to tee harbor - thanks and a question

[fti]

First of all, thanks for all your help in general on this board and for your help for me in particular. During my cruise stop in Juneau (13 hour port time), I had a great hike along the West Glacier Trail and part of the McGinnis Trail (I started hiking to the right at one junction then realized I was going down not up, so I turned around and took the other trail). It ended up that the “down” trail went right to the glacier and the “up” trail went to the McGinnis Trail. But it was great – being high over the glacier looking at it, the lake and the visitor center, not to mention the beautiful mountains. I hiked about 4-5 hours and it was great weather – cloudy at first but no rain.

 

Afterward, I went to the bookstore in the mall and got the 90 hikes book that you suggested, but they were puzzled about the trail map that you mentioned. Is that possibly out of print now?

 

After the hike I took a drive to Auke Bay and a bit further. Now I know how you got your screen name – I passed a sign to Tee Harbor!

 

I also was able to check out the Mendenhall campground – a beautiful campground and I have my site picked out for next year already. It is in the backpackers’ part and is about 15 yards from the lake, with a path right from the campsite to the lake. The campground even has warm showers! Now to wait until November to reserve for next July!

 

Thanks again for all your assistance.

 

John

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Tee Harbor, I echo FTI in thanks to you! :) You gave me some great advice for our time in Juneau--thank you so much! My DD and I had a great time exploring Juneau--we didn't get to go to all the places we wanted to, but we really enjoyed our time there. I even found my second-favorite souvenir there--a lovey Galagaskins jacked with narrow bands of native-American-influenced art around the arms and collar. I'm sure I'll wear it often (when it cools down here!) and each time it will remind me of our great vacation! Thanks for your contribution to it! :D

 

BTW, we also saw the sign to Tee Harbor and thought of you.

 

Regards,

Jayne

[tee_harbor]

You're both welcome!

 

Midi, I read your review and it was great. Isn't it odd how the time just seems to slip away when doing a driving tour of Juneau?

 

Glad you got a taste of those Hot Bite burgers and milkshakes. If loving them is wrong, I don't ever wanna be right! As for fishermen 'playing with their food,' don't even get me started!

 

I agree with your evaluation of Glacier Gardens. I'd recommend it with reservations. If you aren't going to Buchart Gardens, if you don't have anything else that trumps it, if you have mobility issues, it's the thing for you, since they basically take you someplace you could only get with a hike. But I had your same reaction of 'eh' when I took my mother.

 

I love those jackets. The design's subtle, but at the same time, like you say, it says, Alaska.

 

fti, great to know you're not stuck in a crevice of the glacier or inside some bear's belly! The 'up' of West Glacier trail can be a killer; you did well to get far enough for those great views.

 

The Mendenhall campground was just recently renovated; those bathrooms would be nice. :D Like you say, it's all about the hot water! I X-C ski on the roads through there in the winter, so I know there's some great views. That entire area of The Valley is much more than the glacier's visitor's center.

 

I'm sorry about the map. I'm looking at the price label on mine, and sure enough, it says: ANHA. I have no idea what that means, but it's certainly not the bookstore. I just assumed I bought it there since there's so few place to buy these sorts of materials.

 

I hadn't been able to find it on the forest service website previously, but I reapplied myself after seeing your post, and here's the page with the map: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/maps/maps.shtml Just sorry that I didn't suggest you stop at the new ranger district station that's on the Back Loop, although I'm not sure if they would have been open on Sunday. But they appear to have the map for sale.

 

Now it sounds like I'm a little troll, living under that sign for Tee Harbor! :D That's where I grew up, and although the name isn't particularly evocative, it brings me many happy memories.

[fti]

Thanks for your reply.

 

ANHA - Alaska Natural History Assocation. I will have to look for that map next time I am in AK. There are usually ANHA bookstores at national parks and other similar places.

 

Nope, no bears, no crevices (though I did bring my crampons in my backpack just in case I got to the ice). Next year I would like to try to hike to the face of the glacier. We will see.

 

Thanks again.

 

John