Mike and I agree that one of the best times we had on our trip was on the top of Mount Roberts. It was pretty socked in when we got into port around 2:30 p.m. that day, but we decided to take the tramway anyway just for the ride, even if we couldn't see anything from the top.
One minute we were looking down at the ships in the harbor (ours is the upper one in this photo) and the next we were soaring up into the clouds.
But when we came out at the top, things started to clear and we ended up staying for quite a while. The trails weren't technically closed, although they warned us that parts were unpalatable… we went quite a lot further than most people. It was muddy and there was some snowy areas to cross, but totally worth it! Parts were a tad bit scary. I was glad I'd grabbed a ski pole to use along the way.
The view from the top was so amazing! So worth getting our pants wet and our boots muddy! I said to Michael that this felt like real Alaska at last, away from the noise and bustle of the port, the tourist shops, and all the artificiality of a cruise. It was so quiet except for the sound of the melted-snow creeks, the birds and one cheeky little red squirrel.
You can see we were well bundled in the beginning…We hiked so long and so far that by the time we got back to the ranger station at the top of the tramway, I was down to my t-shirt! Felt good to be out there IN Alaska.
