People In My Travels

It is drizzly and cold Sunday during Labor Day weekend today.

Given that I am recovering from a "head thing" and "bladder thing" and that LC has been sick for the past couple of days as well and we're pretty house-bound, here are pictures of some of the people I have come across in my travels over the past now-almost-nine-months here in Juneau Alaska.

The picture of the man above was taken out at Echo Cove - a beautiful fishing and boating cove at the End of the Road......

An outfitter at the Skaters Cabin unloading pfd's in preparation to take tourists on a rafting trip on the Mendenhall Lake and then further out onto the fast moving Mendenhall River.

During the summer in Juneau you constantly see bicycle and rafting outfitters travelling back and forth on the highway, rushing to meet up with their out-of-town visitors........ 

Two of many folks out at Amalga Harbor a few months ago.

We all spent a very long time enjoying the warmth and the sunshine, watching commercial fishing boats pulling up their nets and unloading their catch onto larger commercial boats.......

A fly fisherman a few weeks later, also at Amalga Harbor.......

I took this picture on yet one more sunny day at the Harbor, but Juneauites do not let the weather interfere with whatever plans they have. 

Fishermen and boating adventurers can be seen in coves and out in the channel no matter how beautiful (or how lousy) the weather is.

Because it rains too often to stop people.  And because Juneau is beautiful regardless of what is happening in the sky...........

My Mountain Boy after work, walking with me and Jamie on the Dike Trail close to the airport.........

A fishermen in a beautiful wonderfully carved rowboat at Echo Cove.........

Many many Juneauites own boats.  But there are also many people who do not, and if that is the case fishing by the shore is the other option.

This fisherman was photographed on a rocky point out past the N Douglas Boat Ramp...........

One more taken out at Echo Cove.

This man and woman caught all kinds of fish while LC had only limited success closer to shore.

While we were there that evening the man moved the boat frequently, just travelling 30 feet or so in one direction, and then doing the same thing over and over.

I kept watching them because the woman in front never moved from her prized fishing position.

Even though her position looked precarious to me while the boat was moving, she stayed balanced and in place the whole time.........

Taken on the same evening as the picture above, this shore-bound fisherman proudly showed off his catch........

Fishing close to sunset.......

Two boys over on Douglas Island.

School was still out for the summer, and while I was heading back to Juneau after a meeting I saw these two boys pedaling down the sidewalk.

I was amazed at their prowess, pulled the car over and asked if they would mind me taking their picture.

They were pleased to show off their skills and happily obliged my request........

In downtown Juneau - one of many very very large dogs you can find throughout this place, and that I have come across in my travels.

I long ago dubbed them "big happy Alaskan dogs".........

One day I went kayaking while LC fished from the shore.

By the time I got back from my padddling I saw him helping this man push his boat up onto a trailer.........

A skill he honed as a boy in Tennessee.

Rock skipping at Lena Beach.

He's pretty good........

Me after taking pictures in both directions of Gastineau Channel, on a very lovely warm day on Mt Roberts.....

And one of three paragliders I have seen on my two trips this past summer up to Mt Roberts.

The first time I went up there was in the winter when I climbed through mud and ice and then post-holed through deep snow close to the top, determined to see what was up there.

It was worth the effort...........

My Mountain Boy in the mountains...........

One of my favorite pictures of people.

The weather was sunny and very warm, people were sitting and standing and sleeping and talking and enjoying each other, all over town.

This lovely picture, of this lovely young couple, was taken at Marine Park.........

Me returning, after veering off Cowee Trail to take a few pictures before moving on to the cabin........

Chris' marine biologists at Amalga Harbor........

Chris fishing at the ferry terminal in Auke Bay while waiting for the ferry to Haines..........

A happy and happy-go-lucky couple dancing in the street during a festival in Haines.........

LC, my son, a young woman and her teenage son talking at an overlook half way between Haines and the Canadian border.

Strange people - their stories about what they were doing in the middle of nowhere did not make sense, and neither did some of the things this friendly enough but strange woman told us.

Regardless, we sat and talked together for a short time, while we all shared a meal.......

A fly fisherman on a cold and wet day, standing in a beautiful and large pond that feeds directly into the cove and then the channel close to Amalga Harbor..........

