Hiking Near Juneau

One of our scheduled stops while on the Alaska Ferry from Bellingham to Whittier was at Juneau.  We were only supposed to be there for a couple of hours, but ended up with over an eight hour delay due to mechanical problems on the ferry (our trip was finally aborted at Juneau and we went directly to Whittier missing several stops and a planned visit to Kodiak Island).  We used the time at Juneau to do some hiking, following first the Spaulding trail and then also hiking the Auke Nu trail which intersects the former.  It was beautiful sunny day and we found plenty to keep us occupied including several native orchids, though the hike itself was nothing out of the ordinary.

the lower part of the Spaulding trail we hiked went through open marshy ground

the upper part of the trail was in the forest

unidentified spider

Large-awned Sedge

 False Lily-of-the Valley leaves

Swamp Gentian and Deer Cabbage

 Red-breasted Sapsucker

Slender Bog Orchis

Narrow-leaved Cotton Grass

 Auke Nu trail

 Tall Northern White Bog Orchis

 Four-spotted Skimmer

 Sticky False Asphodel

waterfall

Alaska Ferry

In celebration of our fortieth wedding anniversary we booked passage on the Alaska Ferry from Bellingham to Kodiak Island.  We camped on the deck of the ferry and brought our own food.  Our itinerary was supposed to be Ketchikan, Juneau, Yakutat, Chenega Bay, Whittier, Kodiak, and after spending several days on Kodiak we were supposed to go back on the ferry from Kodiak to Whittier, but the trip was aborted at Juneau after delays in Bellingham, Ketchikan and Juneau, and we sailed from Juneau to Whittier where we disembarked.  We enjoyed what we had of the ferry trip and found it a very relaxing way to travel, but were disappointed to miss both Chenga Bay and Kodiak Island.  We saw some beautiful sunrises and sunsets and numerous Humpback Whales, as well as the port towns.  Here are some of our pictures.

waiting to board the Kennicott

 our on-board home

on board the Kennicott

(some slept on deckchairs in the covered solariums on the upper deck)

Bellingham harbor

(we were delayed here for four hours)

finally away

last sight of Mount Baker

the full day of sailing up the Inner Passage

 the end of the first day

sailing into Ketchikan the second day

leaving Ketchikan

(we were delayed six hours in Ketchikan, time spent relaxing and reading on board)

sailing to Juneau the third day

Humpback Whales

 Mendenhall Glacier (near Juneau)

leaving Juneau

(we were delayed eight hours in Juneau due to continued mechanical issues,

time we spent hiking several trails near the ferry terminal

- the subject of another post -

it was in Juneau, too, that the all the rest of the ferry stops were cancelled,

including our additional trip to Kodiak Island:

instead we sailed directly across the Gulf of Alaska to Whittier and disembarked there)

the last day and night from Juneau to Whittier

(there was almost nothing to see since we were sailing across the gulf)

coming in Whittier and disembarking