You’ll never get me on a cruise. Unless it’s to ALASKA! Recap and New PTR Link! 2/1

[Poolrat]

Cynthia,
Merry Christmas for you and the whole family.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Merry Christmas Cynthia! Hope you had a great one!

I'm finally getting some post-holiday DIS time! I'm all caught up again... but it seems you were as busy as me since I only missed one update.

Gorgeous pictures of the glaciers! I can only imagine how stunning they are in person!

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia,
Merry Christmas for you and the whole family.

thanks Pat, I hope yours was wonderful too!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas Cynthia! Hope you had a great one!

I'm finally getting some post-holiday DIS time! I'm all caught up again... but it seems you were as busy as me since I only missed one update.

Gorgeous pictures of the glaciers! I can only imagine how stunning they are in person!

Yes, sadly it really got away from me this month although I do have an update today! They were really mind boggling, a once in a lifetime thing for sure.

 

[eandesmom]

I had NO intention of going this long between updates but….it is that time of year. Add in a couple of short getaways, a cold that wouldn’t die, crazy times at the office and normal holiday stuff and well…here we are a month later. YIKES! Let’s go back to Taku!

As we approached landing, we watched the others

]

We meandered up. Ok, that’s not fair, as a general rule we don’t meander. Either way, we made our way up

If I had a “REAL” wilderness lodge, I might want one of these

Or one of these

Oh, and where is Taku glacier you might ask? Right there!

We wandered around a bit, checking things out

As we walked by this sign, we were altered that there was a bear in a tree

So of course, we went to check it out

Yeah. He was really IN that tree. I took a bazillion pictures and that’s as good as I got.

We did some glacier shots

Checked out our meal, which was on the grill and enjoyed strolling around the lodge area. After lunch there would be a walk so we weren’t going to go too far for now.

Continued in next post

 

[eandesmom]

It was time to go in for lunch. Somehow I missed taking interior shots although there was a good reason. At first, I know I tried but the lighting was tough and we literally had to go get food the minute we walked in. It is a darling log cabin style room though, huge roaring fire and lots of windows. Very cozy! This is what we had for lunch (I did at least get a picture of that!)

Biscuits, bread, salmon, apples and beans. SO yummy!!!!!!!!! We also had Russian tea and cold drinks served on real glacier ice. You could buy beer or wine but we opted out. It was a nice selection though. We had just sat down when all of a sudden we heard…”Hey! There’s a bear at the grill!”

And sure enough, there was!

A smaller one, possibly the one that had been in the tree, wanted in on the action

But was shooed away

It was so fascinating to watch! Apparently there are about 7-10 bears that roam the area so it’s pretty common. While they don’t deliberately feed them, the bears go after the residual salmon oils on the grill and pick it clean of any drippings and stuck on skin! It is very much a working lodge with a significant staff that lives there year round. Over our lovely lunch we learned about Mary Joyce, whose lodge we were at. In true Disney style, the story teller was dressed as Mary Joyce in her fabulous mushing outfit (not at all dissimilar to Minnies!). I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of her. A little bit about Mary.

Mary Joyce was an Alaskan adventurer of the highest caliber, and when Alaska was still just a territory she owned and operated a remote lodge near Juneau, became the first woman radio operator in the territory, and flew her own bush plane. In later years, after selling her lodge, she joined Pan Alaska Airways as a stewardess, and then settled in Juneau, where she worked as a nurse and bought two popular local bars.

Mary Joyce's biggest claim to fame, besides her dauntless courage in trying new adventures, was her 1936 dogsled trip from her Taku Lodge near Juneau to Fairbanks, 1,000 miles away. LitSite Alaska's digital archives include an article by Jennifer Houdek detailing Mary's story:

"Joyce was invited to participate in the 1936 Fairbanks Ice Carnival set for March. Always ready for an adventure, Joyce decided to drive her dogs on the thousand-mile journey; however, she knew that to travel safely, she would need guidance. Leaving in late December, she hitched up five dogs and joined a group of Natives headed for Atlin, British Columbia. Her guide's name was Chocak Lagoose."

At Tulsequah, the party crossed the nearly frozen Taku River. Journaling as she traveled, Joyce wrote: "Chocak Lagoose scolded his sons and made them put boughs over holes so I could not see the water underneath while crossing. 'White Lady plenty scared.' Crossed on my hands and knees and dogs followed like soldiers. Crossed upper Taku and another place over rapids on huge cakes of ice three feet apart helped by sweepers and snags. Put chain on Tip (lead dog) and each dog fell into water, pulled them out on another cake of ice. In places, just room for sled on ice cakes with water leaping over and gurgling underneath."

