early  in the season is the end of the line.There was one scheduled bathroom break about one hour in, and plenty of other "wildlife" stops for which we were required to stay in the bus.

 

Our first wildlife sighting was a doozy: a light colored Grizzly down by the river, not long into our travels. My telephoto isn't quite powerful enough to capture it well, so I put the camera down and watched the show. 

 

After the bear, we saw a steady parade of marmots and hares along the road, eagles and hawks flying above, and then this beautiful ptarmigan -- the Alaskan state bird.

 

 

Caribou are also plentiful, and in the course of the day we saw three separate small herds. My favorite caribou shot was this fellow napping in the sun.

 

 

Today's biggest story was the Dall's Sheep. This park is approximately the size of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, and it contains just over 2,000 Dall's Sheep. All told, throughout the course of the day, we saw about 100 of them. They are quite unafraid of the busses, and gather on the one road into the interior of the park. This picture is from one of our 4 major sightings today.

 

 

As promised, we reached the Toklat River station within 3.5 hours of driving. Here, DD and I chose to leave our bus and head up the tundra a bit for a hike. One of the rangers suggested that we walk along the river bed until we found a good place to head up through the scrub and onto a hill -- from there, we would be treated with an expansive view of the Toklat area. We've been trained well by our years in national parks, and we are very good at staying on the trail and leaving no trace. Denali's interior has no trails, though, and the rangers encourage you to just walk in any direction that looks interesting to you. We were profoundly uncomfortable bushwhacking and stepping on the fragile tundra growth -- but that is what they tell you to do. We got over ourselves and made our way to a ridge, where the valley again opened up. 

 

If I had to come up with one word for Denali, it is space. Simply put, it feels vast. The mountains are far apart from one another, the river beds are wide, and it seems like it would take you days to walk from one peak to the next. This park is such a different scale than any of the others we've hiked. We contemplated all this from a ridge overlooking the Toklat River, 53 miles into the park.

 

Having finished our bushwhacking off-trail adventure, we slid our way back down to the road and caught the next shuttle that happened by. On the long drive back to the Bus Depot, we again saw more caribou, hares, marmots, and Dall's sheep -- including these lambs estimated to be only 1 week old.

 

 

With all the cloud cover, Mt. Denali never showed herself. Tomorrow's forecast is sunnier, and we have reservations on an earlier shuttle to go out there and do it all again. The drivers all say that no two days are alike in Denali, so we will find out what tomorrow brings. 

 

Cheers,

[Stumblefoot]

Incredible pictures and amazing experiences Unibok!  We know many of the national parks you describe like the back of our hands, but Denali is one that remains unexplored on our list.  Enjoy your return to the interior tomorrow!  Like you, it seems so odd that the Rangers encourage you to bushwhack.  Try that where we live and you may end up in jail. 😁

[JohnGinPBG]

Wonderful photos and commentary, Unibok! You're very intrepid going hiking on your own - beats 9 hours on an old school bus for sure. Hope you have another great day today!

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, JohnGinPBG said:

Wonderful photos and commentary, Unibok! You're very intrepid going hiking on your own - beats 9 hours on an old school bus for sure. Hope you have another great day today!

 

YES, YES, the pictures and travel details continue to be wonderful by Unibok.  They are really building up, UP our excitement to start our Alaska adventure trip in mid July.  

 

From the CNN cable news network yesterday, they had this headline: “19 best places to travel for the summer of 2019”  with these highlights focused on Anchorage: “For the first time starting July 6, United Airlines will begin flying a direct seasonal route from Newark to Anchorage until September 8.  While East Coasters can take advantage of popular Alaskan cruises, there are good reasons to stick around in Anchorage, too. Average temperatures tend to reach a balmy 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and sunlight lasts for about 22 hours on June 21, the summer solstice. And yes, there's a Downtown Summer Solstice Festival to celebrate. Summer days in general last longer, allowing more time to sample the city's dozen or so craft beer breweries and emerging food scene (we're looking at you, Muse).  The Anchorage Museum added a new wing in 2017 that's all about contemporary Native artwork, while Town Square Park plays host to free Thursday night concerts in summer.  And though it's a 40-minute flight from Anchorage, the remote Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is fresh off a multimillion-dollar renovation, and among its new offerings is the state's first via ferrata, a climbing route that includes fixed anchors, like steel cables, to help climbers. This one, next to the Triumvirate glacier, also features two suspension bridges.”

 

We will have a full day in Anchorage after we complete our Denali post-cruise excursion with Silversea.  Looking for ideas to figure out the "best" options to consider for Anchorage.  

 

Full story with these many, different travel ideas/options at:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/summer-travel-places-2019/index.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,459 views.

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Here is one visual featured by this CNN profile to highlight that the landscapes outside of Anchorage are well worth the journey.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

[Unibok]

Thanks, guys! We are, indeed, having a wonderful time. Weather forecasts aren't always correct (or even in the ballpark), but today's was spot on: sunny and warm, heading into the high 60s F. We woke before our alarms sounded, munched on some breakfast burritos at our hotel, and caught a 7:00 shuttle to the Bus Depot to catch our 7:30 transit bus for Day 2 in the interior. 

