Mount Roberts

During my summer in Juneau, by the time June had rolled around, I was anxious to start hiking up some of the nearby mountains. Up until this point, I had taken advantage of the lower elevation areas (such as Herbert Glacier). There came a point, though, that the higher country couldn't be neglected any longer, even if I did have to deal with some snow.

The Thunder Mountain trail was my first attempt at reaching the higher country. I made it about two-thirds of the way to the top of the mountain before running into snow that was deep enough to force me into turning around. This is one I'd have to give another shot later in the summer.

During one of my next days off, I decided to attempt another mountain hike: Mount Roberts. Roberts is accessed near the downtown area and actually has a tram that can take you 1800 feet up the mountain, where there is a restaurant, gift shop, and nature center. However, it doesn't take you very close to Roberts' actual summit, which tops out at over 3800 feet. I was pretty sure it would still be too snowy to make it all the way up, but there was only one way to find out!

My roommate, Brett, who worked on the ferry (and had the lucky schedule of one week on, followed by one week off), and another friend, Lauren, accompanied me on this hike. They were both good hikers, and I knew that no one would be slowing anyone else down. We took the public bus to the downtown area before hopping on the trail and starting our ascent of Mount Roberts.

(Notice the tram line on the map)

 

When we hiked to the top of the tramway without running unto snow. This seemed like a good place for a break. It was a warm, humid day (by Juneau's standards) and we caught our breath while checking out some of the exhibits and the captive bald eagle that was on display. Even though we were in no real hurry (by June, the daylight hours were really long), our break was brief and we continued up the trail towards the summit of Roberts.

 

Soon after the tram, the trail took us above tree line and rose into subalpine meadows. For the first time, views of the Gastineau Channel appeared and I got the sense that we had left the "touristy" part of Juneau, and entered a wilder realm.

 



We steadily ascended contours, and soon, we began to run into snow. At first, it was patchy and nothing to keep us from advancing. However, once we reached Gold Ridge (see map), it was apparent that our route ahead would require some serious snow traversing. This would mark our turnaround point. At this point, I also realized that I hadn't taken any pictures yet that day! Out came the camera.

On our way back down, we were all really hungry, so we decided to stop at the restaurant at the top of the tramway for dinner. I enjoyed a delicious burger and beer. I savored every bite and sip. Nothing is better after a long hike than a burger and beer (except for maybe pizza and beer.)

 

After dinner, we still had a couple of miles to get back to the trailhead, and none of felt up to it with greasy food now weighing us down. Luckily, they let us take a free ride down on the tramway when showing our dinner receipts. It was a lazy way to finish (and sort of cheating), but who would turn down a free ride? Plus, I think it was deserved after almost 3000 feet of elevation gained.

 

We were back at sea-level within minutes. Eventually, we'd have to catch the bus back to where we lived, but not before maximizing our time downtown by enjoying a few more drinks at the Alaskan Bar.

 

It was an awesome day, and the company was thoroughly enjoyed. I have learned from all of my adventures that nothing beats a three-person hiking team for company.

 

The summer had really just begun, and I still had some of my most memorable exploits to look forward to.