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Even if you’ve never paddled a kayak before, you’ll be confidently navigating the water in the scenery-soaked Glacier View Sea Kayaking trip, with a front-row view of the legendary Mendenhall Glacier.
The tour operator—which has over 30 years’ experience in soft adventures— will pick you up from Juneau’s dock or a downtown hotel, and take you for the 20-minute ride across the bridge to North Douglas Island, perched on Auke Bay. On its rocky beach you’ll get outfitted with rain gear and lifejackets, and then given a lesson on paddling techniques. Your guide will also tell you about the area’s colorful history: Aleut Indians used to travel these waterways in the 19th century, hunting pelts to swap with Russian fur traders.
Once you board your two-person kayak, your guide will lead you, along with four or five other kayaks, around the bay. The kayaks are both stable and easily maneuverable, to help you better concentrate on the scenery around you: the massive Mendenhall Glacier, the state game refuge Mendenhall Wetlands, and spots such as Smuggler’s Cove, where illegal booze was traded during the Prohibition years. Watch for animals, too— porpoises, sea lions, seals, or perhaps even bald eagles or a whale. The kayaks are quiet enough that you and the wildlife won’t bother each other.
Back ashore, you’ll recharge with an Alaskan-flavored snack of reindeer sausage, salmon spread, crackers and water. In lieu of a pelt or any contraband, you can proudly take home a pin and, if you like, a souvenir t-shirt.
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