It's something I've had on and off for years, starting with a bad case of Strep Throat in middle school. I didn't finish all of the prescribed penicillin, which I later found out is crucial! So, my theory is that it somehow messed my tonsils up and now I get a flare up of white grossness causing my body to feel achy, feverish and just terrible, sometimes as frequently as once a month. It had gone away for a few months, right before I had planned on going to a specialist to look into getting a tonsillectomy, and I thought I had just outgrown it. But it decided to surprise me and rear it's ugly head now that I am in Alaska. Now it looks like I'll have to reconsider the surgery once I have a job.
Speaking of which, I have an interview on the first with my second pick in the second round of jobs I have applied for. Confusing, I know. It's a state job that cuts to part time hours in September, perfect for school. We'll see what happens.
Last Thursday we hiked up Mt. Roberts, a mountain directly behind downtown Juneau. It was a very steep trail comprised of nothing but switchbacks winding up the mountain. The trail was absolutely covered in roots, muddy or snowy in some spots, and the forest around it was thick and lush. We stopped to admire fiddleheads, the root base of a huge tree that had been uprooted, views and the all around sereneness of the area. I came to the conclusion that our paranoia regarding bears is far too great when an older man passed us on the trail. He strode silently up the trail after saying a quick 'hello', while we spent most of the hike hooting, hollering and singing to scare away any bears lurking around this popular hiking trail. Reality check!
We didn't see any bears, and they probably stay far, far away from trails like that. Anyway, there is a tram that goes up to Mt. Roberts from downtown Juneau. If you hike up and spend five bucks in the gift shop or restaurant, you get your receipt stamped and get to ride down, basically for free. It's a pretty popular little local secret. One tourist at the tram shop asked us why we didn't ride it up and hike down. Well, sir, unlike you, we don't have to pay the $30.00 you shelled out to go up and back :) Plus, exercise! When we got back downtown, we had to walk back to the trailhead, too. The whole trip took about 5 hours.
Looking northeast toward the end of Basin Road and Gold Creek.
Devils Club. Pretty nasty stuff!
This was interesting!
Then we stumbled upon the coolest thing. A Bald Eagle perched on a branch, at eye level with us, ten feet away! He was massive and beautiful and completely unbothered by us snapping pictures of him for five minutes.
O HAY
There were also a few remaining patches of snow up towards the summit. Of course I had to slip on it.
We didn't quite make it to the summit. Maybe next time!
The views were great. This is looking south, toward the fjord we visited.
And west, with the Chilkat range in the distance. It was low tide when I took this, so a lot of the channel is exposed near the airport and the wetlands. Our tide varies up to 25 feet in a matter of hours!
Quaint little downtown Juneau.
Looking down at the tramcar, which is piddly compared to the wonderful Sandia Tram, and three cruise ships docked. Today there were five ships in port!
We forgot how steep downtown was until we got to these stairs. Some of the sidewalks remind me SO MUCH of the steep streets of San Francisco, which I love.
Really fantastic Tlingit carvings, also in the upper part of downtown. If I could, I'd send this to you Mom! Dunno it would fit it into a flat rate shipping box though..
Luckily I know from experience that this tonsil nonsense lasts exactly five days, so I should be ready for another hike and whale watching by the weekend.
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