Southeast Alaska Day 18 - Alaska State Museum

July 16, 2012

Contemporary version of a traditional Alutiiq seal decoy helmet, Alaska State Museum, Juneau, Alaska

The Alaska State Museum in downtown Juneau provides world-class exhibits on the culture of early northern Native Americans, settlement of Alaska by Russians and the subsequent sale of the territory to the United States, and Alaska's role in fighting the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands during World War II. For me, the most fascinating exhibits were the kayaks, hunting equipment and clothing used by northern Native Americans when hunting and fishing, including the Alutiiq-style seal decoy helmet pictured here used as a disguise when hunting seals by boat.

Bald eagle exhibit, Alaska State Museum, Juneau, Alaska

Hoping to photograph more icebergs, I returned for another evening trip to Mendenhall Lake.  Icebergs near shore were difficult to find, and I need a berg that ground enough to prevent it from bobbing around in the waves.  After searching all the shorelines accessible from the visitor's areas, I only found one.

Since the wind was so calm, I was also able to capture some fireweed blooming along the shoreline.

Iceberg floating in Mendenhall Lake, Juneau, Alaska

Fireweed at shore of Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

Nugget Falls plunges into Mendenhall Lake, Juneau, Alaska

Continue to Day 19 – Tracy Arm! Wow!