Today, Juneau. The capitol of Alaska (I think? Or maybe Fairbanks?) Anyway, another really cool day in a really cool city. We took a whale watching tour, which was great, and where I took over one hundred pictures that all look exactly alike .... the back of a whale, as it dove and came up again while feeding. We actually saw several different whales, but unless you can tell a difference by looking at their backs, you'll just assume it's all the same animal from my pictures. Probably not one of my lifetime photography highlights, but neat, nonetheless.
Then, we went to Mendenhall Glacier and decided to take an "unsanctioned" trail to reach the waterfall next to the glacier. I had on hiking boots, so didn't mind crossing a few small waterways and getting my boots wet ... in fact, it felt decidedly athletic of me. We walked paths that were slightly overgrown and hiked along a beach, and could hear the roar and see the spray of the waterfall. I had worked up a slight sweat and was quite proud of myself. Then, we reached an area of granite rocks that we had to climb over and around to reach the fall ..... and I was stretching, and climbing, and jumping from rock to rock (I have photos later I can show to prove I actually did it) and in fact, I was feeling downright proud of myself and my hiking accomplishment. I am woman; woman with good boots, hear me roar. At least, until I looked over, and I swear, an old man with a cane was making better progress over the rocks than I was.
At first Blaine pretended not to notice, then he said, in an attempt to make me feel better .... "Well, he only has a cane to hold onto. You're trying not to drop your camera in the water, right?"
Um, yeah honey, thanks. I think it's time for me to hit the sundae buffet again.
PS. Jeanette, nope, Keith wouldn't hike to the falls because the trail was unsanctioned and they had seen bears already this week. How funny is that? (Although, it goes without saying, if I had been eaten by a bear today, that would not have been very funny.)
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5 comments:
I'm living vicariously through you Kristie! I used to live in Alaska and you make me actually want to visit there again someday! Although, I have seen an Alaskan grizzly close up and it IS NOT PRETTY sister! Okay, well they ARE sorta pretty in a "wow what incredibly large claws you have Mr. Grizzly Bear, and WOW what incredibly large TEETH you have Mr. Grizzly Bear" way, but I have a huge healthy respect and FEAR of Alaskan grizzlies.
I'm glad you are having fun and don't worry about the guy with the cane....he was just TRYING to make you look bad! LOL!
Amy
www.caringbridge.org/visit/gerryheidt
Whatever bear eats you will be lucky-you might taste like an ice cream sundae.
Thanks for checking in, now I can stop worrying about the two of you for another couple of days...(noroviruses, guys jumping off of cruise ships, not to mention the perils of Alaska...sheesh!!)! Glad to hear you're having fun. LOL at the whale pictures - I work with (one of many) engineers at Boeing, who is from Michigan, and every time his mother visits here, she wants him to take her out "whale watching", which he dutifully does.....the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma just got a new Beluga, so I think I'll go see it - and that's the extent to which I will go to "whale watch", as they all look the same to me when they're in the ocean!!! Happy 4th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kristie,
Yes, Jueanu is the capital of AK....otherwise the joke wouldn't make sense you know the one that goes like this:
Me: Do you know what the capital of AK is?
You: Jueanu
Me: Yes, I know, but do you know?
And like any classic annoying joke told by children everywhere, it could go on for days!!!! hmmm...maybe I should call you kids and tell them the joke???
As for the guy with the cane could it be that he was hiking with a trekking pole, not a cane? Nowadays many hard core hikers use professionally made "Trekking Poles", they look like ski poles, but have steel tips that help secure the stick on rough terrian. So, I'm going to bet that the man you encountered was not a feeble old man, but rather a hard core hiker guy.
Im quite jealous..Hope you continue to have fun!
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