weather factor for self driving in Juneau

[sharon_pei]

We are planning to do dyi self driving based exploration in Juneau following the guidance from this forum on :  Mendenhall Glacier first......

From there drive north with stops at Shrine of St Terese and Eagle Beach.....From there return to town, take the bridge to Douglas Island turn left at the round about and drive to the end of the road....... Treadwell Trail 

Just wonder if we do so, are we vulnerable to bad weather in case of bad luck?  

I also heard that this itinerary (except the Mendenhall glacier part) is more for those who've been to Juneau before than for 1st time visitors. is it so? we are not that into whale watching, and one of us refuses to get onto a small aircraft, hence the dyi idea. but want to double check if it's good before committing. 

[Northern Aurora]

6 hours ago, sharon_pei said:

……..

 

Just wonder if we do so, are we vulnerable to bad weather in case of bad luck?  

I also heard that this itinerary (except the Mendenhall glacier part) is more for those who've been to Juneau before than for 1st time visitors. is it so? we are not that into whale watching, and one of us refuses to get onto a small aircraft, hence the dyi idea. but want to double check if it's good before committing. 

I do not know which month of the year you will be visiting, but the most likely bad weather would be some rain,which is very typical  for Juneau no matter the month.

[SightCRR]

Look into Juneau city gardens near shrine. Small parking lot but nice gardens and beach walk. If it rains rental car will come in very handy. Roads will still be fine. Make sure your rain gear is up to the task. Very few roads so hard to get lost. Search youtubes for videos of sites. Newest possible and not the ad ones.  My fav webcam: TheSnowCloud Juneau area Webcams

Edited March 29 by SightCRR

[karatemom2]

That's a very good itinerary regardless of how many times you have been to Juneau. The Treadwell Trail is often very overlooked and super interesting. I wouldn't worry much about driving - the roads are excellent and easy to navigate and the worst you might encounter is some rain.

[dfilpus]

In addition to turning left at the traffic circle on Douglas Island, if you turn right, the is a scenic highway that runs northwest along the sound. There is a park at a boat ramp which gives you a distant view across water of Mendenhall Glacier. 

[AKStafford]

What sort of weather are you worried about?

[sharon_pei]

6 minutes ago, AKStafford said:

What sort of weather are you worried about?

Just that rainy/foggy weather that might create visibility issue for scenery -- we are mainly after nice scenery (ideally with glaciers). For example, lots of recommendation on skipping the Mr robert tram if it rains. btw, we are going in 2nd week of June. 

[AKStafford]

3 minutes ago, sharon_pei said:

Just that rainy/foggy weather that might create visibility issue for scenery -- 

Juneau is in a temperate rain forest. It is what it is. 

The key to Alaska weather: hope for the best, plan for the worse and have fun no matter what.

And any weather forecast more than 36 hours out is just a guess.

[sharon_pei]

1 minute ago, AKStafford said:

Juneau is in a temperate rain forest. It is what it is. 

The key to Alaska weather: hope for the best, plan for the worse and have fun no matter what.

And any weather forecast more than 36 hours out is just a guess.

yeah. acknowledged. that's the exact reason for this thread: to see if we need to have a backup plan in case if this self drive itinerary is weather dependent (same as Mt Robert Tram). If so, we want to be prepared. 

[wolfie11]

2 hours ago, sharon_pei said:

yeah. acknowledged. that's the exact reason for this thread: to see if we need to have a backup plan in case if this self drive itinerary is weather dependent (same as Mt Robert Tram). If so, we want to be prepared. 

If people in Juneau didn’t go out in the rain, the entire town would come to a standstill.  Although it can pour, most days it’s a light, sometimes misty, rain.  It can be foggy as well, but that just adds to the beauty of the landscape.  The roads are perfectly normal, paved roads.  There will be other cars, people riding bikes, etc.  If the conditions are extreme, there will be warnings.  Also, people in Juneau are really nice and will stop to help if you have difficulties.  To the best of my knowledge, there has never been an instance of a tourist in Juneau being trapped on a deserted washed-out road with the wolves howling around the vehicle and hungry bears trying to pry off the doors! 🤣🤣

[sharon_pei]

May I also ask if one needs to carry bear spray for this itinerary? Also, would we be able to take bear spray onto a cruise ship if we purchase one here and hopefully don't use it?

 

We wouldn't do too much hiking this time: maybe this itinerary in Juneau (plus the hiking trails on the top of Mt Robert if nice weather), and Exit glacier vista hike in Seward. The rest would be guided tours or just stroll around vista points. So I wonder if its still a good idea to get bear spray and if so at which port shall we get it?

[wolfie11]

No bear spray.  It’s in the same category as a loaded gun and considered a weapon.  You can’t take it on public transportation or the ship.  It’s also fairly expensive ($80-$100).

[Gardyloo]

Don't miss the (drive-by) ski shrine on the Douglas Hwy.  

 

 

And even (typically) misty days can still be photogenic and evocative.