Fall in Juneau

I had a day today that was both positive and negative. 

There are good people in Juneau and there are not good people in Juneau.

Just like everywhere I suppose.

After work I met my Mountain Boy and my dog at the Skaters Cabin off the Back Loop Rd area in the Valley.

When I pulled into the parking lot a few vehicles down from his truck, my Mountain Boy smiled at me and waved me over.

When I climbed into the front seat LC dug out Cokes and fried chicken and potato wedges, and we ate a quick and unexpected snack before heading to the cabin and then for a walk.

LC has become an island for me these past few months.

A quiet, loud, crazy, angry, loving, sweet, chaotic, wonderful island.

And it is always very very good to see his wonderful and unconditionally loving face.

We stood in front of the cabin for a few minutes and I literally pointed my camera, snapped a picture, moved the camera a foot to the right, snapped another picture, moved the camera another foot to the right and did it all over again.

Wash rinse repeat.

How can so many beautiful scenes be packed into one small area?

I did the same thing yesterday out at Eagle Beach. 

Scene after scene after scene of nothing but wonder and beauty............

After writing that I realize that the walk I took on the Perserverance Trail over the weekend finally broke through the quiet of being detached, and I can see and feel it all again.

Which is a good thing.

Juneau is not for everyone.

But it is incredibly beautiful.

Mendenhall Glacier across the lake from Skaters Cabin........

The last time we were at the glacier there were huge pieces of glacier floating in the lake.

Today the pieces were much smaller.

This piece is still very blue, meaning that it calved from the glacier less than 24 hours ago.........

Instead of walking along the beach towards the main trailhead leading to West Glacier Trail, for the first time we walked the beach in the opposite direction.

When the beach became too muddy we wandered up onto the moss covered ground and were surprised to find small trails that we could follow.........

A very large and surpremely confident raven, staring us down from a rock, and seemingly double-dog-daring us to come a little closer...........

There were lots of surprises during this walk.

We did not know that there were so many narrow and short pine-tree filled and moss covered trails, that wandered towards the campground and then back towards the water again.

We also did not know that there were so many beautiful small ponds in between Mendenhall Glacier and then the Mendenhall River.

There were a few of them, and they were all very quiet and beautiful.

And on this very still day, that was warm and with no wind, these small quiet ponds turned into beautiful reflecting ponds.............

A bear warning sign located on a picnic table in the campground..........

After wandering in and out of small trails, and after fighting to keep Jamie untangled from both us and the pine trees, we finally came across a wide open campground road.

The camp sites, as predicted for a campground that is located adjacent to one of the most famous tourist draws in the city, were beautiful and well maintained.

Fall is in the air.  Fall is in the trees.  Fall is in the sky.

It looks very.........different from what I am used to in Fall.

But if you piece it all together - the mountains and the trees and the water and the sky - it is very lovely in a very different and extraordinary way..........

Another beautiful reflecting pool, and another beautiful lesson in light and shadow..........

A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air.........Eric Sloane

The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.......

John Muir