Sitka to Juneau

We had a great warm time at Mr. & Mrs. Holmgren’s house in Sitka. The time is now for hard task!! towing boat with camper. My F150 sink a lot for these weight. It seems not possible to bring both same time. I decide  to bring both to the Haines where is end of the Ferry terminal. then I will leave camper at Haines. Once I deliver the boat to Fairbanks, I will drive back to Haines for picking up camper!

Anyway, I have to bring both to Haines!!!

At the Ferry, beautiful rainbow near the Fantar Bay, where Aleutians were evacuated during WWII by the Japanese invasion. Many people dead here by poor living condition.

At the Juneau, First stage of boat/ camper transportation was success by the m/v Fairweather. We will take another ferry to Haines tonight!

Back to Sitka

We arrived Sitka last night. It’s rain…typical weather! We will spend several days here in Sitka then ferry to Haines and driving to Fairbanks!!

It was good weather yesterday at Kake!

It was beautiful blue sky in inside passage near Wrangell.

National Parks in The Canadian Rockies

The way driving back to Prince Rupert where the Alaska Marine Highway start! We drove NP in Canada.

Beautiful landscapes and less people (no need reserve camping ground!!!)

Athabascan River makes big dip and slot canyon!! This is great time to see this during snowmelt season.

This water connect to the Mackenzie and flow to the Arctic!!

Somebody(!?) did great stone work at shore!

Glacier NP

We visit Glacier National Park in Montana (almost Canadian Border!). We could not across the park road because still a lot of snow!! As many of you know Glaciers are shrinking or disappearing in this park. However, if we have this kind of big snow year continues years, we will have back again!!

Anyway, we could not see shrinked glaciers but saw beautiful calm lakes!!

Yellowstone NP -color of the rock- Calcium micro morphology

We move to Mammoth Dome Springs area today. this area is out side of Yellowstone caldera rim. So water temperature is low and Calcium carbonate rich water.

One of the strong characteristics of this group is making terrace and rim.

Beautiful Rim!

Color is again by the bacteria, fungi… so no water staying white.

One of the big difference between silica and calcium is speed of deposit. Calcium deposit super fast!

beautiful rim!

I feel almost coral!!

Yellowstone NP -color of the water- Silica micro morphology

Yellowstone! wonderful place, first national Park in US, Especially hot springs fun can’t ignore this place! I see many Asian and Russians, who likes hot springs.

One of the hot springs attraction is COLOR! Higher temperature (almost boiling temp: 93dC at this altitude) made clear or blue color.

Lower temp (<50dC) mosses, crustaceans, and insects made dark color.

Yellow <73dC made Cyanobacteria, orange <62dC made  fungi

Green is familiar !

Acid shower crossing the road!!

Inactive hot spring pond is great place to plant colony.

High acid sulfa spring is rare at here

bacteria colony

beautiful high temperature spring with silica deposit at the surface.

Morning Glory spring, yes, color tell us water temperature!

Just beautiful! so many of these!! why do they let us to soak one of these!!

interesting silica structure

another silica feature

Geyser near the Yellow Stone Lake. this used to cook fish after catch!

spring color and forest matching beautiful!

Over heated (higher than boiling point) spring

Mud pot, must be good for skin!!

Grand Teton NP

Driving for Jackson then Grand Teton was great seeing.

We climb Jenny Lake’s Inspiration point. It was nice view for terminal moraine. I can see very beautiful glacier image in LGM like today’s glaciers in Ellismere Island.

It still a lot of snow this year! We need cross avalanche debris.