Hike on Beach

Some hikers take a stroll on a sunny day along a beach located north of town.
Note: Yesterday was the three year anniversary of wyattjourney.com! - www.wyattjourney.com

Point Retreat

There are dozens of lighthouses in Southeast Alaska. Almost all of them are run on solar-power. Nobody lives in them. This one is near Juneau on the northern tip of Admiralty Island. The lighthouse is on Point Retreat.- www.wyattjourney.com

Sea Lions

One of the best parts, for me, of the whale watching tour on Saturday was when we went to see the sea-lions lazing on a beach. When we arrived, this man in the dingy was taking photographs. The crew on our boat thought that he was probably a scientist targeting the seals that had numbers on them (see below). These seals were marked when they were pups and have been tracked for several years to determine migration patterns and population discrepancies. Look for more photos of these wonderful creatures tomorrow. - www.wyattjourney.com

Far Off Ferry

Friday was sunny and warm. As the sun set that evening, a lone ferry slowly worked its way to the dock. My camera sat on a beach several miles away and captured the returning ferry through heat vapors. This photo reminds me a little of a painting, done by former Alaskan artist John Fehringer, which hangs in my parent's living room. - www.wyattjourney.com

Burning Embers

At a cookout with friends on Friday night, I caught these shots of a child blowing life into an ember. Below are some other fire shots from that night. - www.wyattjounrney.com

Alaskan Cotton Grass

This is Alaskan cotton grass blowing in the wind. Named because it looks like a ball of cotton on the end of a long blade of grass, this is an Alaskan favorite. In my growing up years, mom had some that had been dried and she prominently displayed it in a little vase. Below is a photo of a field of grass near where the main photo was taken. - www.wyattjourney.com

Juneau Horses

What a surprise to be hiking along and see a dozen or so horses grazing in the grasslands alongside the trail. Juneauites (those from Juneau) don't see too many horses around here and especially not in the middle of nowhere. - www.wyattjourney.com

Juneau Frogs

There is a common misconception that Juneau is void of frogs. This myth can now be dismissed because several were found on a recent hike. They are not big (only about the size of your thumb), but they are fast. In fact, they are very difficult to photograph because they move so quickly. With the patient help of a friend, this one shot turned out. - www.wyattjourney.com

Salmon Berries

It is berry picking season here. This one is called a salmon berry (not sure why). It is my favorite berry. It looks like a large raspberry but tastes much sweeter. It has several colors including orange, yellow, violet, and purple. People make jelly out of them but I just eat them by the handful. - www.wyattjourney.com

Slopes

There is something somber about an empty chairlift. Fortunately we are heading into the months where it will begin to snow in the mountains and we hope to see these chairs swing into action as soon as November. I plan to hit the slopes several times this winter. - www.wyattjourney.com

Sitka Black-tailed Deer

On the hike through Eaglecrest, we saw two Sitka Black-Tailed deer. Both of them stood there staring at us, trying to figure us out. Eventually they both took off into the brush. Read more about these wonderful animals here. - www.wyattjourney.com

Vic and Debbie

Lovingly referred to as my sherpas, Vic and Debbie have been my hiking partners for several years. I appreciate their willingness to go to unusual places, at unusual times, in unusual weather. They are especially patient with my constant need to stop along the trail for "the perfect photo." An added bonus for me is the Christian example they are to me in my spiritual journey. - www.wyattjourney.com

Juneau at Night

Here is another photo of Juneau taken after nightfall from atop Mt. Roberts. The lights in the foreground represent Juneau's downtown area. The lights in the background are about 9 miles away and comprise of the airport and surrounding neighborhoods. The furthest islands visible are in Auke Bay which is about 12 miles from downtown. The waterway down the middle is the Gastineau Channel which separates the mainland from Douglas Island. There is only one bridge across and the channel is only navigatable beyond the bridge by small boats at high tide. - www.wyattjourney.com

Nightfall on Mt. Roberts

The other night I watched the sunset from the top of Mount Roberts and took lots of photos. It will take a couple day show all the good ones. Compare this one with other photos posted this day and a similar photo shown on August 26. - www.wyattjourney.com

Juneau Rains

Even Juneauites are not used to almost 12 inches of rain in a one-month period. Of the 31 days in August, only one was without precipitation. Probably the worst of it was at the end of the month as the winds increased to enhance the misery. Then a miracle happened. We awoke Saturday to blue skies and sunny weather. I am not sure there was a single resident who was not outside doing something. That night, I drove to the camp-ground near my house and took photos of the road underwater. This is almost 24 hours after the rains stopped and apparently the water was much higher earlier in the day. - www.wyattjourney.com

Blueberries

In case you haven't heard, Juneau had 11.5 inches of rain in August. One of the consequences of that is the poor berry crop we are getting this year. Apparently the bushes need more sunlight to produce nice tasting fruit. Nevertheless, I found a patch of blueberries while on a walk yesterday. They looked plump and delicious but that ended up having little taste. When we picked blueberries as a kid, we would always let them soak overnight in a salt and water solution to bring the insect larva out of them. You wouldn't believe how many worms these things hold. Unfortunately, I couldn't I find any to photograph in the berries I looked in. Maybe they all moved to dryer climates. - www.wyattjourney.com

Annual Mushrooms

Here is this year's mushroom collection from the Tongass National Forest. These photos were all taken near the Mendenhall Glacier and reflect the smallest sampling of fungus in our area. There are hundreds of variety growing in with the mosses that cover the forest floor. If only I knew a little more about them then they could be identified here. - www.wyattjourney.com