High in Juneau

Sky high around 4,000 feet above sea level on a bright and beautiful sunny Juneau day. Five of us took the Mt. Roberts tram up the first 1,000 feet or so and then hiked the rest to Gastineau's Peak. The temperature was a humid 85 degrees that day last week, but the sun was shining bright and the sky was a cool blue. The last time I took this hike was about 5 years ago in July 2000. I only went up as far as maybe 3,000 feet. That last portion was well worth the trip. Scenes of Lord of the Rings and Sound of Music kept reeling through my head as we hiked past vast fields on mountain tops and narrow passages with stiff drop offs on both sides. The views were astonishing. You could see mountain peaks for miles. Snow covered and bare. At times climbing made my knees incredibly weak because of the drop the lay inches from my feet, and at other times it felt exhilarating to be up so high above everything. There were fresh bear tracks in the snow as we crossed through a snowy passage. Bald eagles were soaring above us. A marmet was standing still perched on a rock as we watched and waited for it to scuttle away. These are the moments I enjoy traveling and performing on a cruise ship. The sights you don't get to see unless you take the vacation, but never while you are working. Yes, cruise jobs leave you cut off from land most of the time, but the peaceful and adventurous trade offs are worth it.