One of my favorite Sunday hikes is up to the tram from Basin Road. I enjoy this year round and as the snow melts I like to push up to the cross and above. Today I enjoyed a serene and challenging hike up through the woods with filtered sunlight and chattering of big birds but my reverie was dashed upon arriving at the tram. The sheer volume of people was borderline nauseating. Then as I wove my way through various gaggles of folks taking selfies and unnecessarily yelling I noticed a good deal of trash especially around the viewing platforms between the nature station and the cross. I was horrified at the number of cigarette butts and littered soda bottles on our pristine mountain. Of course I want visitors to our beautiful town to have a good time, but when they treat our home like an ashtray it’s hard to maintain a welcoming demeanor. CBJ derives about 50% of their budget from property taxes, and about 20% from the tourism industry. When I write my big fat property tax check in the fall, I’m going to write “LIMIT CRUISE SHIPS” on the memo line. Maybe you will be inspired to join me in this activism.
Emily Kane,
Juneau
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