Juneau Waterfront Exploring

Winter in Alaska is tough. No doubt about it, and the biggest reason why most people can't hack it here, you have to be one tough son-of-a-bitch to get through the storms. But through all that, is beauty.

The Taku Winds, also referred to as the Chinooks by old timers, howl through the Gastineau Channel sometimes topping 100mph or more. I once stood across from this location and watched a front bumper be torn from a moving car. We all carried on as normal, because naturally they'd come back tomorrow and retrieve it. Totally normal, right?

There is an old dock on the waterfront, abandoned and overlooked on your drive into downtown Juneau. But for me, is a highlight. Usually canvased in seagulls and eagles, this dock is old, mossy, dilapidated, and on the verge of collapse in the next ten years. Which makes it perfect in my eyes. So when Sydney Akagi and I had a moment to spare, we met up and explored the low tide that exposed 90% of the dock. I totally wore the wrong shoes, but hey, I'm a tough son-of-a-bitch, right?

Historical Side Note

The Auk Tlingits used downtown Juneau as a summer camp for growing vegetables and seasonal berries, and returned back to Auke Bay during winter months. They knew that the Chinooks were not worth sticking around for, and that Auke Bay was generally out of the wind, rain, and harsh weather. To this day, they are correct. Juneau features many micro-climates. For example, the Mendenhall Glacier is usually about 10 degrees cooler than downtown Juneau, and Auke Bay is very mild in comparison to everything else in the borough. Greenery can be seen year round, wind is sparse, there is less snow, and it's common to experience rain downtown and sun in the Auke Bay area throughout the year as it averages about ten inches less rain per year. The Tlingit people knew it was the place to be, and that Downtown was the place to avoid during winter months for it was common to be blown over by hurricane force winds on the regular!

How many car parts and house parts have you lost to the Taku's?!

Love ya!

PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY SYDNEY AKAGI PHOTOGRAPHY, LOCATED IN JUNEAU, ALASKA.

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