Juneau, Alaska

July  22-24, 2018

Juneau
Depending on the story you believe, Juneau was founded either by a pair of lucky drunks or two hard working miners in 1880. Joe Juneau and Richard Harris was sent there by Chief Kowee for samples of gold-bearing rock, which sparked a gold rush unmatched for 17 years. Juneau became the capital of Alaska in 1906, and government began to replace gold in Juneau. Today Juneau has 31,000 inhabitants.

Juneau was a bit of a disappointment as a town, as it was totally geared for cruise passengers (4 cruise ships a day) with souvenir shops and jewellery stores lining the main streets, and not much local atmosphere at all. It was very scenic though. We stayed in the historic Alaskan Hotel from 1913, and it was a great location.

Mount Juneau

As there wasn’t much to do in town, we decided to hike Mount Juneau, as we could walk the 1.5 mile/2.4 km road to the trail head. Mt. Juneau is steeped in mining history and was originally called Gold Mountain in 1981, then Bald Mountain in 1896. Mt. Juneau rises 3,576 feet/1,090 m above Juneau.

Mt. Juneau in the background.

It was a very hot day - 27 degrees - and we started the hike too late in the day, so it was very hot climb, but worth it with wonderful views along the way.

It took us 3 hours to climb the 3 miles/4.8 km with the elevation gain of 3000 ft/914 meters to the top, where we had lunch and well-deserved rest.

Note the eagle in the background.

Well back in town we had nice local seafood dinner at Mary’s Crab Shack well away from all the cruise ships (and their passengers) which blocked the view from all of the harbour side restaurant patios.

Next stop Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska Marine Highway: Prince Rupert, BC, Canada to Juneau, Alaska, USA

July 20 - 22, 2018:

The Alaska Marine Highway ferry runs from Bellingham in Washington State (just south of the Canadian border) to Haines in Alaska, and you can get on and off at each stop for about 45 minutes. It largely takes the same route as the Alaska cruise ships departing from Vancouver, and the part we did was so beautiful.

The ferry left Prince Rupert at 7pm, and it was a nice evening. We had a private cabin with bath and shower, but no window. This is not a cruise ship but an ordinary ferry, so the amenities were fine, and the food was varied and good.

The ferry makes 6 stops (the towns with squares on the map) before getting to Juneau.

About and hour after departure, we saw a single humpback whale playing, according to the captain. I am convinced it waved goodbye to us, but see for yourself.... well I cannot get the link to work, so you will have to become friends with one of us on Facebook to see it!

Humpback whale adults range in length from 12–16 m (39–52 ft) and weigh around 25–30 metric tons (28–33 short tons). humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 km (16,000 mi) each year. They feed in polar waters and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters  (Hawaii) to breed and give birth,fasting and living off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish.

We had an early night, as we had had a very long day in Prince Rupert, so we didn’t stay up for the arrival to Ketchikan around midnight.

July 21, 2018

Wrangell

We were allowed 30 minutes off the ferry, and we took the opportunity to stretch the legs, and set foot on Alaskan soil for the first time. Wrangle has around 2,400 inhabitants, and has been Tlingit territory and then under the jurisdiction of Russia, Great Britain, and the United States, Wrangell has the unique status as the only Alaskan city to have been governed under four "flags". Logging, fishing and tourism are the current mainstays of the Wrangell area economy.

This sign perfectly describes our visit to Wrangel.

The weather was just fantastic, and we spent all day on the sun deck enjoying the scenery and reading.

Petersburg

Petersburg is a small town with 3,100 inhabitants, and is known for its Norwegian heritage and for harbouring one of Alaska’s most prosperous fishing fleets. Around 1885 the Norwegian Peter Buschmann eyed the blue ice of the LeConte Glacier, and thought it an ideal place for a cannery. In 1887 construction began for Icy Straits Packing Company, and soon a saw mill, docks, houses and other business sprang up, and in 1910 the city of Petersburg was incorporated.

We came across a group of humpbacks feeding, and the captain turned the ferry around so we could enjoy the sight without disturbing the whales. What an experience.

We also saw bald eagles, dolphins and seals along way.

July 22, 2018

The last stop before Juneau was Sitka, right on the west coast, but this stop would be between 3 and 6am, so we would NOT be getting up for that. However, Dorte woke up just before 3am, and decided to go outside on the deck to take a look, as we would never come back here. The sun was just rising, and it was a great sight.

It was very serene and quiet, and then a seal came out of the water and we exchanged good mornings. Back to bed for Dorte.

It was a bit overcast when we woke up, but the sun burned off the clouds, and we had another day of beautiful scenery.

Juneau Marina and the Mendenhall Glacier above. The port is located about 19 km from downtown Juneau.

We reached Juneau at 3:45pm, and we were ready for new adventures in the capital of Alaska.