Fairly strenuous several hour hike up the East Mendenhall Glacier Loop and Nugget Creek Trails, near the Mendenhall Glacier just south of Juneau, Alaska.

Such beautiful steep slopes of untouched temperate rainforest, with giant Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Everything is covered with deep, thick moss, over giant granite boulders.

Enchantment such as this, you almost expect to see mythical Pan ducking in and out, or little fairyland creatures from 'The Dark Crystal'.

Tags:   Rainforest Temperature Rainforest Juneau

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As recently as 1950, the Mendenhall Glacier's ice was covering this area. At present, it is miles away, but has left the evidence of it's relentless power to scour over and through solid rock. Where rocks were moved and scraped over the bedrock, gouges and lines we left behind.

Tags:   Juneau Alaska Mendenhall Glacier

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Tags:   Juneau Mendenhall rainforest

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Watching the Mendenhall Glacier for several days, waiting for a moment of sunshine. When the sun did touch the glacier, it lasted only a moment and was gone... I was lucky to get this one fleeting moment.

In the foreground is thawing ice on Mendenhall Lake.

Tags:   Mendenhall Glacier glacier Juneau Alaska

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We didn't venture inside for proof. Locals had not seen any bears yet from hibernation, so if this had been used overwinter for a bear's hibernation, the bear was still 'in residence.'

Tags:   bear's den Juneau Mendenhall Glacier Glacier Loop Trail Nugget Creek Trail

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