 

If yesterday was all about the sheep, today was all about the caribou. Whereas yesterday's herds were fairly off in the distance, today's were up close and personal. Throughout the day, we were treated with both males and females, as well as juveniles. This one came right up to the bus.

 

 

Around mile 9, rounding a bend, travelers have their first chance to see Mt. Denali, if she chooses to show herself. According to the rangers, only 30% of the people visiting the park actually get to see the big mountain. Even on sunny days, she creates her own weather system and may well be encased in clouds. We eagerly awaited whatever might be around that bend. With such a gloriously blue sky, we let ourselves hope. And sure enough, there she was.

 

 

It seems impossible that we couldn't see any of this yesterday. Between miles 9 and 15, we had the most lovely views of this incredible mountain, and we all felt very lucky indeed. 

 

Rather than drive the full distance back to the Toklat River, DD and I decided to stop at the East Fork River, just before the aptly named (and rather treacherous) Polychrome Pass. Our plan was to head down the river bed a ways toward the mountains, and if time permitted, head up the foothills behind us for a different view. Our bus driver asked if we had gear that could get wet, and we figured what we had was good enough. Well, it was and it wasn't. Walking along the riverbed wasn't as easy or productive as it looked like it might be, and we had to cross the river braids many times before realizing that it would not be a fun hike after all. Our boots and socks were soaked by the glacial river, but actually they dried quickly and did not bother us at all. Eventually, we reached a point where we were proud of what we accomplished, and we headed back to the road and up the hill in the opposite direction. 

 

There, we climbed a tundra hill made mostly of impossibly soft, squishy moss. It made for much more pleasant hiking, although we still had to overcome our discomfort with walking off-trail. Once we reached a nice viewpoint, we reflected on Denali's no-trail philosophy. Stumblefoot, it did start to make a bit more sense to us today (although I'm the first to admit that I am a proud "trail girl" -- give me an actual trail any day!). The major theme of Denali is "wilderness," and that theme is stressed in every bit of their marketing and rangers' talks. Anyone who wants to hike in the interior has no choice but to embrace the wilderness aspect: every step you take, it is as if you are the first one there. No decisions are made or nicely demarcated for you; there are no blazes to spot or footprints to follow. Instead, you have to scout for yourself the best route, sometimes backtracking to a better place to climb or a shallower place to cross. It is much more tiring, requiring both your mental and your physical energies even to go a short distance. DD and I both ended the excursion with profound respect and gratitude for the pathfinders and the trail tenders, whoever and wherever they may be. We have enjoyed their work for most of our lives without fully understanding it.

 

Back on the road, we flagged down the first green and white bus that came along -- only about 15 minutes of waiting and walking along the road. On our return trip out of the park, we came across several more bears at a distance, many more caribou, and a moose mother with calves that looked to be about 2 days old. I like how this picture captured the wobbly legs on one of the babies.

 

 

Our driver dropped us off near the sled dog kennels so that we might see the 2:00 demo. We were just in time! The kennels are fascinating, housing the 39 "canine rangers" bred and trained right here onsite. They are working dogs, with responsibilities for taking supplies and research materials deep into the park. And do they love to mush! The demo included a quick (very quick!) run around a track, and ample time for us to pet them in their kennels. They are beautiful creatures, all fur and muscle and bounding energy. I was so busy petting them I didn't even take any photographs. 

 

Given our short DIY wanderings around East Fork, we opted to return to the Visitor's Center via the Rock Creek trail, a lovely up and down 2.8 miler through aspen groves. It felt so good to just walk peacefully on a trail that somebody else had already figured out! There were several scenic vistas, and we chose one of them to enjoy a late boxed lunch.

 

Tomorrow we pack our bags and leave Denali. Zqtchas, lem_100, and the rest of you -- we'll see you in a few days aboard the Silver Muse!!!

 

[Stumblefoot]

So cool to think you saw 2-day old moose calves.  Incredible, really.

[Unibok]

It's morning in Denali, another cloudy one, making us all the more grateful for yesterday's warmth and sun. Before we leave the park, I thought it might be useful to do a quick wrap-up of tips and impressions.

 

Going so early in the season (late May) has clear advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side:

* generally, the park is not crowded, except when the Princess shuttle busses arrive and depart

* wildlife babies, babies, babies, especially Dall's Sheep and Moose

* staff is fresh and still excited to be back

* restaurants and lobbies are also uncrowded

* early morning transit busses have available space, with room to switch seats for photographs of wildlife (sense a theme with the "uncrowded" bit?). Later in the day, transit busses are packed in tight. Every Tundra Wilderness bus we saw (and there were many -- it is a very popular excursion) was filled to the brim.

* strong chance of sunny weather and Mt. Denali sightings

* extremely high chance of seeing moose hanging around the more populated areas, as they feel more comfortable giving birth where there are more buildings and people, and presumably fewer bears. The downside is that new moose-mamas can be very protective and aggressive, so caution is advised.

