Uploads from puuikibeach, tagged 2007

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:31:41 -0700

Our chariots await; tour buses congregate in eager anticipation as hordes of cash-flush tourists disembark from the cruise ships.

After we had booked the trip, the state of Alaska levied an additional fifty-dollar per-person tax on all cruise ship passengers to Alaska. Yep, we had to cough up the extra dough, even though we had booked the trip before the implementation of the tax.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:33:35 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

One of the rafts approaches a beaver along the Mendenhall River. Our raft guide was stunned. He admitted that other than eagles, this was the first animal he'd seen along the river in his three months of rowing this stretch on a daily basis.

We did see a few eagles. No photos, though -- they were too far away to pull in even with a 200mm lens.

(Quite frankly, I ended up kind of regretting spending the money on the long lens, which I purchased with this Alaska trip in mind. If it ain't close enough to get with a 50mm or 75mm, the 200mm isn't gonna make that much difference. This beaver in Juneau was about it for wildlife on the trip. We saw a number of eagles... in the distance... and some whale spouts... in the distance... and one chipmunk. If you want to see wildlife, skip the cruise and drive to Alaska.)

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:33:18 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

"Spectacular views of hanging glaciers and glacial topography." It sez so in the brochure. The cruise ship literature phrased it as, "Experience an exhilarating river rafting adventure near the face of the glacier."

Here you go: "near the face of the glacier." As pulled in with a 200mm lens... and cropped a bit. The "face" of this glacier isn't anywhere near the shore of this lake. This trip consists of a guy rowing a boat full of fat people across a muddy three-foot-deep lake, and then a leisurely (translation: slow and boring) float down a placid river past middle-class riverfront homes and underneath a couple of highway overpasses.

Helpful hint: SAVE YOUR HUNDRED BUCKS! It turns out you can take a taxi for less than ten dollars to the Mendenhall Glacier Information Center, and from there walk a moderate trail that will take you all the way to the glacier.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:32:32 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

Mendenhall Glacier as seen from the raft launching site.

I'll spare you any additional suspense: this is pretty much as close as you'll get to the glacier on this float trip.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:34:16 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

The "white water" portion of the river.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:32:56 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

"Spectacular views of hanging glaciers and glacial topography." It sez so in the brochure. The cruise ship literature phrased it as, "Experience an exhilarating river rafting adventure near the face of the glacier."

Here you go: "near the face of the glacier." As pulled in with a 200mm lens... and cropped a bit. This is as close as you get to the Mendenhall Glacier on the Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip. That is, about two miles from it. So bring your binoculars.

Helpful hint for cruise ship travelers considering the glacier float trip: SAVE YOUR HUNDRED BUCKS! It turns out you can take a taxi for less than ten dollars to the Mendenhall Glacier Information Center, and from there walk a moderate trail that will take you all the way to the glacier.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:30:28 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Sunset, first night at sea aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Pearl, heading toward Alaska through the Inside Passage.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:29:33 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Apparently this lighthouse now serves as a bed & breakfast inn during the summer season.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:32:03 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

It's a good thing we're wearing life jackets. This glacial lake plummets to a fearful three feet in depth.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. It's about two and a half feet.

Our "experienced" guide (see link above) shared, when pressed, that he had been navigating these treacherous waters for nigh unto... three months. His prior waterman experience was gained growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, before securing this position through www.cooljobs.com/Summer_Jobs_In_Exotic_Places.html?click=...

You really wish I were making this up, don't you? But I'm not. Sorry.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:34:58 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Fun, touristy signpost in Juneau, Alaska. June 2007.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:30:57 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Approaching Juneau. I'm tempted to call this "the cruise ship capital of Alaska." But having since visited both Skagway and Ketchikan, I know better.

The weather was like this for the duration of the cruise -- mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 70s during the day. There was one notable exception to this, which I shall discuss in later photos.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:34:47 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

The "white water" portion of the Mendenhall river. At least these people got wet.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:31:49 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

Half an hour on a bus from the cruise ship dock through the suburbs of Juneau... uhm... did I just say suburbs? Yup. The scenic drive to the shores of the lake at the foot of the Mendenhall Glacier passes by the latest and greatest million dollar homes currently under construction on the outskirts of Juneau. Nary a moose in sight, but plenty of concrete, masonry, and timber framing to thrill the construction enthusiast.

Waddle off the bus with the rest of the fat tourists and squeeze into waders and life jackets.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:30:33 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

The beginning stretches of the "inside passage" to Alaska. The weather was like this for the majority of the cruise -- mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 70s during the day. There was one notable exception to this, which I shall discuss in later photos.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:30:24 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

A Canadian pilot boat approaches the cruise ship in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:30:18 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

A Canadian pilot boat approaches the cruise ship in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:34:53 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

This is a representative view of the scenery along the Mendenhall River. Yup. Scenic and pristine. You bet'cha.

They say the median home price in Juneau is in the $300k range these days.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:29:19 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Swanky retro-style bar on the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship.

This was a brand new ship at the time of this cruise, having been in service for only a couple of months. Everything was still all shiny and nice.

Juneau, Alaska 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:29:25 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

Lifeboat drill aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Pearl.

Most of the "lifeboat stations" were on, logically enough, the "boat deck" circling the ship. Our "station," however, was in the ship's main theater, located below deck in the bow section.

If you've ever seen the movie Titanic, you may recall that the bow, or front of the ship was the first part to, you know... sink! Assembling several hundred people wearing bulky life preservers in an enclosed, below-deck area with only two fairly narrow exits struck me as rather... odd.

All that money, and here I was still a "steerage class" passenger.

A Helluva Game --- North Shore Fire --- 13 August 2007

nobody@flickr.com (puuikibeach) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:08:34 -0700

puuikibeach posted a photo:

3000 acre brush fire rages out of control in the Waianae Mountains above Waialua HIgh School, Oahu, Hawaii.
13 August 2007.