Thunder Mountain Summit

Crystal Kerber and myself summited Thunder Mountain at sunset...found a short gully that by-passes steep snow to the right.  We were be-knighted after watching the sun drop below distant peaks to the north, but it was totally worth it.  Unfortunately, we didn't make it back home until midnight, and I had to work a shift in the morning...talk about tired!

Mount Juneau

Springtime in Juneau, AK is amazing...clear skies, warm temperatures (relatively speaking), and calm winds...perfect for mountain climbing.  And thus, I felt obliged to take advantage of a glorious Monday afternoon by climbing Mount Juneau.  The route is steep as it departs Perseverance Trail, then levels out about half way up the mountain.  Snow melt is in full force and there were numerous stream crossings.  One in particular was pretty sketchy...a large slab of snow covered a large/steep cascading stream, and it required a bit of faith that the slab wouldn't break loose while crossing it.  After the stream crossings, I then began picking my own route up steep snow slopes.  The snow was wet and isothermal, and avalanche risk appeared minimal.  The summit came into view about an hour later, and soon I was at the top.  The views were glorious, as usual.  The descent back down Juneau was quick...I think I took ~3 hours to get to the top, but only 1.5 hours to get back to my truck.

Thunder Mountain - Juneau, AK

I ascended Thunder Mountain minus the last couple hundred feet.  Starting from the Jennifer Drive trailhead, the route meanders through a marsh, followed by a convoluted trail that branches off into unconnected side-trails.  After searching for 30 minutes, I finally found the trail that leads upwards toward the ridge line of Thunder Mountain.  The trail is very muddy, quite steep, and actually involves some class 3 moves over a few vertical sections of tree roots.  After 2 hours, I reached snowpack, and an hour later, I was above treeline right below the summit ridge.  However, a large cornice covered the narrow ridge...being unropped, I decided to skip the summit.  There was also plenty of evidence of small avalanches below the summit ridge.  The view was spectacular despite coming up short of the summit...all of Mendenhall Valley lay below me, as well as the Juneau Airport, and the inner channels to the west.

Mendenhall Valley.

Inner Channels west of Juneau, AK.

Slope beneath the summit of Thunder Mountain.

Aurora Borealis - Juneau, Alaska

I was lucky enough to observe three separate auroral events during late February in Juneau, Alaska.  All three were viewed above Mendenhall Glacier.  Two of the auroras started off as faint glows on the east-northeastern horizon, and then intensified in a matter of 10-20 minutes as they expanded southwestward over my location.  Green streaks and columns were the most common shapes, with occasional vortices dancing north and south across the sky.

Aurora above Mendenhall Glacier.  Juneau, AK.  February 19th, 2014.

February 19th, 2014.

February 28, 2014.

Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) runs from Bellingham, WA north to Skagway, AK, with stops in between at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Juneau, Alaska.  All of the marine vehicles are named after glaciers in Alaska, including the MV Malaspina, which has been in the ferry system for 50 years.  The AMH is an excellent way to get an intimate up close view of the mountainous inter-coastal waterway of southeast Alaska and the communities scattered across the region.  There are only a few sections of the route between Bellingham and Ketchikan that are exposed to the open sea.  Though rough seas may be experienced when traversing these short sections, most of the water is flat for the most part.

View from the Fairhaven port in Bellingham, WA.

Bellingham, WA.

MV Malaspina.

Entrance to the MV Malaspina.

Lower level of the MV Malaspina where vehicles are transported.

Viewing lounge on the MV Malaspina.

Dining area on the MV Malaspina.

Morning in Ketchikan, AK...the first stop on the way to Skagway.

Creek Street.  Ketchikan, AK.

Scenic Creek Street in Ketchikan, AK.

Mendenhall Glacier and Ice Cave

I hiked across frozen Mendenhall Lake on Sunday February 23rd, and then ascended several hundred feet of Mendenhall Glacier.  Several days of cold clear nights had firmly solidified the lake, so there was no threat of punching through the ice.  While traversing up the terminus of the glacier, I walked over several snow bridges which spanned small crevases, and also looked down into a couple of moulin's, which are circular openings that allow water to drain down into sub-glacial streams.  After a solid 1-2 miles of hiking, I encountered a mountain gully that fed a stream into the glacier, which had subsequently carved a large glacial ice cave.  I joined other hikers and explored the cave deep under the glacier.  Touching the ice walls and ceilings was amazing...the ice felt like plastic, and was as clear as a window pane.  Nature never ceases to amaze.

A moulin, place where water drains deep inside the glacier.

Man riding his bike down the glacier.

Hikers exiting the glacial ice cave.

Looking up through a moulin.

Future glaciologist?

Hiking down the terminus of Mendenhall Glacier.

Glacial blocks of ice temporarily frozen in place before the spring thaw.

Iceberg frozen in place in Mendenhall Lake.

Black Pine Mountains in Southern Idaho

Black Pine Mountains, ID.

Sunset over the Black Pine Mountains, ID.

Bellingham, WA and the Mount Baker Highway

Bellingham Bay.

Bellingham Bay.

Snow covered trees near Mount Baker Ski Area.

Mount Baker Ski Area.

North Fork Nooksack River.  Mount Baker Highway, WA.

North Fork Nooksack River.  Mount Baker Highway, WA.

View along the Mount Baker Highway.

Sandhill Cranes - Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge

The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, located in the southwestern Texas Panhandle, is an area of vast grasslands interspersed with several salt lakes.  It is these lakes that host thousands of Sandhill Cranes every winter.  The cranes congregate in the middle of the shallow water bodies during the night, and then depart for surrounding farm fields to feast on grain during the day.  Though predators can easily be spotted while the birds congregate in the middle of the lakes, successful hunting by coyotes and bobcats is apparently common, as evident by numerous crane carcases scattered in the tall grass adjacent to the lakes.  Viewing angles of these birds are numerous, either from parking areas, or for those who chose to hike around the lakes.

Sandhill crane suffering from mycotoxin poisoning (thank to Bill Johnson [FWS] for educating me on the circumstances of this crane).

Thousands of Sandhill Cranes returning to Pauls Lake at sunset.