alaska is awesome
2
My family drove from nyc in 1963 and did this trip from Prince Ruppert BC. I was 11. I did it again from Haines moving back to the lower 48 in October of 1987. Sleeping on the deck and mountain bike touring all the ports. Never have been on a cruise ship but have loved ferries all over the world.
Skagway's "Disneyland" is only seven blocks long and if you take a right off Broadway it's up the Upper Lake Trail and if you like, over to the Juneau Icefield and glaciers. Skagway is the home of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the old buildings have been carefully restored by the National Park Service. I have a feeling the author did not go to Skagway. If so, you missed the trip on the narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad that runs way up into the mountains and into Canada.
Haines sees less tourism because it doesn't like it, but tourism has floated Skagway through boom and busts since 1898 when tourists came to see the stampeders and the Chilkoot Trail.
1
I’m from Juneau, and while the article is a great read, tourism is almost all that’s left for Alaska. I worked for Fish and Game, I took scale samples from salmon that came to Excursion Inlet Packing Company, from the different fisheries, for example, seine fishing, Gill net, and of course trolling. You can age fish there are ridged growth rings on the back side, the compressed rings like in a tree represent winter, the wider rings represent summer growth because that’s when the most feed is available. The state spent billions on its fisheries, trying to insert salmon fry into streams, to get a larger return rate, escapement it’s called. As the fisheries have fallen off, Alaska has had to diversify its revenues tourism is that revenue boost. When I was there in the 1980s, we would see, maybe 2-4cruise ships a week, then 5-6 a week, then 7-10 now is 4-6 a day at the height of tourism. When I lived there the teams going up mount Roberts didn’t exist, Ketchikan didn’t boast one of the longest zip lines in the country. I could go out salmon fishing, and catch a couple of king Salmon, and some Dungeness crab, and in early fall/winter I could scuba dive for king crab, they come up into 90-120 feet, in huge bio mass piles to mate.
Most of that is gone or tightly regulated global warming has caused glaciers to shrink, industry is points to destroy the last pristine place in the US that hasn’t been touched by the oil and gas lobby, however, Lisa Murkowski sold the people out.
5
Try kayaking Glacier Bay and then paddling back to Gustavus. Fourteen days on the water with five life long friends. The glaciers have retreated so much. We had to time our paddling to avoid pack ice and be careful not scaring pup seals in the process. It’s no longer a tidewater glacier though the area is of awe inspiring beauty.
2
If only . . . What a refreshing article with wonderful photos!
3
One summer in the 80s I travelled north on the ferry, slept on the deck or in a chair inside and met great travelers. One woman was going to Juneau with her horse which was stowed below in a special area for pets. She took him out at the stops for a walk! No greater trip.
2
My friend and I took a ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway in June 2016 from Bellingham to Juneau. We booked a cabin with a bunk bed, but there was also the option of pitching a tent on the glass enclosed top deck for no more than the price of a regular ticket. No bells and whistles, no internet, forces you to interact with fellow passengers, enjoy the natural beauty, or read a good book. You get the idea. You can bring your own food and smuggle on alcohol pretty easily too. Next time definitely going to bring the car and drive up to Fairbanks!
1
Wish you had detailed costs
1
Look it up. The ferry system is relatively inexpensive.
ADDENDUM: by kayaking you pass a rookery with oystercatchers at mating season with their cacophonous calls, hear humpbacks blowing through the fog and mist and walk along a beach in the paw prints of ‘brownie’ while avoiding their scat. You can’t do that from the deck of a 5K capacity ship. Yet people need to be aware of the natural beauty in order to support preservation. On the other hand the impact of that many people on the land would be unspeakably impactful. It is a conundrum.
4
I recommend "Passage to Juneau" by Jonathan Raban, about his sailing solo up the Inland Passage. The anti-cruise ship voyage.
2
What great writing: “Skagway is unabashedly touristy, looks like somewhere Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam might argue about the meaning of “ carats”
5
But that's just seven blocks of downtown. Take the world-class scenic railway White Pass& Yukon Route and get way up into the mountains or take a right downtown and hike up the Upper Lake Trail and up and over onto the Juneau Ice Field.
