Cruising North to Alaxsxaq
By Caroline M. Jackson
With more than 33,904 miles of
shoreline, the Aleuts appropriately named Alaska Alaxsxaq which means
'object toward which the action of the sea is directed'. For today's
seafarers, the best way to visit this 49th State is by cruise ship via the
Inside Passage - an 800-km waterway that meanders north to the Gulf of
Alaska. Protected by a plethora of pristine islands, the route is truly
breathtaking.
The first time we took an
Alaskan cruise from Vancouver, it rained so hard that we had to borrow golf
umbrellas just to dash over to the on-deck hot tub. On our second more
recent venture aboard the Infinity (Celebrity Cruises), the sun smiled on us
for all seven days. The secret? Be prepared for every climatic eventuality
when traveling in the northwest.
A popular port for most cruise ships is
Juneau, Alaska's state capital. Only accessible by sea or air, the city grew
out of the 1880's gold rush. On arrival at the cruise ship dock, we took the
tramway for a 1,800' ascent up to the mid point of adjacent Mount Roberts.
From here we had a bird's-eye view of the Chilkat Mountains to the north and
down Gastineau Channel. Walking along well-marked trails between Sitka
Spruce and Western Hemlock, we took a self-guided hike along the Alpine Loop
Trail and over to Father Brown's Cross. The sun beat down on us, yet there
were still patches of snow clinging to the gullies. After a refreshing drink
at the Timberline Bar, we headed back down to sea level.
Wanting to make capitalize on
the lovely weather, we joined up with a couple of fellow cruisers for a
13-mile taxi ride out to the Mendenhall Glacier. One hundred feet in height,
and 1.5 miles wide, the lakeside setting of this river of ice is
spectacular. Self guided trails include the Photo Point Trail with
handicapped access, the half-mile Interpretive Trail and the 3.5 mile East
Glacier Loop. It is also worth dallying in the U.S. Forest Service visitors'
center to learn more about glaciers. Once back in downtown Juneau, we walked
up the hill to historic St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church on Fifth and
Gold and had a peek at its icons and religious treasures.
From Juneau, some ships venture up Tracy Arm,
a narrow fjord which twists inland for 40 kilometres. On either side we were
hemmed in by slate grey cliffs slashed with ribbons of white water cascading
into the glacial green sea. Harbor seals idly floated atop turquoise
icebergs but the aquatic animals didn't even twitch a whisker as sections of
the glacial wall calved into the ocean with earsplitting cracks.
Despite this violent action, an air of still expectancy hung over the
multihued curtain of ice - the waters were still, the only movement being
created by the slow-moving swirling ice floes and the encircling gulls in
search of nature's bounty.
Just northeast of Juneau is
Skagway which got its name from the Tlingit word Skagua which means 'home of
the north wind.' Located at the head of the Lynn Canal, this frontier town
was the staging ground for prospectors in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 and
the jumping off point of the 45-mile trek known as the Chilkoot Trail.
By far the best way to retrace the steps of the Klondike Gold Rush miners is
to take a trip of a lifetime aboard the narrow-guage White Pass & Yukon
Railroad. In the early morning, our vintage car left tidewater Skagway and
chugged across deep gorges, along sheer cliffs, over trestle bridges,
through tunnels and upwards and onwards to White Pass Summit at 2,865'.
En route, the place names spoke volumes about the harsh conditions for man
and beast during this historic time. Dead Horse Gulch, for example, is the
graveyard of more than 3,000 pack animals that met a cruel and untimely end.
Black Cross Rock marks the spot where in 1898, a blasting accident killed
two railroad workers. The precipitous 40-mile route follows the Skagway
River and takes just over three hours.
Much of downtown Skagway has been restored to
its turn-of-the century splendor with wooden boardwalks and false-fronted
buildings - all part of the Klondike Gold Rush Historic District.
Highlights include the Arctic Brotherhood Hall decorated with a driftwood
mosaic and the 1898 Golden North Hotel with its gold-rush era furnishings.
We strolled along Broadway Street and ventured into The Saloon Theatre where
we watched a melodrama featuring Soapy Smith - a con-man and swindler of
Klondike fame. It was an excellent and colorful production.
Ninety miles west of Juneau is
Baranof Island and the town of Sitka which in Tlingit means by the sea. At
one time this historic town was the capital of Russian-America until in
1867, the United States paid $7.2 million to purchase Alaska from the
Russians. In its heyday, Sitka was known as the Paris of the Pacific and
such was its opulence that local ladies rented their dresses from New York.
Perhaps it is this colorful history that attracted James Michener to write
his book Alaska here. Sitka's Russian heritage is much in evidence
throughout the town. St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Lincoln
Street boasts many priceless art treasures including icons and artifacts
which were saved when the original structure was destroyed by fire in 1966.
Another interesting site is the Russian Bishop's House which dates back to
1842 and is beautifully restored.
The backdrop to Sitka is
volcanic Mount Edgecumbe which for the last 1210 years has kindly kept a lid
on its lava. However, on 1st April 1974, its dormancy was questioned when an
Alaska Airline pilot spotted smoke rising from within the volcano. As the
plane flew over the cone of the volcano for a closer look, the pilot noticed
a huge sign saying April Fool. The pranksters had waited four years for the
wind direction and visibility to be right before setting 70 tires alight
inside the cone.
Located on an island, Ketchikan is the fourth
largest city in Alaska and the southernmost city of Alaska's panhandle.
Located on Revillagigedo Island, it is surrounded by Tongass National Park's
rainforests. Built into steep hills, the community perches atop wooden
pilings which lean against 3,200' Deer Mountain. The wooden walkways, or
stair streets, over the rushing waters of Ketchikan Creek are a reminder
that the area receives 165 inches of rain annually which is fondly called
"liquid sunshine". Most of the town's historic buildings line
Creek Street - a rickety wooden walkway. To catch a glimpse of the
more colorful side of life in days gone by, pop into Dolly's House, the once
infamous bordello where bootlegged whisky and special favors gobbled up the
earnings of early prospectors and fishermen.
That evening as our cruise ship
slipped south on its return journey to Vancouver, I pondered upon the
writings of John Muir who said: "To the lover of pure wildness Alaska
is one of the most wonderful countries in the world."
Contacts:
http://traveljuneau.com
http://whitepassrailroad.com
http://sitka.org
http://skagway.org
http://visit-ketchikan.com
Images by Hamish M. Jackson
