June 2014 - Juneau Alaska

photo is view from my campsite......the Mendenhall Glacier/lake/river   and the hiking group (me in green on left)

26 June 2014 Thursday - Juneau Alaska
A very sunny day today.....we needed this yesterday!

25 June 2014 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
A very very wet hike today in the rain on East Mendenhall Glacier Trail with additional walk to view Nugget Falls (and fourteen of us showed up). The rivers and streams had heaps of water due to the impending jokulhlaup per our newspaper:

A team including the U.S. Forest Service, the University of Alaska Southeast, the National Weather Service and the City and Borough of Juneau have been monitoring water levels at Suicide Basin, above Mendenhall Lake, for the last few years. They’ve been keeping an eye out for a jökulhlaup, the Icelandic term for a flood of glacial water caused by the bursting of a dam, since billions of gallons of water surprised Mendenhall Valley residents in 2011, flooding many Mendenhall River homes.

22 June 2014 Sunday - Juneau Alaska
Working at the kiosk greeting visitors......a couple from Alberta Canada (and not off a cruise ship) asked about outdoor equipment stores....appears that they were camped at the Mendenhall Glacier campground (where I had been ten days ago) and their tent was destroyed by a bear while they were gone to town!

21 June 2014 Saturday - Juneau Alaska
Happy Solstice! A great hike along the Treadwell Ditch trail with lunch in Douglas and a visit to the annual Gold Rush days event at Sandy Beach.

20 June 2014 Friday - Juneau Alaska
Regarding the guy that hit my van, the police did identify him and told me that he had an outdated insurance card.....which I found from State Farm was not even valid....so now dealing with an uninsured motorist! I did get estimates today on my van repair and awaiting the results.
It is very difficult to find parking downtown so I have not been driving anywhere (and saving money on petrol) and doing heaps of walking or taking the bus (which will be free when I turn 65 in October).

19 June 2014 Thursday - Juneau Alaska
While walking back from the gym at 5am, I was surprised by a bear that had climbed a tree right next to me from the woods below the sidewalk....I think that we both froze.....and I could smell his breath and hear his breathing.....so I crossed to the other side of the street and he continued to enjoy the woods!

18 June 2014 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
I am hike leader today so our hike was to Sheep Creek....six miles along the creek through a beautiful valley! There was a threat of rain but it stayed dry for our hike (with even a bit of sun) and then the rain started as we headed back to town in our cars.

13 June 2014 Friday - Juneau Alaska
Early morning walk to the gym and when I opened the door to leave, there was the full moon setting over the island of Douglas at 3am.....just gorgeous!
And on my return from the gym I walked further up the hill from my house and found the damaged Mercury Sable so took heaps of photos for the police.

12 June 2014 Thursday - Juneau Alaska
I had heard a noise on the street last evening that sounded like a car hitting another car but when I looked out the window last eve, I did not see anything....and then this morning on my way to the gym at 3am, I thought I would check my van.....and yes, someone had hit the left rear of my car/bumper and broken off a big piece of the fiberglass bumper.....bummer! They left many pieces of their light fixture behind with part numbers so determined that it was a Mercury Sable (1992-95). I also reported it to the police.

11 June 2014 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
I am now back in a house downtown but unfortunately the parking is a real challenge so left the campground early this morning to get a parking place in front of Kay and Paul's house since they had vacated a space for their 6am flight.

9 June 2014 Monday - Juneau Alaska
So now that I am camping, the sunny weather has disappeared and it continues to rain very heavily for the past three days...I start housesitting again on Wednesday.....maybe the sun will return?

6 June 2014 Friday - Juneau Alaska
Just as I arrived in Prince Rupert Canada three weeks ago, my driver side window stopped working so have kept it closed and when I arrived in Juneau, the Dodge dealer ordered a new regulator.....and now having it installed this morning. A gorgeous day here!

5 June 2014 Thursday - Juneau Alaska
I spent the morning cleaning then departed this housesit and will camp for a week before my next housesit downtown for one month. I was able to camp at my favorite site at the Mendenhall Glacier campground for only five dollars per night!

4 June 2014 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
5.7 Earthquake at 4am......what a surprise! I thought that it was a big bear on the deck because this house is on stilts and shakes when the washer is on spin!
And a beautiful day for a beautiful hike at Point Bridget at end of the road for heaps of wildflowers!

1 June 2014 Sunday - Juneau Alaska
Happy first of June! Working at the visitor center kiosk today greeting our tourists off the cruise ships!