Cross Country Trip Day 1 - Juneau to Whitehorse

Day 1 (June 24): Juneau, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon

We got off to an early start this morning, waking up at 3:30 to get the kids ready and last minute cramming of everything into the car.  After picking up Daisy from the Dwyer’s, we set off for the first and probably easiest leg of the journey, a 15 mile trip to the AMHS (Alaska Marine Highway System) Auke Bay Ferry Terminal.  The adventure started a little earlier than we expected, though, while Greg was walking Daisy near the road, he witnessed a hit & run car accident right in front of him at the ferry entrance.

Last Picture of the Mendenhall Glacier from the Brotherhood Bridge Trail (Juneau).

The ferry “Malaspina” was an easy 4-plus hour trip where we arrived in Haines ready to check a few landmarks off the summer to-do list: the Fireweed Restaurant for lunch, the Haines Brewery to pick up a few growlers of beer, and a stop at the Hammer Museum just because.  Unfortunately, lunch at the Fireweed didn’t happen as it was closed on Sundays.  The trip to the Haines Brewery was just as disappointing, as it too was closed.  The hammer museum, like the rest of Haines it seemed, was closed.  (Mental note: next time we plan our Alaska to Virginia summer trip, we’ll visit Haines on a weekday!)

After regrouping with an impromptu trip to the local playground, we reshuffled our plans and set out on the Haines Highway.  After a brief stop at the 33-Mile Roadhouse, (best burgers in SE Alaska they claim, I must say they backed it up!), we meandered through the Chilkat Mountains en route Haines Junction, where we stopped for a quick ice cream snack and a chance for D-Dog to walk around a little, and then back on the road for the final stretch.  We did get the first glimpse of wildlife on the way, 3 black bears and a duck leading her ducklings across the highway.  Hopefully, the first of many to come.

Black bear munching on a dandelion off the Haines Highway

After 240 or so miles on the road, we stopped at Muktuk Adventures, a ranch for training sled dogs with a few cabins scattered around the property.  Muktuk was a late addition to our travel plans after hearing the feedback from the Clarke’s who had passed through Whitehorse just three weeks ago.  Daisy was a bit out of her comfort zone when we arrived, as she was greeted by dozens of VERY excited dogs very anxious to get to meet the outsider, but she handled it very well even considering all the excitement.  We get settled in a small cabin with no plumbing or electricity (reminding us of our camping times back in Juneau), and a healthy supply of hungry mosquitoes.  (An extra bonus, an outhouse without the novelty of a front door.)

“Riley Roost” Cabin at the Muktuk Adventure Lodge, Whitehorse, Yukon.

Ash & Alex went around the various “stables” (100+ dogs) to say hi and meet all the dogs who were all VERY excited to get some attention.  After about an hour spent wandering around the kennels, we decided it was time to call it a day.  After such an early start, we were all exhausted.  However, even though it was approaching 10pm, it was still pretty bright outside.

All things considered, we were very happy we changed our reservations and added Muktuk to our trip.  The dogs were a huge hit, and we didn’t even notice the lack of electricity, as the sun was still shining when we went to sleep and there to greet us early in the morning when we woke up.

Ashleigh making one of dozens of new friends at the Muktuk kennels.

Alex hanging out with one of the other Muktuk sled dogs.

We celebrated the successful first day with a bottle of room temperature champagne, not the ideal serving conditions, but appropriate considering our accommodations…champagne served in pint glasses was also a first for both of us.

Day 1 complete: time to celebrate!!!

Next stop: Watson Lake, Yukon

Wildlife seen today:
3 black bears (incl. 1 cinnamon bear w/ her cub),
1 duck & 6-8 ducklings crossing the road.
7 swans
Countless sea lions on the ferry.
5-6 whales (too far to identify type)

Little A favorite part of the day: "having M&M over for dinner"
Little A saddest part of the day "that M&M have to move to Germany"

Big A favorite part of the day: "Playing softball"
Big A saddest part of the day, "its the day before the last day we will see M&M"

mommy and Daddy agree with little A!

