My Spring Saturday - Part 2

What a difference a week makes!  Last Saturday I was walking deep in the snow and pine trees of the Eaglecrest Ski Resort mountains. 

Today I was walking in the warmth and sunshine, and enjoying the sandy beach and freedom of being outdoors over on Douglas Island South.  Enjoying the sight of small boats and personal aircraft, and the sound of the large dogs and the laughing children that belonged to the residents of Juneau Alaska on a beautiful spring weekend day.  

After bailing out of the afternoon training sessions that were still taking place at the yacht club, I drove to the beach to walk and wind down. 

Today I watched Juneauites at their most layed back and relaxed.  They love the outdoors.  They relish the sun.  Today they loved to laugh and be with their friends and their families. 

And I really enjoyed watching these friendly people embracing the new season. 

I saw children playing in the sand and swinging on the playground equipment.  I watched dogs running on the beach and having great fun running into the water to scare the seagulls.  I watched people walking and holding hands, and people sitting close and talking with each other on logs by the water.  I watched kite flying, boating, aircraft flying, picnicing, people playing beach volleyball and baseball and soccer.  There were countless joggers. 

When I left Douglas and unexpectedly found the Skaters Cabin later in the day, I saw people walking their dogs, kayaking on the lake, and someone even playing the flute on the beach.

So many ways to get in touch with their enjoyment of each other,  and so many different ways to commune with their obvious love of both nature and the warm spring season.  It was a very good day............

I walked the Treadwell Historic Mine Trail earlier in the year and took many pictures of relics - including many old and still-standing buildings and large pieces of rusted equipment - all of which made for an extremely interesting trail hike on an icy Saturday afternoon in January.  

A large piece of mining equipment stands almost as a piece of art, near the entrance to the trail. 

Even though it was a wonderfully sunny day, it was very windy and cool by the water.  Which made for great kite flying weather.  I watched this guy battling the winds, struggling to hang onto his kite, but having a great time the whole while......

A brief article in the Juneau Empire about the history of the Treadwell Mine:  http://www.juneauempire.com/visit/hiking/treadwell.shtml

And here is a Youtube video showing some of the historic trail, and much of the old buildings and mining relics:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMh5S9j8gp8

I did walk briefly on the trail today, but my head was much more focused on walking aimlessly in the sand.....

There are many rusted old pieces of mining equipment on both the trails and on the beach.

I like my car well enough, but I really miss my truck.  I miss being able to just throw my bike or my kayak into the back of it and just go......wherever I want to go........a trail........the lake......

I miss my truck.  I miss my mountain bike (that is a women's specific bike, a little smaller than the one I have been using since I arrived in Juneau, has spd pedals for greater pedaling efficiency, a women's specific seat, a bike computer, and which is just "mine" and not "borrowed"). 

And I miss my kayak - not the ocean-going kayaks that you see so often in Juneau.  Mine is shorter, wider, more stable but very likely slower than the typical boats you see up here.  And mine has a sticker of the little boy Calvin and Hobbs character on the front of it.  Life is short....kayak naked.

After leaving Douglas Island I fully intended to just head home.  Instead, when I arrived in Auke Bay I took a right onto the Back Loop Road.  I didn't have any particular plan or destination in mind.  But it was still very sunny, very warm, and although I was heading towards home I was not quite ready to go there just yet.

On a whim I took a road to the left (I don't actually even remember which one off-hand right now) and surprisingly found this wonderful place.........Skaters Cabin.  I had heard of it, but new nothing about it.

Regardless, it was gorgeous.  WOW - the other side of the glacier!!!  The lake.  Small icebergs that had calved from the glacier.  More sandy beach and pine trees and sunshine and folks just doing the outdoor-thing.

I called my Mountain Boy, and as with many other conversations I have had with him over these past months, this one began with "you're not gonna believe what I've just found!............"

When I was done taking pictures of this area, I started to walk back to the car.  And all of a sudden I heard music coming from the far end of the beach.  I looked for the source of the music, and realized that there was one man standing alone on the beach playing a flute.  It was all very quiet and very soothing and very nice....

I watched two kayakers for quite a while.  The owner of a red kayak got into his boat by the shore, and competently and unwaveringly set out onto the lake.  It was windy, the water was choppy, and eyeing the lake it was obvious that the water was very cold.

The owner of the yellow kayak in contrast, stayed close to the shoreline for a long time - and then after a while he actually paddled backwards even closer to the shore and climbed out of his boat.  Did he have second thoughts?  From a distance, and having watched many paddlers over the years, it was obvious that this person was new to this.....

But eventually he did indeed head out onto the water, and I watched him for a long time.  Willing him to stay upright, hoping his confidence increased out there, wishing that I had my boat and that I was out there with him.

Soon enough..........