The Last Frontier - Alaska Part II: Juneau and Glacial Bay National Park

…continued from the previous post

After leaving Denali National Park, the next stop on my itinerary was Juneau and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, springs to life during summer. Many Alaskan cruises dock at Juneau and tourists trawl the streets of Juneau.

The most popular attraction in Juneau is the mighty, magnificent Mendenhall Glacier. Everything about the Mendenhall is massive: its face is 100 feet tall and 1.5 miles wide; its length is over 12 miles. Large as it is, the Mendenhall is just a tiny part of the Juneau Icefield, an expanse of interconnected glaciers that sits atop the mountains behind Juneau. The Icefield covers 1,500 square miles.

Mendenhall Glacier

The Mendenhall Glacier and Visitor Center has great exhibits to learn about the Glacial Phenomenal and to appreciate the enormous size of the Juneau Icefield. It is also the starting point of many hiking trail around the Glacier.

Glacial Ice that has been calved off

As I watched glacial ice drifting in the Mendenhall Glacier lake, I once again thought to myself that nature was truly amazing. I picked up a piece of glacial ice that found its way to shore. The journey this piece of ice took was nothing short of fascinating – taking 250 years to form, calving off the bluish Mendenhall and making its way into my hand. A piece of history without words. Old ice in a new age.

250 year old Glacial Ice

Ride the Mt Robert tramway for one of the most expansive views in SouthEast Alaska. There is the Chilkkat Mountains to the north, the Gastineau Channel to the south, Douglas Island to the west and the Silver Bowl Basin to the East. At the top, you will find hiking trails, an observatory, nature center etc.

View from the top

                  Mount Robert Tramway

Other things you can do is to visit the Douglas Island Pink & Chum Salmon Hatchery to learn about the salmon spawning process and to take the opportunity to taste a variety of salmon samples such as: king salmon dip, salmon caviar, salmon jerky and canned salmon. The Alaskan Brew Company also makes for an interesting visit to learn about brewing and bottling operations while sipping on their gold-rush recipe, Alaskan Amber, and other tasty brews.

Alaskan Brewery

Leaving Juneau, I made my way to the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve lies west of Juneau and can only be reached by plane or boat. The only road connects it to the small town of Gustavus and its airfield to park headquarters at Bartlett Cove. I reached the town of Gustavus by taking a short 30min ride on a Piper Cherokee Six.

Gustavus Airfield

Glacier Bay was originally discovered by John Muir in 1879 and was proclaimed a U.S. national monument in 1925. The world’s largest protected marine sanctuary, Glacier Bay National Park Preserve has attracted not only tourists wishing to catch a calving glacier up close and personal, but geologists and scientists interested in studying what are thought to be the fastest moving glaciers in the world.

Bartlett Cove

Glacier Bay National Park is one of the most serene places I have visited. I arrived at Bartlett Cove just in time to witness the amber sun set over the Fairweather Mountains. Standing on a boardwalk at the water’s edge, I felt miniscule amidst the vast and tranquil backdrop. I remembered with great regret that I had only scheduled two nights in this idyllic setting.

Sunset at Bartlett Cove

The various travel guidebooks that I had read in preparation for the trip had not prepared me for how breathtaking Glacier Bay truly is.The wonders of Glacier Bay is best described through an unhurried, personal encounter; taking a snapshot with your senses.

I went on a day cruise around Glacier Bay. The Park Ranger onboard my cruise was extremely knowledge. She told us about its history, explained the natural phenomena ongoing in Glacial Bay and pointed out humpback whales, stellar sea lions, different varieties of seabirds, bears etc along the way.

Sea Lions at Marble Island in Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park was the last stop of my Alaskan Adventure. In the future, I would love to return to Alaska and continue to explore the other parts of this beautiful place.

"To the lover of pure wildness Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world." ..."it seems as if surely we must at length reach the very paradise of the poets, the abode of the blessed."-- John Muir

Your Travel Beacon,
Cindy

The Last Frontier - Alaska

One of the nicest places to visit in summer is Alaska. To date, Alaska remains one of the most beautiful places I have been to.

Alaska is different from every other destination in the world. It is a land of superlatives – its vast land size makes it the largest of all U.S. State. In fact, it is larger than all but 18 countries of the world!

The size of Alaska in comparison to the other US states!

I flew into the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and started my Alaskan adventure in Anchorage. The National Heritage center in Anchorage provides a good understanding of the Alaskan culture and its history. You can also enjoy a good meal of succulent Alaskan crab legs at a relatively reasonable price.

Succulent Alaskan Crab Legs

What I didn’t expect to see was a wild moose sashaying its way down mainstreet downtown Anchorage. It was a wildly unexpected moment for me but a common sight for the locals. Many simply shrugged and laughed. 

Next, I boarded the Alaska Rail to Denali. The best way to see Alaska is on railroad – This is Alaska RailRoad Corporation’s slogan and I wholeheartedly agree.

The Alaskan Railroad Corporation

I am a frequent train traveler but this was the only time I wished my 6 hours journey would never end. The seats were comfortable, the service was great but most importantly, the view was breathtaking. Staring out through the train’s huge glass windows at the spectacular mountain vistas, the tundra landscape and Alaska’s wildlife, I remembered thinking to myself that everyone should visit Alaska and ride the Alaskan Rail at least once in their lifetime. The guides onboard the train were knowledgeable and quick to point out interesting facts and wildlife as we passed them by.

View along the way - you can see the reflection of the train's windows

Ravines along the way

I spent the next few days in Denali National Park. Denali Park is home to North America's highest mountain, Mt. McKinley, towering over 20,300 feet tall.

First peek at Mt. McKinley

The 6 million acre National Park is one of the best opportunities to appreciate the Alaskan wildlife. During my few days at the Denali National Park, I saw black bears, moose, wolves, dall sheep, caribous, otters, bald eagles, golden eagle, beavers and many more. It was an extremely education experience for me.

Roads into Denali Park have restricted access and private vehicles are only allowed on the first fourteen miles. You will almost certainly want to travel further into the Park on a narrated bus tour or Park Service shuttle. I went on the full day Kantishna Wilderness Trails bus tour bringing me deep into Denali Park. The shuttle rides are so popular that reservations are made as far as one year in advance. There are ranger led programs everyday to help you further appreciate Denali.

I also took the time to visit Iditarod Champion’s Jeff King Husky Homestead.

The Iditarod is known as the last great race on earth. It is a race of over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod.

At Jeff’s Husky Homestead, I met with champion sled dogs, saw the dogs summer training in action, took a one hour narrated kennel tour and even got to cuddle some puppies. Since I doubt that I would plan to visit Alaska to witness the Iditarod race first hand, this was my Iditarod’s experience for me.

Alaskan Husky Puppy asleep in our arms!

Next stop on my itinerary – Juneau and Glacial Bay National Park…to be continued in the next post.

Your Travel Beacon,
Cindy