Just like the night before in Bartlett Cove Campground in Glacier Bay National Park, we had a light rain on our tent most of the night. This morning, we didn't have to get up nearly as early, as the only thing we had to do was be at the ferry dock by 1:00 p.m.
But we got up early enough (easy when it gets light around 4:00 a.m.) to pack up our gear and then meet Steve & Esther for breakfast at 9:00.
So we wouldn't drag everything through the wet dirt while packing, Linda suggested we just throw our tent and everything in one of the provided wheelbarrows and then pack it under the shelter beside the Visitor Information Station (VIS).
That worked out great. Our rain fly would still need to dry out, but everything else was in good shape, and we packed it all in our backpacks without getting anything wet or dirty.
With backpacks on, we trudged up to the lodge and stowed them in a corner while we had breakfast.
After breakfast, while Linda relaxed at the lodge, Steve, Esther, & I headed out on the Tlingit Trail which connected to the main road for a short walk to the Bartlett River Trail.
That trail was 1.6 miles in and back (3.2 miles total), plus the Tlingit Trail is 0.7 miles each way, so we knew it was a little too ambitous to do the total 4.6 miles in the couple hours we had before the shuttle to the ferry was picking us up. But we wanted to check it out anyway.
The terrain was much like the Forest Trail we walked the other night, but it was a bit more uneven with more rocks and roots. And though it's called the Bartlett River Trail, it doesn't go alongside river, but apparently just ends at the river.
We turned around before we got that far, going maybe another quarter mile past the sign above.
I took a couple of photos along the way, but we never got to any part of the trail that indicated we must complete it.
So, we returned to the lodge in plenty of time to catch our shuttle to the ferry dock. At the Gustavus ferry dock, there is no terminal building or any shelter to wait in, so we just stood outside hoping it wouldn't rain until our ferry boat, the LeConte, showed up.
We boarded and set sail around 2:00 p.m. with an expected arrival time back in Juneau at 8:00.
It was a little clearer today than the day we arrived, so I took two photos when we made our stop in Hoonah.
Just like the other day on the LeConte, we had trouble finding anywhere quiet where there wasn't loud conversation, a blaring movie (shown by the ferry), or a place void of several toddlers just doing what they do. Finally, Linda & I went up to the solarium where we finally found some peace, plus it was quite warm with the overhead heaters.
More photos from the ferry ride.
We arrived at the Juneau ferry terminal on time and we got a taxi to drop us off at our sites in the Mendenhall Campground.
Yeah, we paid for a couple extra nights while we weren't there, but the campground host kept an eye on things for us, and it was really nice not having to drive to the campground and get all set up that late in the evening. All we had to do was turn the water on, unpack, and go to bed.
We enjoyed our time at Glacier Bay National Park, especially yesterday's boat tour, but two or three days is certainly enough since there just isn't much to occupy your time in Bartlett Cove, the only developed area of the park that is relatively easy to access by ferry and shuttle. Of course, if you decide to do a multi-day kayaking trip in the back country, then a few more days would certainly be worthwhile.
Tomorrow, we have nothing on the agenda, so we'll see what we come up with. Until then.
Comments