Rosie and The Operator have an early start today, our aim is to get out to the Mendenhall Glacier bright and early, walk the tracks, get the snaps, avoid the crowds and bask in the silence. All before four cruise ships which are due to berth in Juneau unleash up to 10,000 extra people on the town and half head this way. Plus, we are hoping that if we are early enough, we might even see some black bear breakfasting action down by Steep Creek which is known for its active bear spotting.
Arriving in the National Park just after sunrise, Rosie is being prodded a little by The Operator to do this hike, a little cranky, growling a little like a brown bear being poked with a stick Rosie sets out. To be fair, we have just stepped onto the Steep Creek viewing platform that looks down into the clear water of the narrow creek which is surrounded by scrubby bushes and we see…a bear!
A black bear is cruising the river bank between the bushes. Rosie cannot believe her luck and struggles to turn her camera on…something so easy that you do all the time now seems foreign and the hardest task ever when you are under pressure. The bear is not waiting for Rosie, wait I need a photo! Rosie snaps a couple of the bears but as we set off trying to find the bear.
Down the path into the bushes along the creekside Rosie and The Operator excitedly and stealthy move stalking the bear. Where has the bear gone? We stand in silence, heads swiveling left and right. Oh man, its disappeared…dejectedly we carry on walking…next minute, the bear comes out of the bushes and crosses the creek right in front of us about ten meters away! Wow, we got a real surprise! The bear didn’t give two hoots about us, it was still cruising nose to the ground as it nimbly and so quietly threaded its way off through the bush again.
What an experience, we have always wanted to see a bear! Finally up kind of close and personal in its natural environment and not ours…we felt a little exhilarated and vulnerable all at the same time. Thank you Mr Bear, it was an honor seeing you.
On to the Glacier we forged, eyes peeled for another bear….no, no more graced us with their presence today.
The Mendenhall Glacier first greeted us in the cool blue light of dawn as we sailed into Juneau harbour. It sits behind the town and this river of frozen dirty ice looks majestic nestled in its channel between the mountains. This glacier is part of the giant Juneau Icefield and one of 40 glaciers that make up the nearly 1500 square kilometers of icecap. Mendenhall is the most easily accessible, sitting in its valley only 19kms from Juneau it is one of the only ones in the world accessible by highway.
The Glacier is 19km long, 2.4 km wide and 30 meters deep at its terminus on the edge of the lake. The glacier is said to have formed about 3000 years ago and stopped growing in the mid 1700s. Since then it has started retreating and melting and has receded about 3.5 km in total. Mendenhall Lake you see in front of the Glacier never used to exist and is the result of this melt. This lake freezes in the winter and is used for iceskating….pretty impressive being able to skate up to a glacier!
You can see Nugget Falls to the right of the Glacier, this is where Rosie and The Operator are hiking to.
From certain parts of the dual carriageway of the Glacier Highway the Mendenhall soars above the road in full frontal glory and is super impressive. Rosie made The Operator drive up and down that perfect piece of highway looking for a pull in bay to take a snap to no avail, the volume of traffic was too high and there was strictly no stopping.
Turning off the highway and driving towards the Glacier its side profile was peeking out across this muddy water ditch. The Operator stopped the car quizzically and Rosie loves how this photo turned out, you would never know this puddle of muddy water with dead sticks of greenery sticking out of it was so tiny.
Rosie and The Operator are hiking the track to Nugget Falls, on the way we stop at some of the picturesque viewpoints for some snaps. The day is overcast and a bit foggy with that light drizzle that is just enough to make you damp and hair frizz but not enough to soak you through. Rosie is chuffed as the new rain wear we bought especially for this trip is finally getting a real outing!
The hike is only a 2.5km return trip…The Operator said it was pretty generous for Rosie to call it a hike, it is more like a stroll along along a wide well manicured path suitable for many cruise ships worth of people to traverse at the same time…Rosie is still going with hike though, after all I am in the great out doors and the path is not paved. Tomato, Tomayto.
Looking back from one of the most easily accessible photo stops, the beautiful Mendenhall Visitors center sits amongst the landscape. This Center is a credit to the park with so many interactive and interesting displays and information as well as one of the best views of the glacier from its own window.
Tourists have been coming to visit this glacier since the late 1800s. Photographs of steamship up close and personal with the glacier and austerely dressed Victorians standing on the icefield or icebergs are quite amusing. Even though the areas they have been photographed on have long receded it is nice to see that these natural wonders are still being enjoyed today.
The track is surrounded by forest and we hear the roar of the Nugget Falls long before we see them, it is just getting louder and louder. Then we pop out into a clearing and the falls are just cascading from the clifftop above, the volume of water is immense and the ability of being able to get up so close on the lovely gritty beach is pretty cool. We are not the only ones here this early but Rosie is doesn’t mind sharing with this few people.
The falls are magnificent, a torrent of water spewing down the mountainside from the snow melt and rain above and tumbling into Lake Mendenhall. The Glacier sits grubbily and sulkily behind the falls and is definitely not the star of this show.
Rosie dosen’t think she has ever been this close to a waterfall before that has its own beautiful little sandy beach that you can walk up to the torrents from. Imagine if it was warmer and you could swim in the lake, it would be quite idyllic.
Check out the people standing next to the falls for an idea on how big they actually are! Super impressive! Walking back along the track towards the visitors center the people were starting to flood in. Rosie should know better by now than to be cranky at The Operator for getting her up early as she always enjoys the solitude and the achievement of the walk….and lets face it, its not everyday you encounter a bear on your morning constitutional!
Ps – this is the bear that Rosie photographed in the Visitors Center…this is how the real life wild one should have stopped and posed for me…
The rain had properly settled in and the fog had dropped to obscure the top of Nugget Falls as we left the visitors center. Back to town we drove for a spot of brunch and a bottomless coffee.
Tomorrow we are taking a day trip on the boat The Adventure Bound up the Gastineau Channel to Tracy Arm to view another spectacular glacier up close and personal from the water. On the way we hope to see whales, ice burgs, dolphins and fantastic scenery. The highlight of the day is to watch the mighty Sawyer glacier calve…while we are parked under it, Rosie cant wait!
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