Alaska Day 4, Numerous Lucky Encounters

Day 4

Tuesday June 5, 2018

      When I woke up the sun was already shining.  But then again, sunrise was 3:58A.  I told you I was near the airport.

  I decided to head out to the glacier overlook one more time.  Clouds had been low into the mountainsides two days prior, and I wasn’t disappointed.  

     After leaving the overlook, it was an easy fifteen minute drive to the parking area for the Herbert Glacier trailhead.  The glacier was named after Hillary Abner Herbert.  Colonel Herbert served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, was elected to represent Alabama in congress in 1877 and eventually served as Secretary of Navy under President Cleveland.  

     The trail is four and a half miles to the glacier overlook, with another half mile side trail that gets you closer to the glacier’s toe.  After the climb of the West Glacier Trail, this was welcome.  The trail is wide and mostly dirt and gravel.  Considering the previous day’s rain, it was also quite dry.  The elevation gain was all of three hundred feet.  It made for a pretty fast pace.

     The kiosk at the trailhead had the usual map and warnings about bears.  It also mentioned the trail may be washed out in parts.   Something else struck me.  While I never understood the fascination some folks have with shooting guns at traffic signs, who shoots an innocent, unarmed trail kiosk, seriously? 

     From the trailhead leading into the woods...

     The guidebook gave out mileage markers based on landmarks.  Though it didn’t mention this long abandoned car alongside the trail. 

      The solitude and quiet were welcome.  It wouldn’t last though.  While I never did meet anyone on the hike out, the closer I got to the glacier, the louder the drone of the tourists in helicopters.  But, I digress

       The only thing I would have done differently in hindsight was to start the hike a few hours later.    From the first river overlook I found myself trying to shoot around the low sun.

      It got better a few miles further.

      The last quarter mile of the trail suddenly thins.  To your left is a rock wall and to your right, the river.  It’s still pretty easy going.  Finally, I made it to the overlook.    The light was still pretty harsh, but the view was worth it. 

      After pausing for a snack and some water, I decided to try out the side trail to get closer.  After a few minutes of wooded trail, I came to my first water crossing.  The rocks were plentiful, but mossy and wet. Fortunately, there was a conveniently placed tree branch for stability.  The second crossing looked innocent enough. The section closer to me I would have waded through.  Unlike the old ones, the new hiking boots actually are waterproof.  But, I looked at the second patch of water and pondered.  I found a rock that was a little larger than a brick and heaved it into the stream.  

    Considering the plunk sound and the fact that the rock was completely underwater, I decided against wading through.  With a light curse to the previous day’s rain, I turned back.   I did however, find a place to walk onto a sand bar in the river.  I wasn't getting up close, but it changed the angel of the light a bit.

      Shortly after making it back to the wide and flat portion of the trail, I met a couple on mountain bikes.  They asked how close they were.  I told them just a couple of minutes.  When they have to ditch the bikes, they’re really close.  They waved when they passed me heading back.   They were the only people I met on the entire trail.

      I did however, see a bear. 

      You know you’re getting close to the end of the trail when you start hearing car sounds again.   I started hearing voices, too.  It was a young couple getting on mountain bikes to hit the trail.  The guy lost his balance and planted his hand on the hood of my rental car for stability.   I had just come around the last bend in the trail and saw it all.  I called out, “hey, that’s my car.”     He seemed surprised and a little embarrassed.  We all had a good laugh.  He was in town visiting and had never done the trail.  His friend is local she had done it quite a few times.  So, I asked her for some trail advice.
     From the drive back...

     I was surprised how quickly I had finished the trail.  After a stop back at the Safeway for a snack and some supplies, I headed back to the room to refill water bottles and take a short break.  This actually worked out to be a good thing.   Karen used to refer to what’s coming up as Trip Luck. 

     On my drive towards downtown, two F-16’s flew overhead, coming in to land at Juneau’s commercial airport.  I mention it because they do come back in the narrative a little later.

     The last time I was here, I took a walk through the ruins of the Treadwell Mine.  It’s on the southernmost point of Douglas Island.  Back then it was wooded trails through the ruins and a sign claiming the city’s plans for the site.   Considering I still had the bulk of the afternoon, I decided on a revisit.