The Alaska Marine Highway is a great ride and what I consider a decompression chamber from modern life.
I’m from Juneau, and his take on Skagway, is short sighted and sad. He misses the larger role and colorful history of Skagway, it was once considered the gateway to the Klondike. There was Soapy Smith, and his gang of thugs, that ruled over Skagway, and was good at separating people from their money. There was Frank Reid, who saw Soapy Smith for what he was a gangster, Frank Reid saw Skagway as a growing town, that needed respectability. They both met on the dock one night and killed each other, they are currently buried next to each other.
2
What a lovely article! Two summers ago we went through the inside passage in one of those large cruise (1300 passengers) described by the author. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. After reading this article I want to do the DIY trip
3
I lived my childhood in Alaska between Anchorage and Palmer.
I remember visiting the Mendenhall Glacier in 1958. It took about 15 minutes for my father and me to walk to the ice from where we got out of our car.
It's a much longer hike these days. But hey, climate change is fake news, right?
14
The Alaska Marine Highway System is not inexpensive !!
4
In comparison to flying it is.
1
The most memorable part of that cruise for me that my wife and I took with the family happened on one of the side bus tours to see whales. As we drove from the ship to where we boarded the whale watching boat, the chatty bus driver started telling stories of how the cruise ship lines owned and operated everything we saw and did, even building all the storefronts of all the shops - like Disneyland - at all the ships’ ports. Needless to say he wasn’t the driver going back.
2
As a 29 resident of Juneau and a 10-year veteran of the local visitors' bureau, I assert that what that driver said is absolutely not true.
1
I did once take the ferry from Juneau to Skagway, and it was fine, but there are better ways to see the Inside Passage, which I have tried several times: by small boat and by canoe.
I've visited the whole length on a 10 passenger boat in three trips. You can go places others can't, to see bears and other things like hot springs. These trips last a week and are, compared to the monster ships, very pricey. But there were perks: like fresh crab for dinner when the captain pulled up a crab trap and told us "I have an arrangement with this pot-owner: I take the crabs and leave in their place a bottle of Champagne". Also, once I shouted one of the all-time great messages to a ship captain: "We've lost the plane!". As in airplane, which we were towing on a rope. The journey included a couple of hours of "flightseeing" on an old military seaplane for each passenger. When the pilot was finished it was late,
so he stayed overnight, the plane being pulled along to our anchor spot. Except when the rope broke. We just went and reattached it.
The best parts of the canoe trip were seeing the multicolored starfish and eating the abalones a scuba diver staying at the same campsite gave us.
4
I had the pleasure of visiting Alaska last summer and it was one of the best trips I have taken; we went north up to Denali and south up to the Glacier Bay. Breathtaking beauty and amazing scenery, thanks for bringing back those memories.
2
When I turned 30 (nearly 30 years ago), my mother and I took the ferry from Bellingham to Juneau - it was great! We followed the big ships, saw everything they saw, but it was much more low key. We didn't know about the tent city , my nearly 70 year old mother was game - she booked the trip and on the advice of friends, did not book a room! We slept out in one of the large common rooms, met locals and vacationers, and had a ball. It's an amazing adventure I highly recommend it
9
The ferries also have cabins. While "basic" doesn't begin to cover the one I had 18 years ago, it was fine for even a 50-year-old lady. And the onboard cafeteria dished up surprisingly good food. I was especially fond of the halibut fish and chips. Even if you don't stay at a particular stop, there's usually time for a quick off-and-on stop, and usually plenty of locals with vans who will take you to stores or local sights. It was also a great way to meet locals, who do use the ferries extensively. All in all, I highly recommend them.
