Just a few more images from down town Juneau...

 

P.S.  Has anyone notices a fairly consistent theme in the image of each blog?

Tour Reps on the Docks in Alaska....

We are Dock/Tour Reps in Alaska.  What does that entail?  When a Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, or one of the many other cruise lines arrive in Juneau...

Gwen and I will greet one of the tours sold on up to 6 cruise ships a day. We often start as early as 6am and can still be on the docks at 9:30pm!  Each cruise ship sells one of the many Allen Marine Tours specialty cruises to their passengers:  http://www.allenmarinetours.com/sightseeing/juneau/index.html

Our job is then to verify that each Allen Marine guest (there can be as many as 400 going from each ship) is getting on the correct Allen Marine tour, ensure they are getting on the right motor coach and expedite loading the coach so that it leaves at the correct time and is headed to the right location first...usually within a half hour from the guest leaving the ship.

There are many issues that can conflict with our prescribed activities.  There are bus issues, dock issues, boat issues and weather issues. 

We also want to help general passengers who are disembarking and have a multitude of questions: "Where are the best stores?... ATM's, Post Office, Roberts Tram, town shuttles, other tours or the best crab restaurant in Juneau?"... You mean Tracy's Crab Shack?

We have not tried this yet but understand that it is exceptional.  We did stop one day for a sample of their crab bisque and that was good.  We have found the Alaskan Crepe Escape and would recommend that to EVERY ONE visiting Juneau.

http://www.akports.com/alaskancrepeescape/

If you like strawberries and/or Nutella, they have an exceptional Strawberries and Nutella Crepe.  Do not try to walk and eat this delectable creation!  If you do, you may also be wearing it as a testimony to your indulgence.  I have not been able to get any images of these crepes, as each one I have ordered has not stayed around long enough to be captured by my camera.

Now, one thing I did capture on my camera, was when I was trying to get all the activity in the Juneau Harbor one day.  I thought I had a good picture and when I got back to my computer, I found that it was  even better than I thought...I felt like I was back home in my great mid-west state. (Notice the state flag)

  Well, it looks like our week of sun had passed and tonight the rain is starting to fall again.  Juneau weather has come back home again.

Short on time today. Just a few more cloudy day images.

It was another long day today.  Just got home and need to get up at 5:00am and be at work by 5:45am.  So just a few more examples of cloudy day images.....

Just remember my motto, "If the question is to shoot or not?  I always choose to shoot..."

Sister-in-law's, forest ponds and another glacier....

Yesterday I got into this discussion with my sister-in-law about taking pictures on a cloudy rainy day.  She is currently taking a photography course and it was cancelled due to clouds and rain. REALLY...?  Then why do they sell water resistant cameras?  I informed her that one can still get a good interesting image even with rain and clouds.  So Gwen and I set out on a hike in the rain and clouds to capture some neat images.  The first two images were captured during the rain:

What would you call this image?

"Ent's Thimbles", "Nome's Pipe Organ"

What are your suggestions?

The farther we hiked the brighter it got.  Before we knew it we were under blue skies and full sun.  Then we happened upon this wood duck swimming and feeding on this cool forest pond.

It was at this point that we realized that we were only half way to the end of the trail which ends at Herbert Glacier.  Well a few more miles and about 80 some minutes later we rounded the trail and there it was...

Such an amazing view.  Next time I hope to get to the glacier and actually touch a large Alaska ice cube.

Only in Alaska?

So where can you one see cool little sandpipers?

On a sand beach?

Surrounded by mountains?

With a view of a Glacier?

Well, on Eagle Beach in Juneau is one place that I am aware of.  Can it only be done in Juneau?  Not sure but it is truly amazing....

How many shades of green are there...?

A few images from another hike that we took this week.

Our discussion during this hike was, "How many shades of green do you think are really out there?

P.S.  If you look at the mountains in the background surrounded by the clouds, it was actually snowing up there.

Waterfalls of Alaska....

Well after 13.5 hours of work today I only have a few minutes to update the blog so here goes....

Yes, Gwen is actually up here.....

How close am I really to that object...?

As I stated yesterday we would discuss the perspective in Alaska.  This is a picture of Nugget Falls flowing into Mendenhall Lake at the base of Mendenhall Glacier.  I am on the West Mendenhall trail one of the many hikes that we have taken.  This trail will take us up to Mendenhall Glacier and some ice caves later this summer.  We are about 1.25 miles from the falls and about 500 feet above the falls.

This next image is from directly in front of the falls.  I am using my small (28-135) lens and probably at 28.

This next image if from the side of the falls again with my small lens again.  You can see Mendenhall Glacier in the back ground.  This falls is about 377 feet tall and about 100 feet wide.  With out a recognizable item that is close by it is hard to get the true perspective of the falls.  You can try to make a determination with the surrounding trees but not knowing the actual size of the trees then again it is hard to make a good guess how large the falls really are....

Now, once you put people next to the falls, you can see the true massive size of the falls.  That is how it is here in Alaska.  Without a good reference point, it is really hard to tell the true size of a mountain, cliff, rock or waterfall.

Tomorrow we will show you a few of the other waterfalls that we have wandered past in our travels.

The hiking has begun.....

Today we were driving back from a hike along the shore and we actually drove through a snow storm....

The other day we hiked a trail that would take us up the west side of Mendenhall Glacier.

On the way up we came across just a little wildlife....

a grouse....

a porcupine....

and a mountain goat.

It is amazing when you are hiking above the animals that are supposed to be at the top of  the mountains.  The thing that is tough to get your brain wrapped around is the perspective.

When you look at the top image of the glacier and the image just above with Nugget waterfall, it is hard to tell the actual size of what you are looking at.  That is what we will discuss tomorrow...

Back In Alaska...... again!

So we are back in Alaska for the second time.  We left Tucson AZ, visited Santa Fe, NM; Manhattan, KS; Silver Lake, KS; Rochester, MN; Box Elder, SD, Great Falls, MN; Canmore AB; Prince George, BC; New Hazelton, BC; Prince Rupert, BC.

Then by Alaska Marine Ferry to Ketchikan, AK; Wrangell, Petersburg, AK, Sitka, AK and finally Juneau, AK.

It took us about 12 days to find a place to stay on Easy Street.  It has taken us about the same to get internet hooked up... and it is still not available...hopefully soon.  People keep telling us, "You are in Juneau Alaska, you need to lower your expectations." I think it is more a "lack of competition" that we have seen in many isolated places.

That being said, we are amazed with the surrounding area.  We have been to all four corners of Juneau:  Echo Bay to the northeast, Thane to the southeast, Treadwell to the southwest and North Douglas / Peterson Creek to the North West.  We have also tried the beginning of a few trails but have been contained to the lower elevations due to the snow pack.  Lately, that has been melting and giving us many, many fast moving streams, waterfalls and avalanches so we need to stay out of those areas for now.  We have actually heard what sounds like thunder, and then look up to see huge avalanches!  We have not been anywhere underneath them, thankfully.

The ships are starting to arrive.  Slowly, but we are getting accustomed to working with them and the guests that they bring.  Our schedule is varied; from early mornings to late in the evenings.  We work when the ships come in.

Gwen and I both have been able to take a whale watching tour, but due to our work schedule we had to do it on separate evenings.  I have a clear evening and was able to see a pod of Orca whales.

On Gwen's trip it rained the whole evening. (She did get to see Orcas and a Humpback whale and some sea lions though)

 "That is what it does here in Juneau.....  It rains." We are getting used to doing everything in a very wet environment.