A young girl at Lena Beach quietly enjoying her remote control boat, while both of her parents and her teenage sister noisily fished............

A young family fishing in the river in Haines.........

LC and my son getting ready to fish in the river at the back end of Eagle Beach.........

After spending 10 minutes building tall rock towers with his friends at the waterfall across from Mendenhall Glacier, this young man spent another five minutes successfully topping off his tower with our rubber duck......

I came across this man sometime in February along the beaches heading towards Thane.

It was a very cold day, but one of the first completely sunny days I had experienced since my arrival in Juneau.

I spent many hours that day, riding my bike, walking on a trail at the End of the Road, and then walking on the beach multiple times on the way back to town.

After wondering what this man was doing I finally decided to approach him and ask him.

He was panning for gold and we had a very nice and easy conversation with each other.........

Taken downtown at one of the two Heritage Coffee shops.

A wonderfully talented folk singer, and I enjoyed listening to him while sitting drinking my coffee and eating my muffin......

Kids playing at one of the wonderfully creative playgrounds that dot the city........

With colleagues at Eaglecrest Ski Resort.  We went up there on a Saturday to check it out and to enjoy the fireworks and bonfire that were scheduled for that night..........

And me at Eaglecrest the next day.

I had a two hour downhill ski lesson, and then successfully made my way down the little-kids hill without messing up my then-recovering knee......

There is a hiking group in Juneau, that hikes together on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

This was the first hike I went on with them - the Spaulding Meadows Trail and then eventually making our way up to the John Muir Cabin.

By the time we had climbed steadily for a couple of hours the snow was heavy on the ground, and this trip was the first time I had a chance to try out my borrowed snow shoes.

Thankfully I found out that snow shoeing has a very short learning curve, and I learned that I enjoy it (although it is a lot of work).

I bought cross country skis and boots just recently at a yard sale, and I hope that this coming winter I will learn how to use them..........

This same hiking group.

This time we were walking up at Eaglecrest.  It was sometime in April, and even though the ski resort had closed for the season there was still a lot of snow on the ground up in the mountains.

And even though it was pouring with rain when we first started out, this hardy group of hikers happily looked forward to a quiet adventure.

Within 15 minutes of us leaving the parking lot we were travelling up up up.  We did not travel very far before donning either cross country skis or snowshoes.

As we continued to climb the rain turned to freezing rain.

Eventually it stopped, and the sun did come out for a while.

I loved - absolutely loved - this hike.....

 

A Coast Guard water rescue demonstration at the Juneau Maritime Festival in May.....

On summery days downtown, the waterfront is the place to be.

There are grassy areas, benches, picnic tables, retaining walls, and piers.

All are designed for, and encourage people to sit, visit, relax and enjoy the beautiful beautiful views......

At Marine Park this young man slept soundly in the grass while using a teddy bear for a pillow.........

Two NOAA guys playing hookey from work on a weekend day too beautiful to be at work, took this picture of me on Mt Roberts............

Also taken on Mt Roberts.

These fun-loving tourists figured out the best way to make their way back down the hill they had just climbed......

A very warm day out at Mendenhall Glacier.

I watched this young boy for a while, as he happily played with the melting piece of glacier - slowly and methodically rolling it towards to shore......

Taken on my ferry ride to Ketchikan.

Although the weather was very sunny and warm for the first part of my trip to K-town, by the time we arrived in Wrangell the sky was ugly and grey, the winds were very strong, and the water was rolling.

These boys had great fun for a while, walking time and time again around the deck of the ferry in the rain and strong winds.

After 10 minutes of this they would fight to get the door open and then closed again so they could come inside to warm up.

Then they would head outside and do it all over again.

After some sign language through the window, and then a thumbs up thank you afterwards, they happily obliged my request for a picture.......... 

Taken in March not long after I had moved into the Unabomber Cabin.

This is the road I live on, and it took me hours to get out of my driveway, onto this road, onto another road, and up three hills before making it to Glacier Highway and then to work.

By the time I arrived in downtown Juneau it was raining, and the city had received no snow at all.

While shovelling, and watching a neighbor on a 4-wheeler plough our side road, I took this picture of these three kids.

I really like this picture.....