Juneau Grey Days

My biggest mistake was not arriving in Juneau the same day my son did. How I regret saving money on airline tickets by flying Monday and missing Sunday, a sunny day.  Adam and Sarah were already there kayaking, hiking, and otherwise enjoying a rare crystal clear day in Juneau. One guide told them Juneau is overcast, drizzly or downright wet about 300 days a year. She said that when the sun breaks out there is an epidemic in town and they may as well declare a holiday because so many workers call in sick. So sad that I missed it!

Day one took us to Mendenhall glacier just outside of town. It really is impressive but I found it difficult to get a photo that did it justice. We hiked some trails around the park before heading out on our canoe trip. The woods here are fabulous. Blue lupines are flowering and drops of moisture on the leaves sometimes take on a beveled effect. Moss grows everywhere covering rocks and crawling up tree trunks. I would be afraid of standing still for too long lest it envelops me, too.

Our canoe ride took us closer to the glacier and all its little offspring. Some of those are incredibly blue, a refracted light thing. Our guide told us that only about ten percent of them were actually above the water and sometimes they decide to roll. A bald eagle sat atop one of them and was under attack by sea gulls that were courting on the nearby rocky slopes. The rain put a damper on the event, leaving me wet and cold for the rest of the day.

Mendenhall Glacier on a grey day.

Day two we went looking for whales. We saw parts of a few, a glimpse of a tail, an arched back, but never a whole whale. There were a lot of other whale watch boats on the water communicating by radio on a channel devoted to the quest. Capn. Alan said they mostly share the locaton of the whales but some of the new captains are very secretive. The whales were not being social but the seals and sea lions were, much to our delight. It was still rainy and grey,  about 47 degrees, less on the water, but at least we had shelter.

A drop of dew in the center of a lupine leaf.