USA May 2011

Photos are bear at Tracy Arm and me climbing to John Muir cabin then sitting in snow with view of the Juneau channel and mountains on our Wednesday hike, and the John Muir cabin where we had our lunch.

I had updated my blog and uploaded photos....but then it appears that the blogger folks had a system crash and lost my updates.....so tried to fix!

31 May 2011 Tuesday (Juneau Alaska)
Another clear and sunny day...hiked up Dan Moller trail with Lee (she works in Antarctica) and her dog Grande....we encountered snow after about 2 1/2 miles so never made it to the cabin at 3+ miles....another time!

30 May 2011 Monday (Juneau Alaska)
Attended Memorial Day gathering at Evergreen Cemetery....another clear sunny day.

29 May 2011 Sunday (Juneau Alaska)
Morning duty at the kiosk visitor center (three big cruise ships in town today) and all by myself because Hetty did not show up....and I had about 160 visitors in three hours....then an afternoon massage.

28 May 2011 Saturday (Juneau Alaska)
Saturday hike at Pt Bridget State Park, 38 miles out the road, where we had lunch at Blue Mussel cabin (hike was 3.5 miles each way) watching the sea lions and seals and humpback whales and bald eagles.....we saw heaps of spring flowers in the meadow....pink shooting stars, yellow buttercups (and yellow dandelions), yellow marsh marigolds, wild iris, lupine, sweet gale, and the chocolate lilies were just starting to bloom. On the return to town we saw both a brown bear and a black bear right on the road!

27 May 2011 Friday (Juneau Alaska)
Morning blood work at the doctor then free cruise on the Juneau Steamboat Susanna then lunch with the ladies of my old neighborhood.

26 May 2011 Thursday (Juneau Alaska)
Morning visit to the Dodge dealer....my van heater fan is broken again and it is the blower resistor again which is still under warranty from its previous fix in April in Salem Oregon but they need to order it and the installation will be free (again). Afternoon walk to the library to catch up on my newspaper reading.

25 May 2011 Wednesday (Juneau Alaska)
I did my normal 330am walk to the gym but heard more noise than usual.....and just before I crossed the street to enter the gym parking lot, there were two bear in the rubbish bins....yikes.....so walked two blocks back to a petrol station to call the police but they do not chase bears....only issue litter citations.....so walked back to the gym and watched the bear play in the rubbish when finally a truck drove by so asked him to drive into the lot to chase the bear back into the neighboring cemetery!

Hike today is Perseverance Trail to Granite Basin....one of my favorites....but we did not make it to the waterfall at the end of the basin due to snow....instead we made it to the waterfall at the end of Perseverance trail to Silverbow basin!

Evening raw food dinner (this is a monthly gathering at someone's home that I attended when I lived her full time five years ago and it is still going after almost ten years) with some great folks.....highlight was Tlingit Native Helen Watkins with her wealth of knowledge on local plants and the food that she shared (cowsnip parsley, beach asparagus, seaweed).
http://juneauempire.com/stories/101710/loc_721836079.shtml

24 May 2011 Tuesday (Juneau Alaska)
Another mixed sun and rain and cloudy day! Heaps of bear activity in town this week.

23 May 2011 Monday (Juneau Alaska)
Broke down and spent $$$ to have my hairs done blond properly instead of turning orange from a cheap box! While at the market last week, I ran into my hairdresser who had done my hair many many years ago and she did a fine job today....yeah!

22 May 2011 Sunday (Juneau Alaska)
Heavy rain today so washed clothes and sorted through the paperwork that I have collected in my van and cooked and chatted on the phone with family and friends and trying to decide what to do this next winter.....maybe to Mexico????

21 May 2011 Saturday (Juneau Alaska)
Hike to Windfall Lake and the cabin (3.3 miles one way)....mostly misty morning rain then heavy overcast....the sun finally arrived in the afternoon...this is just wonderful to have so many sunny days in May! We spotted a newt/salamander on the trail

20 May 2011 Friday (Juneau Alaska)
Rainy morning for drive to Fred Meyer for food shopping....and then gorgeous sunshine for my walk to town to the library and the post office and the quilt show at Centennial Hall, with heaps of stops along the way to chat with friends.

19 May 2011 Thursday (Juneau Alaska)
A day of errands and catching up even though the sun is still shining!

18 May 2011 Wednesday (Juneau Alaska)
Wednesday hike to Sheep Creek....800 foot climb to valley walk for three miles then up the Powerline ridge (which I gave a miss since there was still snow and I have no snowshoes).

17 May 2011 Tuesday (Juneau Alaska)
Morning brunch with former State coworker and IBMers then Juneau Jazz and Classics noon concert of Air Force Band and evening dinner with women friends who are also extensive travellers.

