Mendenhall Glacier is a favorite place for tourists and locals to enjoy the beauty of nature and to search for bears. The glacier is located about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska, and easily accessible by bus or car. Mendenhall is located in the Tongass National Forest, and fed by the Juneau icefield. Like many glaciers around the world, it is currently receding.
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| Mendenhall Glacier |
This time of year bears feast on spawning salmon in the rivers and creeks, in preparation for winter hibernation. The
Mendenhall Glacier area is crisscrossed with streams, so is a favorite feeding ground when the salmon are spawning. During our visit to Juneau, we made several trips out to Mendenhall Glacier to hike around and search for bears.
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| View from Nugget Falls Trail includes the glacier and the falls |
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| Hike to Nugget Falls |
We hiked out to
Nugget Falls to get better views of the glacier, and enjoy the gush of water that pours off the mountain. It has been interesting for our family to watch this area change over the last 60 years, with the glacier receding, the land pushing up, and the succession of plants and trees that have taken the area from bare gravel to dense vegetation. Ironically we hikers didn't see any bears, but my husband, who stayed near the Visitor Center, saw a sow and three cubs.
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| Happy grandpa |
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| Family portrait |
We celebrated the unbirthday at
Canton Asian Bistro, a family favorite that serves delicious food in a lovely ambience. We got a chance to catch up on each other's lives, while subversively honoring our nonagenarian!
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| Unbirthday dinner |
My Example
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| Catching up on the news |
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| Sisters |
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Afterward we headed out to the glacier to search for bears. They often congregate along the creeks at dusk, typically after 8:00 PM this time of year. A series of protected, elevated walkways and observation decks in the
Steep Creek area make it possible for people to observe bears, and bears to eat undisturbed.
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| Searching for bears at Steep Creek |
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| Motley crew at Steep Creek |
With few fish in the streams yet, we didn't see any bears, but we did find a beaver dam and spent some time observing a pair of beavers on their pond. One was transporting a small branch with leaves, another slapped the pond with its tail (possibly signalling the potential danger of our presence).
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| Alaskan women can enjoy a fine meal and then take a hike! |
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| Beaver dam and small pond |
Later, we convened at my folk's house for delicious cake and ice cream, gifts and cards, and conversation. It was the perfect end to a great uncelebration (even without bears)!
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| Ready for cake and ice cream |
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