Field Note: An October Walk at Mendenhall: A Bear, Frost, and Nugget Falls
I went to Mendenhall yesterday to photograph Nugget Falls and play with capturing the movement of the water. I had a pretty specific idea of what I wanted to work on, and I was excited to spend some time with my camera.
I didn’t make it very far before I saw a bear crossing the road.
Black bear crosses the road right as I enter Tongass National Forest
Well, that got my attention.
I’ve been to Mendenhall more times than I can count, but an unexpected bear still makes an outing feel very different. I know where I’m going when I head over there. What I’ll see along the way is another matter entirely.
And yesterday, there was plenty to notice.
Fall along the trail, Winter on the mountains
View of Mendenhall Glacier and the surrounding mountains reflecting in the pools of calm water
Fresh snow was high on the mountains, while a few yellow leaves were still hanging on below. There was frost along the trail and tiny drops of water catching the morning light.
I kept stopping.
I’d look up at the snow, then find something much smaller to photograph near the trail. The big views were beautiful, but I was just as interested in the details: the frost, the leaves, the way the light caught a drop of water.
It felt like one of those in-between days in Juneau. Still fall, but with winter beginning to show itself everywhere.
That’s something I love about being here as the seasons change. On this particular morning, I could see fall and winter in the same view. The yellow leaves were still worth stopping for, even with those newly snowy mountains above them.
If you’re wondering what October in Juneau can look like, this was one version of it. A bear crossing the road. Frost along a trail. A little fall color left, and fresh snow just overhead.
There’s a lot to see before the waterfall
When I’m going somewhere with a particular photograph in mind, it’s easy to get focused on reaching that spot. Yesterday, that spot was Nugget Falls.
But the walk there kept giving me reasons to take out my camera.
I wanted to spend some time experimenting with photography again, and the smaller subjects gave me a chance to do that, too. To look closely, try a photograph, and spend a little longer with something that had caught my eye.
Water droplets in the morning sun on a pine
You don’t need a camera to enjoy those details. But having mine with me gave me a reason to pause and once I started looking, I kept finding more.
If Mendenhall is on your Alaska itinerary, I’d leave a little room for that part of the visit. You’ll probably arrive with something you’re excited to see. I certainly did. Give yourself time to look around on the way there, too.
The bear was an unexpected encounter from this particular day. The frost, leaves, and droplets were easier to overlook, but they became just as much a part of what I wanted to photograph.
Frost crystals on the wooden railing
The temperatures are dropping quickly
And yes, I eventually made it to Nugget Falls
I did get to the waterfall, and I got to spend time working on the moving water as planned.
That was what had brought me out in the first place: wanting to try something with my photography and enjoy the process of making an image. I was happy to finally get there, even after all my stops.
Beautiful Nugget Falls
Long exposure of Nugget Falls during the Autumn sunlight
But when I thought about the outing afterward, I kept coming back to everything I’d seen before reaching the falls.
I love having places like Mendenhall close enough to return to. I can go with a specific idea, or simply because I want to get outside for a few hours. Even when I take a familiar route, there’s usually something that makes me glad I went.
Yesterday, it was the combination of it all. The bear at the beginning. The last yellow leaves. Frost along the trail and snow on the mountains. And, eventually, the waterfall I’d set out to photograph.
If you visit, I hope you get time to enjoy your own version of that walk. Look up at the mountains. Take a closer look along the trail. Leave yourself a few minutes for whatever catches your attention.
I went to photograph Nugget Falls. I’m glad I took my time getting there.