2 mountains in 2 days

Yesterday my buddy and I climbed Mt Juneau! What an amazing climb. It was by far the most difficult hike I have ever done. At times we were traversing snow covered waterfalls or on all 4's navigating the steep mountainside. The 3 mile hike up the mountain reaches an elevation of 3500 ft and although we didn't quite make the summit we came pretty close. Truly an amazing experience and one I hope to repeat, next time after all the snow has melted.
Still on the mountain climbing kick today, the fam and I decided to climb Mt Roberts up to the Tram. We took lots of water and snacks for the kids and just hoped for the best. They were amazing, practically sprinting up the first 15 min. Big A never seemed to tire although little A needed encouragement for the last 20 min. We made the 2 mile hike in 1.5 hrs, pretty good I think for the kids. We then took the tram down and walked over to our favorite restaurant for dinner and ice cream cones. The pic is from the 1st lookout point on the trail.
Juneau has so many great trails and I feel very fortunate to be able to do them on a regular basis and am excited that the kids seem to share my enthusiasm for exploring them!

Lost in the woods

This morning my buddy and I started out on one of our morning walks with the dogs. We decided on an group of trails that intertwine and allow some beautiful views of the glacier and some glacier made lakes/ponds. The trails here are very well marked with maps at almost every intersection. What we didn't know was that the maps had not been updated recently and several trails had been flooded by multiple beaver dams. Unfortunately we encountered one of these floods and decided to push through to the other side instead of turning back. We were certain we wouldn't make it back in time for preschool pick up if we turned around... little did we know what was in store. After crossing a beaver dam to dry woods and bush whacking our way for about 15 min we found the trail. Elated we continued through only to find it flooded. Once again we pushed through convinced we could find our way... Well time was not on our side and we had to call in for back up to pick up the kids. We decided at this point to throw in the towel and try to find our way back. Certainly not an easy feat but with the glacier in plain view we headed that way. D dog lead us to the right trail not once but 2x! We eventually made it back and met G who drove us and the kids back to the car. So our 1 hour hiked turned into a 3.5 trek through the woods. I think we both enjoyed it and although we were "lost" we always sort of knew where we were. We just thought we might have to tredge through 2+ ft of water to get there. The picture is of the flooded trail and the beaver dam that saved us.

Spring fun

What an amazing day in Juneau!! When the sun shines this is one of the most beautiful places on earth! I had the luxury of waking up at a cabin at the Shrine of St. Teresa. The views were amazing
After a tball game and softball game we took big A and our neighbor on a sailing trip with their teacher. It was a blast.

icebergs and adventures

My buddy and I took the dogs for a hike on West Glacier trail this morning. We strayed off the main trial and managed to get down to the lake in a cove filled with icebergs. It was very cool. We even saw several Dahl sheep (or mountain goats) up on the mountain side. We decided to take the beach back to our starting point but ran into a bit of a obstacle when the beach ended at a small cliff. So off and up into the woods we went looking for a way around. We finally did find one but only after we slid down some rock faces holding on to a tree branch (it sounds way more dangerous than it actually was but definitely on the challenging side). It was a very fun hike and the dogs had a blast. The first picture is of the icebergs and the second the hillside/rockside we came down.

It may not be warm but it is sunny!

I am learning that spring in Southeast Alaska is not defined by new leaves and flowers but simply sunshine. We have seen more sun in the past week than we have in a while, even though it has snowed almost every night. Today was a beautiful clear sky day and I think the temps may have come near 50. It's funny to watch the people here in Juneau on days like today. Everyone pretty much gets outside in the sun in some way. I saw a lot of people prepping their boats for the waters, another sign of spring here in SE. We managed to get ourselves to one of the trails and took a leisurely walk around, mostly just throwing rocks in water and watching D dog run around and play in the water. Then after running some errands the kids were able to get out and ride bikes, throw frisbees, and jump rope. Mom and Dad even pulled the grill out for some yummy steaks and halibut. We are so hoping for a continuation of this weather but you never know here. The pics attached are from our walk, enjoy.