When we reached Juneau, we reached the heights by tramway. We could have hiked up Mt. Roberts. Skagway does not have a tramway, but the best hikes always seem to be up. Cross the railroad tracks near the depot and you find the trailhead. Thee are several options, and the ranger had earlier recommended the Dewey Lake trail. We could follow the shore and go on several other trails, or we could do the loop around the lake. Either way, we could look down on Skagway and our floating city. The lake it would be.
The earlier rain held off and the wind was minimal. Conditions perfect for reflection.
It was a great day for sighting a grand variety of mushrooms, lichens, and other forest flora. I don't know what sort these are to the right. They are about an inch to two inches high. (Most of the mushrooms from Wednesday's M is for... post were from this hike.)
The state of the flora makes one wonder about visiting fauna--as in, when I see bark stripped like this, I think there has been a bear around there.
The rangers had said that if we took the lake loop, we would have to scramble over a few rocks on the far side. So after finding our way through the closely growing trees...
...we scrambled up and over rocks like these and bigger for about a quarter of a mile. Mostly bigger. Lots of scrambling.
To make a good story, I took pictures of the Devil's Club so we could say that after the rocks we had to fight our way through a jungle of it. Then I shot this log across the stream to suggest we had to ford it.
...and then we turned a bend, and life imitated art. The stream had shifted its bed and we DID have to ford it to get to the rest of the path.
...and then we turned a bend, and life imitated art. The stream had shifted its bed and we DID have to ford it to get to the rest of the path.
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