Juneau (2)

The weather is a lot nicer, I try the Perseverance Trail once more, and manage to finish it this time.
It was worth trying it!

Aside from being one of the most scenic and well-used trails in Juneau, Alaska, the Perseverance Trail is one of the three most historically significant trails in our entire state along with the Chilkoot and Iditarod Trails. The original route, used by natives for goat hunting, fishing and berry picking, was later to become the first road in Alaska after Joe Juneau and Richard Harris found gold in the Silverbow Basin in the 1880's.
The road was used to access at least five major gold mining operations in the Gold Creek Valley including the famous Perseverance mine and the Alaska-Juneau mine, which at one time was one of the largest gold producers in the world.

No need to take any food with you, you can feast with salmonberries along the way :))

You can still see ruins and artifacts of the old mining operations scattered throughout the valley.

Sitka

Shortest flight ever: 22 minutes. But the only other option was 9 hours of boat.
It is funny to think that most of the people who come here have the same motivation. As a result, everyone almost starts laughing when they ask you why you had the idea to come to Sitka, and it is not releated to anything cultural...

Sitka is the heart of the Russian influence in Southeast Alaska. The Russians stayed there until 1867, when the Americans arrived after purchasing Alaska from them. Todau the heart of the town is St Michael's Orthodox Cathedral

The Raptor Center treats 200 injured birds a year.

But bald eagles can also be seen everywhere, but look towards to the sky, and there's a good chance you will see them.

More squirrels, as usual :))) This time on the Indian River Trail, that takes you through the rainforest

The Fortress of the Bear offers an opportunity to observe bears that were abandoned as cubs.

 

  

 

In the National Historical Park, a one-mile long path leads you past 18 totems first displayed at the 1904 Louisiana Exposition then moved to the newly created park.

This is what you would call a wild animal...

After 3 hours hiking in Sitka moutains, I wanted to seat on this bench...