Hiking Up Mt. Roberts in Juneau

[tee_harbor]

I see the question fairly often about saving the $25 to take the tram or just to do the trail. I finally did it and thought I'd add my .02.

 

My friend and I are two 40+ year old women, in decent physical shape, with cheap hiking boots on. It took us an hour and a half, but we parked my car by the trailhead. If you had to walk from the cruise docks, I'd add 1/2 hour, partly because you have to orient yourself and find the trailhead.

 

It was uphill the entire way, narrow, with many roots to climb over. We've had little rain all week, so the trail was probably as dry as it'll ever be in Juneau. I'd be concerned to try it in a downpour, or if it's been pouring recently. There's narrow dirt sections that would get slick and nasty. I wouldn't try it in smooth soled athletic shoes. A bridge has been taken out, and the spot is still passable, but really narrow and scary with a long drop. There's no handrails anywhere, or really any trees to grab either. The one rest stop, with a bench and view spot, is too close to the start to really be of good use. Although, just when I was gasping, "I must stop and take water," a log appeared around the next bend, so it's probably the half way point where everyone feels that way, and someone rolled a log over by the trail.

 

Ironically, the hardest part was the last bit. There's still snow the last twenty minutes worth of hiking, and we lost the trail a few times because we were basically looking for other footprints, and then at the last twenty yards, lost it completely, the snow became icy, only to run into a rope to keep people walking down from above from falling off the slope we were scrambling up! But we could see the neon glow of the bar, and we just crawled under it and staggered in.

 

The trails are still closed to tourists coming down from the tram area, I think because it's likely they won't have proper footwear or know the area well. Local folks pushing further up to snowboard and ski, those people they let do whatever they want. But some poor lady from Atlanta, trying to take a picture of a squirrel while wearing slip on loafers, could easily lose her footing and slide all 2,500 feet down. :eek:

 

We ended up dining, because we had worked up a hunger as well as thirst, and I'd rate it as okay if you're up there and starving. As usual in Alaska, generally poor service: our drink order wasn't put in until we'd ordered our food, my Cosmo came in a brandy glass and the bartender had obviously had to consult his guide to make it--he came by and asked me if it was right--the food was cold and just okay, and the price was a couple bucks higher than the already high local dining prices. So I wouldn't suggest it as a destination for dining. If you're not hungry, wait until you get down.

 

OH! A CCer had posted that the restaurant were going to have an all you can eat Dungeness crab feed up there. It was on the menu, but because the crab season doesn't open until Sunday, they didn't have it yet. It's going to cost $30. I said when the info was originally posted that I'd weigh it once I heard the price as a value. If you think you can eat two whole Dungies, I'd say that was worth it, but otherwise, I'd do some shopping around on the price at the restaurants. I bet a single crab will be priced at about $25 or less and an adult is probably comfortable with one.

[Dream Fish]

Good to hear your take on the trail to Mt. Roberts. When we first visited Juneau about 13 years ago we did that trail, and then when we moved to Juneau 6 years ago, we would do that trail at least once a year. Every year I liked it better. It took me about 1 1/2 hours too, my kids would beat me to the top then call me on the cell phone to ask where I was, so nice of them. I always thought the first part of the trail was the steepest and hardest, besides the road up to it. I don't remember there ever being a bridge on that trail or where one would have even gone........You are right on about it being slick if there is rain or snow, we made that mistake by going up it one year in March, terrible and we were stubborn so had to go all the way to the top! I think I slid on my bottom most of the way down (tram wasn't open yet!) I've never been impressed with the food, usually just had dessert or a beer and took the tram down. But I love that trail and now that we don't live in Juneau I miss the yearly hike.

[Miglet]

Thanks for the review. We may still try to hike up, depending on our mood and the mud/slickness factor. You say the trails are closed for the descent? Do you need to buy a tram ticket to come back down then?

[Dream Fish]

It used to be that if you spent $5 per person or more in the restaurant (not sure if the gift shop is included) you just saved your receipt to show at the top of the tram to get on. There are signs posted on how that works up near the tram. Or you could probably just ask at the ticket office at the bottom of the tram to how that will work now.

[B_Stephens]

Thank you for a wonderful review. My DW and I were having this discussion today, and she was not looking forward to this hike as she related how her brother convinced her how a similar hike without taking the tram (to save some $$$) would be just fine in Europe. It's definitely looking like the $25 pp is a bargain to take the tram up and down.......as long as the day is beautiful and not raining. We will, however, make every attempt to get on the treadmill once back on the cruise ship, and then act like we did like you did and hiked up that great hill.

[tee_harbor]

Thanks for the review. We may still try to hike up, depending on our mood and the mud/slickness factor. You say the trails are closed for the descent? Do you need to buy a tram ticket to come back down then?

 

Let me clarify. The trails around the tram are closed at this time. There's trails which loop around the area, not truly hard hiking trails, but meant to get back into the woods and see the great views. But because of the foot traffic on the remaining snow, they've become hard and slick.

 

Last year, they finally asked locals to come up and help shovel off the trails. They'll probably have to do the same thing this year. We didn't have as much snow this winter as 2006-07, but we've been quite cold, without that many sunny days, so the snow is stubbornly hanging around.

 

But if you wanted to hike up or down Mount Roberts itself, they won't try to stop you.

 

We weren't asked to show a receipt, although we did purchase food and I bought some Devil's Club Salve in the nature shop for my Mom, so we would have had it to show.

 

On the All You Can Eat Dugie issue, we ate at the Crab Shack down by the parking garage today, and they're going to have a whole Dungeness for $17. So unless you are going up the tram anyway, and really, truly believe you can eat more than one whole crab, I'd say that's a better value.