Sunny Week...

This last week in Alaska has been the best weather week we've had all summer long. Granted the temperatures have only been in the 50s or so, the sun has been out practically everyday. Glacier Bay was stunning this week as we pulled in. The sun parted the clouds and gave us warmer air to be outside in as we took in all of nature's beauty in this icy park. The blues weren't as apparent since the sun was glaring off the ice, but it did give us wonderful views of the bay and the mountains beyond. Glacier Bay is an interesting viewing dichotomy. The perfect day in Glacier Bay has to be partly sunny. As you pull into the park, ideally a nice opening of sun through the high clouds is optimum to see the vast reaches of the glaciers and their paths into the mountains. Once you reach a face of a glacier, its better to have the clouds cover the sun lightly so you can see the deep blue hues emanating from the cavities throughout the field. A sunny day is still fabulous though and it is rare if you can get such perfect weather up there. Chances are that if you have clouds, you have rain and that makes for a foggy and wet day. What amazes me still is the loud rumble that you hear from the glacier as tiny pieces fall off into the water. These aren't huge chunks, just little fragments. Of course that could be our relative distance as well. The Marjorie Glacier in particular is so huge that my perspective distance from it could be askew. A tiny piece from our stance could be a large piece up close. After all I did hear the rumble several seconds after the pieces fell into the water. You'd almost miss it if you waited to hear the calving instead of looking for it. In Juneau, it started a bit cold, but got pretty warm throughout the day and especially after getting close to it on the summit of Mt. Juneau. Three of us took the challenge that day and started on a 6 mile round trip journey to the peak of this mountain overlooking the Gastineau Channel. Our efforts looked bleak at first since the first part of the climb gains elevation fast and can be hard on your thighs. We all got our second wind though as we breached the canopy and came out on a ledge of this mountain about 1,500 feet up. We crossed over some waterfalls and began our steepest climb up the tip of the mountain. We were facing loose gravel and steep climbs having to use both hands and feet to get up. We reached about 5 false summits before actually reaching the peak just as we were about to give up. It took us roughly 3 hours to get up and time began to concern us. The summit was well worth it though since it gave us 360-degree views of Juneau. Behind us the ice fields, in front Douglas Island and to both sides the Gastineau Channel. It was amazing!! On the way up we even saw a huge mountain goat moving off another summit in the distance. The air was crisp and fresh and we all felt a sense of accomplishment after reaching so high. It was over 3,500 feet from sea level. I could have stayed up there for a few hours, but since our time was short, we had to go. We made it back down in half the time and enjoyed a well-deserved meal at a local favorite called Wild Spice (Mongolian BBQ style). Coming down was actually harder than going up. Especially on the steeper parts and whoa does that work the calves and thighs. The passengers had another unexpectedly gorgeous day in Sitka as the clouds parted for most of the day giving us rays of sunshine. I spent most of the day at a coffee shop looking out over the city. Ahh relaxation. In Ketchikan I was up at the crack of dawn to get off the ship. We're only there until 1:00pm. All aboard was at 12:30pm. You have to make the most of it. I was debating going out since the clouds were kind of thick. I decided to go for it. Destination was Deer Mountain. I was probably the first climber that day to tackle this well manicured trail on this mountain, but ever since my friend introduced me to this trail, I've been waiting for decent weather to take a stab at it again. Last time I ran out of time and this time I wanted to go for it to the summit. Well, weather did come in that day and got the best of me as well as time. I bolted up the mountain to the first summit in quick time. Just under 2 hours. The views were incredible and the clouds were still above me so I got excellent views of the channel and beyond. The clouds were covering the second summit though about another 500 or so feet up and a stiff hike to boot. I decided in the sense of time, weather, and possible wildlife (me being alone and apparently the first hiker up that day) to turn around at the first summit. I still made it to a top, just not the top. I made it down in 1 hour and back to the ship in time to fulfill my raft drill instruction. It was a rocky night that night for shows, which made it interesting. I had IPM in Victoria, but a few of us took advantage at the $20 cover for the Pinnacle Grill. It's the last week for that price since we'll be moving to the Caribbean next cruise. It apparently was the last week for this menu as well and there will be a whole new menu. It just means I'll have to make one more trip to the Pinnacle before I leave.