Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau

Juneau was founded as a gold-mining camp in 1880, became the Alaska territorial capital in 1900, and the Alaska state capital in 1959 (upon statehood).  The city is located in the panhandle of southeast Alaska, 900 miles (1,450 km) northwest of Seattle and 600 miles (965 km) southeast of Anchorage and is the only US state capital with no road access.  We get off the ship and take an excursion that hikes to an overlook from which to view the Mendenhall Glacier which is 12 miles (19 km) long, 1/2 mile (0.8 km) wide and 300 to 1,800 feet (90 to 550 meters) deep.

Approaching Juneau

Joining the other ships

As we start our hike to the glacier, we spot signs in the trees along the trail of where the end of the glacier was located in the past.  The glacier has been slowly retreating since the mid-1700s.

Starting up the trail

Previous glacier edges

Hiking to the glacier

Lots of waterfalls

Passing a lake along the way

After a good walk through the forest, the path starts up steeply, with handrails to help guide us over the slippery rocks.  On one section, we have to face the rock wall and descend, slowly looking for footholds and handholds.  Then, more steep pathways lead up, with handrails.

Heading up

First view of the glacier

We continue up, with increasingly-expansive views.

More views of the glacier

Returning, we descend slowly down the steep paths and reach the flatter trails through the moss-covered forest leading back to our van.

Returning through the forest

The National Park Service notes that there are 10-12 search and rescue efforts here annually as the route to the face of the glacier has steep grades with slipper rock surfaces and is not clearly marked (bring plenty of food and water, allocate six to eight hours round trip, and be prepared to spend the night).

National Park Service map and warning

We don't make it all the way to the glacier surface (and don't spend the night), but get fabulous views from several perspectives above the ice.

Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier

Endicott Arm is a narrow fjord approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Juneau, Alaska, extending over 30 miles (48 km) with nearly one-fifth of its area covered in ice.  At the head of the fjord, glaciers, including the Dawes Glacier that we are heading toward, regularly expel enormous chunks of ice that float along the water surface, from a few inches in size up to three stories wide.

We head out of Ketchikan up to the Endicott Arm, entering early in the morning and cruising up the fjord as the sun rises.

Along the coast on the way up

Making our way up the fjord

Waterfalls and floating ice along the way

Continuing up the fjord

Reaching the Dawes Glacier at the head of the fjord

Turning around and heading back

We spot several large chunks of blue floating ice.  This phenomenon occurs when snow falls on a glacier, is compressed, and becomes part of the glacier.  During compression, air bubbles are squeezed out and dense ice crystals emerge that absorb other colors more efficiently than blue, leading us to see them as blue.

Blue ice

Endicott Arm is within the Tongass National Forest and is a haven for wildlife including black and brown bears, deer, wolves, harbor seals, mountain goats, and a wide variety of seabirds, none of which we see in our cruise up the fjord (except maybe a few birds).  But we do get incredible views of snowcapped mountains, magnificent waterfalls, and spectacular glaciers galore.

We proceed back out of the fjord, on our way up the coast to Juneau.

Heading out of the fjord

Up the coast toward Juneau

What an incredible side trip on the ship!

Continuing through Ketchikan

The path along Ketchikan Creek celebrates the annual journey of salmon up the creek with signs, information, overlooks, and art.

Path along Ketchikan Creek

Salmon info

Soon we reach Creek Street, an antique boardwalk on wooden pilings over the creek, now home to restaurants, curio shops, a museum, and private dwellings.  Creek Street was built over the water (as is much of Ketchikan) because it was too difficult to blast away the rock hills surrounding the creek.  Originally known as Ketchikan's old red-light district, in the mid 1920's there were over 20 bawdy houses on the street.  During prohibition, Creek Street featured bootleg whiskey smuggled in from Canada to supply the backroom saloons.  Houses on the creek had hidden trap doors for bootleggers to row their boats under the houses at high tide and deliver the product straight up.

In current times, we wander through the more-modern shops, and museums.

Creek Street (view from the creek)

Funicular to the Cape Fox Lodge

Continued celebration of salmon

Local humor

Carved art on Creek Street

Celebration of the bawdy days

Looking back up the street

We leave Creek Street and head back into downtown Ketchikan, passing shops for the tourists, shops for the locals, and lots of beautiful view.

Views from town

Several cruise ships along the pier, we reach our ship, but continue further along the water to see what we can find.

Discovery Princess - 1083 feet (330m) long

Glimpses of the water from the docks

Views of the hills

Returning to the ship, we take in a few views of the town prior to our departure (in trail behind two other ships that depart first).

Views from the ship

The ship is heading north toward Endicott Arm Fjord and the Dawes Glacier.  We will enter the fjord around 4am and many of us will join the viewing several hours later as we proceed up toward the glacier.