 

The main downside of an early season visit is that access to the interior is limited, as the transit busses run only to Toklat River and not all the way to Eielson. Certain fun opportunities won't be available at all for another week or month, such as staying at the gorgeous Denali Backcountry Lodge, or the Kantishna Roadhouse. For our first trip here, we were so delighted with everything we saw, that we didn't miss heading farther into the park. We also found that we were pretty antsy after so many long plane, train, and bus rides that the thought of spending extra hours on the bus to go deeper was quite unappealing.

 

Some words on logistics. Trains arrive twice per day (noon-ish from the North, and 4:00-ish from the south), and much the daily rhythm revolves around these arrivals and departures. As mentioned upthread, all hotels have their shuttles lined up and waiting, and they take care of your luggage. If you are staying in a campground, there is a separate area for picking up luggage before catching the camp shuttle. Our hotel distributed our room keys on the bus, so that as soon as we arrived, we could go right to our room. 

 

The main Visitor Center is just across the street from the Train Depot. The tour bus depot is a short drive away, with free shuttles running frequently between them. After years of experimentation for just the right solution, busses run on propane (electric/hybrids did not work well in these mountains). Private vehicles and RVs are restricted to only a very few areas. Once beyond those areas, the road turns to dirt and only the busses go back and forth. All in all, they do what they can to make sure you never need your own car.

 

As for food, the hotels all have restaurants, but also shuttles to the downtown Canyon area. We were staying so close, we chose to walk rather than shuttle again. We were also very happy with the onsite restaurant at Denali Bluffs (The Mountaineer). They take special pride in their BBQ, which was moist and fork-tender, and especially delicious with their house-made sauces.

 

Prices overall are high, as expected, but not out of line with the other national parks we have visited. 

 

Leaving Denali seems to run as seamlessly as arriving. We've been told to leave our bags outside our door at 9:00 this morning, and we'll see them in Anchorage.

[TLCOhio]

40 minutes ago, Unibok said:

It's morning in Denali, another cloudy one, making us all the more grateful for yesterday's warmth and sun. Before we leave the park, I thought it might be useful to do a quick wrap-up of tips and impressions.

Going so early in the season (late May) has clear advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side:

* generally, the park is not crowded, except when the Princess shuttle busses arrive and depart

* wildlife babies, babies, babies, especially Dall's Sheep and Moose

* staff is fresh and still excited to be back

* restaurants and lobbies are also uncrowded.

The main downside of an early season visit is that access to the interior is limited, as the transit busses run only to Toklat River and not all the way to Eielson. Certain fun opportunities won't be available at all for another week or month, such as staying at the gorgeous Denali Backcountry Lodge, or the Kantishna Roadhouse.

Prices overall are high, as expected, but not out of line with the other national parks we have visited.  Leaving Denali seems to run as seamlessly as arriving. 

 

Continued super wonderful reporting and detailing for your adventures in Alaska.  Very interesting and helpful.  Keep up the great sharing!!  Can't wait till you get on the Silver Muse and start your posting from that ship and to document these other spectacular Alaska locations.  Loved this great picture of Denali.  Great visual, angle and lighting!!

 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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[JohnGinPBG]

Unibok, your descriptions of Denali and amazing photos have taken us back to our own adventure there last June. You're so fortunate to have had such a great view of the mountain and the Moose calfs are adorable. And your writing is very evocative. As life-long hikers, my wife and I really appreciate hearing about your times on and off the trail. It's gotten us pumped up for our trip to the Swiss alps and Dolomites this September.

 

Not sure if you have plans for Juneau, but we had a great hiking day there. Took the Mt. Roberts tram and then set out on their trails to higher elevations. Had some rain, but the views were worth it, especially when it let up. Back to the ship for lunch and then headed off to Mendenhall glacier for an easy but rewarding hike down close to Nugget Falls.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great rest of your trip and time on the Muse! 

Edited May 26, 2019 by JohnGinPBG

[TLCOhio]

8 minutes ago, JohnGinPBG said:

Unibok, your descriptions of Denali and amazing photos have taken us back to our own adventure there last June. You're so fortunate to have had such a great view of the mountain and the Moose calfs are adorable.

Not sure if you have plans for Juneau, but we had a great hiking day there. Took the Mt. Roberts tram and then set out on their trails to higher elevations.

 

The pictures and comments from JohnGinPBG are so totally excellent.  Great idea for doing some hiking at the top of Mt. Roberts in Juneau.  On Sunday, July 28, we will be in Juneau, from 9 am to 11 pm.  That allows lots of timing flexibility, but, however, there will be five ships in port that day with 11,400+ passengers.  Will be busy, busy there on that day. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,598 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

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[Stumblefoot]

36 minutes ago, JohnGinPBG said:

And your writing is very evocative.

Amen to that!  She is second to none.

[JohnGinPBG]

27 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

That allows lots of timing flexibility, but, however, there will be five ships in port that day with 11,400+ passengers.  Will be busy, busy there on that day. 

 

 

Yes, that will be a crowd! However, the two largest ships don't arrive until noon and 1:00, so the morning hours shouldn't be too bad. Mendenhall will be crowded anytime, but Mt. Roberts hiking not so much, as most people just hang out at the visitor center.

 

Here's what we had - the Silver Shadow sandwiched in between two biggies.