Mount Jumbo

When thinking back on all the memorable and scenic hikes from my summer in Juneau, perhaps none were as spectacular as the hike to the summit of Mt. Jumbo (also known as Mt. Bradley).

Mt. Jumbo had the special appeal of being the highest point on Douglas Island. Since I was without a vehicle for the summer and my transportation options were limited to the public bus and my mountain bike, finding my way to Douglas Island wasn't especially ideal. I had heard great things about the hike, and I felt dumb to not take advantage of any opportunities to explore new areas. The hike was sure to be well worth the inconvenience of finding my way to Douglas.

A mix of friends/roommates and I took the bus to Douglas, which didn't turn out to be as big of an ordeal as I thought it would be. Once we were there, I realized that my map didn't show the streets in great detail so the exact location of the trailhead was a bit of a mystery. After a few blocks of wandering, we finally found it.

The trail started off in a dense evergreen forest, and for the first mile, the elevation gain was gradual, and even fairly flat in some areas. Of course, I knew that wasn't going to last long. Like most trails leading to peaks around Juneau, Jumbo didn't mess around with switchbacks, and instead tackled the contours head on. The hike starts near sea level before rising over 3300 feet in 2.6 miles.

My camera stayed in my backpack for most of the hike as I focused on the relentless elevation gain. The trail was one of the steepest in the Juneau area and rivaled Thunder Mountain and Mt. Juneau for most elevation gained in such a short distance. All of these trails required areas of scrambling, and if they were much steeper, I'd classify them as more of a "climb" than a "hike".

The day started out very overcast (like most days in Juneau). As we neared the summit, the clouds began to break up, and a feeling of being in amongst them was the new reality. We could see across the channel and into downtown Juneau.

A different perspective:

Soon, we reached the summit, where more awesome views were to be had.

We found a good resting spot at the summit, where Brett took a previously concealed 6-pack of Kokanee beer out of his backpack and handed them out to the group. It was a pleasant and tasty surprise. A summit view is tough to beat, but a summit view while enjoying a beer with good company is unsurpassed.

The crew (left to right): Lauren, Tony, Peter, and Brett:



The official summit shot (Brett, me, Tony, Peter):

It was truly an awesome day to hang out on top of a mountain. Great company, great scenery, and great beer. What more could you ask for? Not much, in my book.