Mendenhall Glacier

Today is Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, day.

After a small breakfast, well, small for me, we caught a city bus to the glacier. $7 each way.

The bus driver was an old bearded guy who called himself a 'paid tourist'. He talked non stop the entire ride, interesting of what you could understand. He sounded drunk but seemed to know the area and what he was talking about.

At the glacier we walked, looked, called the family at home, hiked out to the waterfall and glacier, visited the visitor center, and saw a bear.

The visitor center, built in 1960, sits on where the glacier used to be. There is a lot of snow, and the water is slushy. It is probably colder since it is a misty rainy day. Connie, Diana, and Mel went back to the ship. Joe, Ron and I walked out to the waterfall and as close to the glacier as possible. We had to walk way around where the Arctic Turns were nesting. (They nest on the ground and tend to be agressively protective of their nests.)

By walking closer to the glacier we could see a waterfall coming out from under the glacier that we couldn't see from the visitor center. The rocks were obviously smoothed by glaciers of the past. It was pleasantly interesting.

As we waited for the bus, a black bear romped across the road in front of where we sat. Joe & Ron jumped up, cameras in hand, and followed at a safe distance.