Mary's journey had barely begun with that adventure, and it wasn't until a week later that she reached the "most hazardous" part of the trip, between Burwash Landing and Tanana Crossing, following the Kluane River in temperatures reaching sixty degrees below zero. When she finally arrived in Fairbanks, where she learned she'd been entered in the Miss Alaska beauty contest, but she declined the competition in favor of an honorary membership in the Pioneer Women of Alaska.

Mary kept a journal of her trip which was published in 2007 with the title, "Mary Joyce, Taku to Fairbanks, 1,000 Miles by Dogteam," by her cousin, Mary Anne Greiner, who wrote glowingly of Mary for the back cover: "She was the first white person over a portion of the trail which later became part of the Alcan Highway. Her narrative and descriptions of Alaska's people, dogteams, vast landscapes and dangers encountered on the trail are wrapped in her wry humor and perspectives of the 30's. Mary was a nurse who moved to Alaska to the Taku Lodge in 1930 aboard a yacht, which also carried lavender bathroom fixtures and a cow. She was a pilot, a stewardess, a musher, a homesteader, a movie actress, a territorial government candidate, and more...and so loved her adopted Alaska. The author, a relative, has included the adventures and photos of her life from the family farm in Baraboo, Wisconsin where she was born until her death in 1976 in Juneau. Mostly all of Mary's clippings, photos and writings have been donated to the 'Mary Joyce Collection' in the State of Alaska Library Historical Collections and the Juneau Douglas Museum."
​

Lunch complete it was time for our nature walk.

Our guide, plus the lodge dogs and our group (probably about 20 people?) headed out into the woods. Walk with us! We were headed to “sometimes a waterfall”

As you can see, it was a gorgeous little walk in the woods!!! Our time at Taku was over, but not the adventure. We still had a return flight to complete.
 

 

[2xcited2sleep]

**Hope I'm not hijacking in the middle of updates**

Wow! All looks so gorgeous, majestic, and adorable. Getting SUCH a kick out of the bears who came for leftovers! But not sure I can get myself on such a small plane... is there a beverage cart?

Hope you and your family had a magical holiday!

 

[TheLanes]

Yeah! You're back! Your report has been great so far, thanks for the update. You can be forgiven this time of year for lagging...

 

[englishrose47]

Awesome pix of Mary Joyce's place. WOW 2 bears, the food looked awesome !! Like you I am really behind with my Dissing and am attempting to catch up this week. The Holidays have just been soooo busy both at home and work !! That is one of the few things I like about January, no mors holidays to plan for !!
Samantha has been chosen to be a Student Ambassador next summer, she will travel to 6 European countries

 

[Poolrat]

What a score on that excursion. A great flight, a wonderful meal while learning about the area and then a great walk to see the scenery.

I have a feeling the ride back was more fantastic than the ride there.

 

[MEK]

First Merry Christmas. Hope it was awesome!

So glad you updated. Too funny about the "sometimes a waterfall" trail. gorgeous scenery. What is that strange mossy looking vegetation on the trees?

I think those bears would have freaked me out, just a little. Great pictures of them as they lick the grill clean. Sounds like a lovely lunch.

The lodge was so cute and the boys look so relaxed in the hammock.

Great update.

Now its time to get that October ticker going!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

What an awesome little stopover! I love the cabin and the lunch, as well as the great story that goes with it. Too funny about the bears - as long as you are inside!
Nice that "sometimes a waterfall" was a waterfall that. What a beautiful walk!

 

[Charleston Princess]

What a lovely setting for lunch! I was so amazed at the bears coming to clean the grill area that I had to call Charles over to see them, too. How neat to see the glacier on the ground as well, and the walk looks beautiful. Of course, I love the picture of one of the lodge dogs -- I am a sucker for black labs and their sweet faces!

Hope you had a lovely Christmas, Cynthia!

 

[tinacaplan]

Merry Christmas!

What a great update. Wow...Alaska just isn't like the lower 48, is it? Your pictures are jaw dropping. I had to call Mark over more than once to check things out. And to see bears up that close. Wow.

 

[Happydog]

Beautiful pics!!! Love them! What gorgeous landscape, that glacier and the alpine flowers... they are so lovely.

Great Bear pics, too!!

