The Depths of Winter

A beautiful picture taken at an overlook off the highway, just a few miles from my house.

Between my very busy work schedule, my move into my cabin in the woods, and the very bad weather recently, I have not been out on my borrowed mountain bike for two weeks.  So I went to bed last night bound and determined to ride today regardless of the weather.

When I woke up this morning there was snow covering the ground, grey skies, wind and falling snow.  So for the next couple of hours I drank coffee, ate breakfast, caught up on emails, and talked to my Mountain Boy by phone - all the while watching the skies and hoping for some improvement in the weather. 

By 9:30am I was wearing three layers of tech clothing on top and bottom, and had packed my pack with water, food, and emergency gear (including knife and whistle, space blanket, first aid kit and bear spray).  I was good to go.

My road contains some rolling hills, and even though light snow was falling, within the first 5 minutes of being out I was already peeling off one layer of clothing.  A few pictures of my driveway, my road and some lovely water views from the road.

I eventually turned onto Glacier Highway and headed further Out the Road. 

And not very far from my home I arrived at the Shrine of Saint Therese.  I had driven by it a couple of times in the past with colleagues, as we were rushing to one place or another.  But after doing some research on the internet about the shrine, I was really looking forward to slowing down and taking the time to really see and enjoy this place. Here is some information on this wonderful site:

http://www.shrineofsainttherese.org/main_pages/chapel.htm

The pictures I took of the shrine and the area surrounding it do not come close to doing it justice.  Not even remotely.

I took probably 40 pictures of the area - not just the shrine, but also the area surrounding the shrine - a completely quiet and serene place filled with sky, water, tree filled mountains and (in the distance) snow capped mountains.  There were no noises to be heard - no birds or planes, and because it was a Sunday morning and the roads were filled with snow, very little car traffic.  Just the sound of the waves gently crashing along the shore.

I spent almost an hour walking along the shore, exploring the area, taking pictures of the water and mountains, taking pictures of the church and the many other religious items on the island.  I am neither a religious person nor a spiritual person, but this wonderful place is both of those things. 

It is quiet and serene, peaceful and soothing.  At least in the quiet of mid-winter it is.  I wondered briefly if it continued to stay quiet and peaceful during the summer, or if busloads of cruise ship tourists overwhelm this site.  I suppose I will find out in a few months.  But right now - today - it was very quiet, and the place belonged to me alone. 

The Shrine of St Therese is one of my favorite places that I have discovered since arriving in Juneau two months ago, and I am overjoyed that it is only a few miles from my house.

These pictures were taken from an overlook on Glacier Highway close to the shrine.  The first picture better shows exactly where the shrine itself is located (hidden among the clump of trees on the island)

The weather as I continued further Out the Road was very unstable - a combination of snow showers, wind, clouds and sometimes (though just briefly) even some sunshine.  It literally changed every few minutes, making the ride sometimes challenging, sometimes slippery, sometimes too warm or too cold, but never boring............

In addition to my lengthy visit to the Shrine of St Therese, and my frequent stops to snap pictures, I rode about 20 miles this morning.  I saw mountains, snow covered roads and snow covered trees, rivers and creeks, numerous trail heads, lots of dogs and their owners heading out the trails, and a house that I was briefly interesed in buying while doing internet searches of real estate when I was still down in Tennessee.

It was a great outing, and I had a really good time.  By the time I arrived back at the house I was chilly, it was snowing again, and what little sunshine there had been during my ride was now long gone.

In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer......Albert Camus