     The parking area is shared by a larger municipal park and a marina.  It’s a big lot.  But, it look awhile for me to actually find an open spot.  I asked someone and they told me why.  That’s where the trip luck comes in.  I knew I still had time, so I went off to explore the mill ruins.

     Gold was discovered here and the first mill was opened in 1881. Named after John Treadwell, one of the principal investors, it started out as a small five stamp mill.  At the start of the trail is one of the original set of five stamps.  They’re basically pistons used to crush ore. 

      The more gold that was produced, the more they expanded the facility.  At its peak, they were over nine hundred stamps and the mill produced more gold than any other mine in the world.  The four mines in the complex employed over two thousand people.   A large explosion collapsed the first mine.  Two more developed leaks which eventually caused them to collapse.  The fourth one closed for good in 1922.

     Out on the beach are the remnants of the wharf pilings from the mine, as well as a water pumping station.

      I worked my way back to the car for the longer zoom lens(70-300mm) and settled in for a while.   The cruise ship Norwegian Bliss was leaving the harbor with its 5,200 passengers.  It was the last ship in or out for a while.    I asked the woman sitting next to me about the cruise ships.  She hates them, but acknowledges they do bring a lot of money into the local economy.    

     Off in the distance, I could see nine canoes on the far side of the river.  The Norwegian Bliss saluted them with the ship’s horn as they passed.

     The canoes are from the One People Canoe Society, a group celebrating native Alaskan culture.  They do this every  two years and arrive like their ancestors did .  Once the Norwegiann Bliss had passed, all the other ships stopped. There were cargo ships and cruise liners all waiting patiently for the canoes to cross. Once they were safely in the harbor, the other ships saluted and commerce continued.

    The boats gathered just off one of the docks inside the harbor.  They came all the way from Ketchikan, Sitka, Angoon, Honnah, Yakutat and even the Taku River region of Canada.   They paddled the entire way and consider it a personal test of endurance and spirit.  They represent people of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimhin cultures.   They were greeted by local clan leaders.  BTW, the distance between Juneau and Ketchikan is three hundred miles. 

    One by one, a representative of each group stood up in the canoe and in their native language announced who they were and their desire to be a part of the celebration.  Then they repeated it in English.  One by one, each group was welcomed.

     I was standing at the end of a dock taking it all in when someone told me what was in store for the next morning.  There’s a spot blocked off on the beach.  A totem pole of grief will be erected there.   A retired history teacher in the group explained why.  She didn’t give a date, but told us the dark history of  Douglas Harbor.  This was an Inuit village and the city really wanted to build the harbor.  Understandably, the Inuit refused to leave their homes.   One day, when all the men were out fishing, the village mysteriously burned to the ground.  Shortly thereafter, construction on the harbor began.

     All the canoes had pulled up to the dock and with much revelry, the rowers began to disembark.  That’s when I left, too.

     A brief word on the Extended Stay America. It really is just across the street from the airport.   As I was pulling into the parking lot,  there were a bunch of cars parked alongside the road and a bunch of people standing at the fence.  Those two F-16’s were sitting among commercial seaplanes, engines running.   I parked the car and walked back, just in time to see them taxiing towards the runway, followed by a larger passenger plane.  One by one, they all took off and headed their own way.  Pretty cool!

     Dinner was at a local place I read about called The Sandbar. 

      Every review boiled down to it being a dive bar with good food.  The chicken sandwich was quite good, but larger than expected. One of the offerings on tap was something called Irish Death.  They gave me a small sample. It’s a stout with an odd  aftertaste I couldn’t place.  Not bad.  But, one pint was enough.   I also tried an Alaskan Brewery Rasberry White Ale.  Interesting flavor, but a little too in your face with the raspberry.

     One more stop before calling it a day . I drove back to the lake overlook since it was the only consistent place I could get cell service(curse you Boost Cellular) I spent a few minutes returning texts and slapping mosquitoes before calling it a day..

Coming up,

A perfect day, if you’re a reader