16 May 2011 Monday (Juneau Alaska)
Another gorgeous sunny day so off to hike Perseverance Trail....heaps of birds and a bear playing in the snow.

15 May 2011 Sunday (Juneau Alaska)
Michelle and I worked at the kiosk to greet visitors to Juneau...two cruise ships in.....Crystal Symphony and Rhapsody of the Sea. Evening meal at the Empty Bowls fund raiser for the local soup kitchen.

14 May 2011 Saturday (Juneau Alaska)
Another sunny day for our hike up Mt Roberts then the tram down for Juneau Maritime Day and Juneau Museum Day.....what a great way to meet all your friends!

13 May 2011 Friday (Juneau Alaska)
The sun is back and I took advantage of a fam trip (normally $150) to Tracy Arm Fjord/Sawyer Glacier with Adventure Bound on a boat that holds 40 but there were only 12 of us....and we saw breaching whales and bear on the shoreline and mountain goats and harbor seals swimming right next to the boat and calving glaciers and sun and pure blue sky.....what a day!!!!

12 May 2011 Thursday (Juneau Alaska)
A very rainy day so stayed in to catch up!

11 May 2011 Wednesday (Juneau Alaska)
What a wonderful surprise for our Wednesday hike....sunshine! We hiked the Auk Nu trail to the John Muir cabin (about three miles one way to elevation of 1550 feet). We spent the last bit, though, doing quite a bit of post holing....breaking through the upper crust of the deep snow up to our hip....and it is not easy to get out! Our hike leader proclaimed that today was National Salad Day so she brought the greens and we all brought the toppings....what a treat for our wonderful view of the snow capped mountains! We also had a visitor from Anchorage.....Toshi was my hike leader when I spent the summer of 2008 there.

10 May 2011 Tuesday (Juneau Alaska)
The annual Juneau Jazz and Classics Music Festival has begun so plan to attend the free brown bag concert by Evan Drachman (on cello) at the State Office Building atrium.

9 May 2011 Monday (Juneau Alaska)
I parked my van when I arrived one week ago and have not moved it since....so today decided it was time to stock the fridge so off to Fred Meyer and Safeway and Walmart then a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier to see how much more has melted since last year. Afternoon walk downtown and then returned to meet Paul and Diane who are gypsies like me but they live out of their car and not an RV (although they have owned one in the past). They are working here for the summer with the cruise ship industry.

8 May 2011 Sunday (Juneau Alaska)
Happy Mum's Day!
Gorgeous sunny morning for work out at the gym and walk around the town then afternoon clouds. Walked with my friend Lynne along Gold Creek and then for a bite to eat and moose tracks ice cream cone for dessert.

7 May 2011 Saturday (Juneau Alaska)
I will miss the hike today because it is the annual walkabout for us volunteers that greet our visitors to the city for the summer. We visit all the local shops to get acquainted with what is new for this season. The Disney Wonder cruise ship will visit Juneau for the first time today. Also attended the blessing of the fleet at the Alaska Commercial Fishermen's Memorial....an annual event since our community depends so much on the fishing industry.
http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-05-07/analysis-blessing-fleet-testament-way-life

6 May 2011 Friday (Juneau Alaska)
Joined the local gym for early morning workout at 330am (which I will continue for the next few months) then lunch with friends at Paradise Cafe then attended Celebration of Life at local church for a woman that died recently at age 90. She inspired many of us in the 1980's as volunteers welcoming visitors to Juneau. First Friday Gallery Walk during late afternoon for great artwork and snacks! The first cruise ship of the season arrived at 2 today (Carnival Spirit).

5 May 2011 Thursday (Juneau Alaska)
Walking town doing errands and meeting old friends....we needed this dry day yesterday for our hike!

4 May 2011 Wednesday (Juneau Alaska)
Hike today is Salmon Creek dam....in the rain! It was great to meet up with my hiking buddies for our four hour hike in the rain. Some of us went to visit a former hiker who is in the hospital recuperating from surgery (she no longer hikes with us at the age of 86).

3 May 2011 Tuesday (Juneau Alaska)
Another rainy day....reading my stack of mail for the past several months.....then afternoon dental appointment!

2 May 2011 Monday (Juneau Alaska)
Ferry pulled into Juneau at 545 this morning...overcast with light rain...and then sun for the afternoon! A wonderful journey meeting heaps of new friends onboard (plus many folks that I already knew) of which many were returning local Alaskans. Met friends for lunch then evening training session for my volunteer work with the city when the tourist cruise ships arrive later this week.

1 May 2011 Sunday (Washington to Alaska)
Arrived Ketchikan Alaska this morning on the Malaspina ferry at 7am...walked to town before reboarding at 11 and continued our journey to Wrangell (5-6pm) and Petersburg (9-10pm) before arrival in Juneau on Monday morning.