 

[KatMark]

Cynthia, hope you and the family had a very Merry Christmas.

I love your update. Your pictures are gorgeous and love the glacier ones especially.

And those bears are adorable....as long as they aren't by me.

 

[eandesmom]

**Hope I'm not hijacking in the middle of updates**

nope, that's as far as I got!

Wow! All looks so gorgeous, majestic, and adorable. Getting SUCH a kick out of the bears who came for leftovers! But not sure I can get myself on such a small plane... is there a beverage cart?

Hope you and your family had a magical holiday!

Beverage cart on land but nope, not on the plane. The bears were a riot! I hope you had a magical holiday as well.

Yeah! You're back! Your report has been great so far, thanks for the update. You can be forgiven this time of year for lagging...

Thanks, I can't believe I went that long between updates, crazy!

Awesome pix of Mary Joyce's place. WOW 2 bears, the food looked awesome !! Like you I am really behind with my Dissing and am attempting to catch up this week. The Holidays have just been soooo busy both at home and work !! That is one of the few things I like about January, no mors holidays to plan for !!
Samantha has been chosen to be a Student Ambassador next summer, she will travel to 6 European countries

YAY for Sammantha, that's outstanding! I figure I'll be able to really get caught up when I'm home after the sinus surgery...I just have to get my house back in order before then.

What a score on that excursion. A great flight, a wonderful meal while learning about the area and then a great walk to see the scenery.

I have a feeling the ride back was more fantastic than the ride there.

It was an amazing excursion, I'd recommend it to anyone!

First Merry Christmas. Hope it was awesome!

So glad you updated. Too funny about the "sometimes a waterfall" trail. gorgeous scenery. What is that strange mossy looking vegetation on the trees?

Yep, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't...a waterfall. It is tree moss I believe. While that area of the panhandle isn't officially rainforest, they do get some similar vegetation I think, you see a LOT of that kind of moss in the Hoh Rain Forest here in WA, it's unbelievably beautiful.

I think those bears would have freaked me out, just a little. Great pictures of them as they lick the grill clean. Sounds like a lovely lunch.

The lodge was so cute and the boys look so relaxed in the hammock.

Great update.

Now its time to get that October ticker going!

Lunch was SO yummy, which is saying a lot as we eat a ton of salmon around here. I know, I need to make us a ticker!

 

[eandesmom]

What an awesome little stopover! I love the cabin and the lunch, as well as the great story that goes with it. Too funny about the bears - as long as you are inside!
Nice that "sometimes a waterfall" was a waterfall that. What a beautiful walk!

It was a lovely walk. A lot like the landscape around here but lovely nonetheless!

What a lovely setting for lunch! I was so amazed at the bears coming to clean the grill area that I had to call Charles over to see them, too. How neat to see the glacier on the ground as well, and the walk looks beautiful. Of course, I love the picture of one of the lodge dogs -- I am a sucker for black labs and their sweet faces!

Hope you had a lovely Christmas, Cynthia!

Those bears were a trip!!! The dogs were SO cute, I took a ton of pictures of them. I hope you had a lovely Christmas as well!

Merry Christmas!

What a great update. Wow...Alaska just isn't like the lower 48, is it? Your pictures are jaw dropping. I had to call Mark over more than once to check things out. And to see bears up that close. Wow.

Definitely some differences that's for sure! The bears were definitely memorable, wasn't really expecting that. Merry Christmas to you Tina!

Beautiful pics!!! Love them! What gorgeous landscape, that glacier and the alpine flowers... they are so lovely.

Great Bear pics, too!!

It really is lovely up there!

Cynthia, hope you and the family had a very Merry Christmas.

I love your update. Your pictures are gorgeous and love the glacier ones especially.

And those bears are adorable....as long as they aren't by me.

Thanks Kathy, I hope you did as well! I was happy to be inside the lodge with the bears just out like that, that's for sure!

 

[Native NYer]

Beautiful photos!

 

[glennbo123]

What a great lunch! The lodge and the area around it are just beautiful, and the food sounded good too.

I'll bet the boys loved it when the bear was "cleaning" the grill.

Your picture of those two dogs looks like a pet portrait!

 

[MandyMommytoReaghan]

Wonderful trip report!! I came across a few nights ago and just now made my way back Loved all the pictures. Someone may have asked already, but what kind of camera did you guys have to take these wonderful shots? I am hoping your amazing pics are all it's going to take to persuade DH an Alaskan cruise is for us.