Savor Belonging To Yourself

This afternoon I retreated from one meeting in the Valley and had exactly 50 minutes until my second meeting, still in the Valley.

50 minutes.

Yes, I could make it.

I had not visited Mendenhall Glacier since the summer. 

The tourists were gone, the day was overcast and very cold, and with less than an hour to spare I felt compelled to make a quick trip to Juneau's most famous glacier. 

When I arrived the cold day felt even colder, and there were a couple of teenagers who had obviously decided to hide-away at a glacier while playing hookey from school.

I stood at the front of the shelter closest to the parking lot, looked out over the glacier that I had not seen up close and personal for a couple of months, and was instantly reminded of the warmth that I feel when I see this place.

Cold glacier warm heart........

The first time I came to Mendenhall Glacier was early last November when I visited Juneau Alaska for the first time, and was interviewed for my job. 

I called a real estate agent from the hotel in between interview sessions, asking to see a couple of homes in the Valley.  Even though I had not been offered the job yet, I had done some preliminary research online and was eager to see houses in person that I had seen online while down in Tennessee.

After seeing the houses the real estate agent asked me if I had seen Mendenhall Glacier yet. 

When I responded that I had not, she turned the car around and drove straight to the glacier, saying that I could not leave Juneau without seeing it.

It was November 5, cold, grey, and the parking lot was completely empty. 

I had never seen such a place before.  Never seen a glacier.  Never seen or heard eagles before (I was told "look for the cotton balls" - the white heads).  Was still getting used to being surrounded by mountains.  Was still getting used to be surrounded by pine trees instead of oak and elm and walnut and maple trees.

The second time I made it to the glacier was January 9, about an hour after my plane landed in Juneau and two days before I began my new job.

By that time the parking lot was filled with ice, and I precariously made my way to the same overlook adjacent to the parking lot, and looked out over the same glacier.

And I have visited this place many times since that day, in every season of the year.

I love it more now than I did the first time I saw it.

And I enjoy it more now than I did over the summer, because it has again moved away from being a tourist place (complete with smiling Park Rangers, multiple buses, lines of tourists, filled parking lots and overflowing toilets) and now again belongs to its local citizens.

It is again the quiet, isolated, cold, rugged, inviting and uninviting place that I fell in love with for the first time last November...........

After leaving the overlook I walked down these steps, heading for the water and clock watching at the same time.....

These pictures were taken while walking down the steps - looking to my left in the opposite direction from the glacier.

Mendenhall Glacier area is much more than the glacier.  It contains a Visitors Center - complete with "glacier stuff" (written boards, videos, demonstrations, photographs), telescopes for visitors to look out over the lake and glacier and mountains, and many other hands-on stations.

There are dirt trails and gravel walkways and paved trails, bear viewing and salmon viewing areas, waterfalls and icebergs, mountain views and informational boards, sandy beaches and glacier-scarred rocks, and so much more.

It is a large and beautiful and exciting place.........

And beaver dams........

As I continued my short adventure I came to a shallow water crossing.

Someone had placed large rocks across the width of the water, and I precariously crossed, happily managing to successfully keep my feet dry.

It wouldn't do to go to a meeting and have to explain how I got soaking wet feet.

That wouldn't do at all.

But as I crossed I also had the fleeting thought that I was very lucky to be living in a place where I could quickly drive up to a glacier, explore some close trails, maneuver a river crossing and take pictures of mountains and icebergs, before heading back to work for one more meeting........

The view from the other side of the narrow river.........

A closer view of the lower portion of the glacier.

The darker blue shows where a piece of the glacier has calved within the past 24 hours.

Mendenhall Lake is now completely filled with large and small icebergs, and much of the lake closest to the glacier is covered by a very thin layer of ice.........

I did indeed make it back in time for my second meeting, and had made arrangements with my Mountain Boy to meet him for Chinese food after my meeting.

When LC suggested that we go for a walk after teriyaki beef and teriyaki chicken, I suggested that we head back to the glacier again.

It was a cold day but was not windy, and we were both dressed for cold weather.  Happily he agreed on my plan.

These pictures were taken after 5pm with very little daylight remaining.

My small digital camera (that my oldest son bought me for Christmas before I moved up here to Juneau, and which I have used to take many thousands of pictures since arriving) turns pictures blue in this kind of light.

Even though the color is not truly indicative of what I see in front of me in that kind of light, I still love them.

I love this picture.......

As we were driving into the parking lot I noticed this young girl skillfully riding a unicycle.

When we ran into her riding along the walkway I asked if I could take her picture.

She was happy to show off her riding skills, and smiled broadly when I told her that I would put her picture on my blog.........

The entire area is covered with rocks that are severely scarred by hundreds, if not thousands of years of glacier movement.

The entire Mendenhall Valley was carved out by eons of glacier slide............

Point Dog making her way to yet one more overlook closer to the glacier.........

By the time we got back to the walkway entrance close to the parking lot it was almost dark and both LC and I were very cold.

A good walk.

No - two good walks at the glacier today.

This picture, because of the darkness is blurry, but none-the-less contains all the elements that make it a good picture for me (the glacier, the lights and my dog Jamie).........

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself ~ Ruth Stout