8
My husband and I have been keen to do this trip for several years now, and once our son goes off to college count us in! Thanks for all the great tips on-board, and ideas for exploring. The images with the article are stunning--
6
Wonderful article! Hyder is indeed connected to the road system. But not to the Alaskan road system. We drove in last spring the only way to get in: from Canada. Therefore, the Alaskan side had no border officials. Beware when you go back out to Canada. Hyder is famous for smugglers and you may find the Canadian border officials combing through your vehicle looking for guns and drugs.
5
Thanks for bringing back all my great memories. My husband and I sailed the Inside Passage out of Skagway on the ferry the first time in '85. Twenty years later we moved our family to Alaska on the ferry. I still recommend taking the ferry to all my Outside friends and family.
4
When we (mom, dad, kids ages 6 and 3) moved to Alaska in February of 1998, we took the ferry. Leaving Bellingham, the ship was less than half full, since not many tourists go north in winter. But starting in Ketchikan, the number of passengers increased, with more at each stop. It was high school basketball championship season, and coastal teams were traveling north to Haines to access the road system. By the time we docked there, the ship was more than full, with young people sleeping on the floor everywhere, and, with happy expectations (both the players and us). We all had a great time together.
7
If you can, do the drive from Haines to Skagway through the Yukon. It’s the most scenic route I’ve ever seen, called the Golden Circle. Stop at Moe's Yukon Ranch Adventures, where you can sleep in a teepee.
5
My wife and I took this trip several years ago and loved it. We had a cabin with a shower and bathroom. Thanks for the great write up in the memories it brought back. Recommend this for you for anybody interested in a really good adventure.
2
Re: The Ferry
Some things should be discovered.
Some things should be written about.
But not everything you discover should be described for the masses.
They should just be left for others to stumble upon.
The rewards are even greater then.
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Serendipitous! We are now driving to Prince Rupert, BC to board the Alaska Ferry to Sitka, then Juneau and finally, Haines: to camp and to kayak the last and 50th state we have paddled, in the yearof our 50th wedding anniversary. We hope our weather will be as fair as yours was.
21
The Inside Passage near Juneau has a daily tidal surge of 18 feet, according to the captain of the ferry I was on. It also has a lot of ship traffic and is pretty narrow. Finally, there's a lot of marshy ground along the edges from the glacier. All good things to be aware of for kayakers.
4
Wait. You state you wanted to NOT do the routine cruise thing but then spend only a few hours at your first stop, Ketchikan, and then write only about the touristy shop area? You missed the boat. We lived there for two years, relocating back to NJ only recently. With just a tiny bit of effort you could have been transported to a virtual faery land of gorgeous trails and heart pounding views. I’m kind of mad at you for this oversight. I do, however, recommend the Alaska Marine Highway (the only federal highway on water) to people who want to really see Alaska and have saved your otherwise excellent article to share. I’ll just have to fill in the Ketchikan part.
9
When living in Yukon, I travelled by ferry from Homer to Unalaska along the Aleutians Island. This is another great ferry trip that you can take with the Alaska ferry system.
2
There were 3 routes when I went. One went from Bellingham, Washington to Skagway, Alaska. That was the route I took. The other went West from there and covered most of the mainland coast. The third only ran in the summer and went all the way along the Aleutians.
In 2003, I completed the reverse journey (North to South) on the very same vessels. At that time Seward was the departure port. We changed ships in Juneau with a two day scheduled layover and caught the sights. I will second all the other commentators: Brilliant and not to be missed. Suggest interested travelers look on line for the day reservations open for berths on the days you want to travel. The berths get reserved fast. We were a party of four and secured a funky room with two sets of bunk beds. A most memorable trip.
6
Nice story, wish I was young enough to sleep on a ferry with a back pack.
9
Sparky Jones, I hope it isn't age that's stopping you. A DIY inside passage sure sounds like fun to me. Admittedly, the older I get, the thicker the open-cell mattress I wish I'd brought along 8^}.
2
You still can sleep in the solarium on the deck with the heat lamps any time of the year. There's deck loungers and just add a mattress pad with a sleeping bag and it's the best sleep ever.
I have done a lot of travelling in my life, but I have never felt further from home than I did surrounded by the majesty of Glacier Bay.
Little bits of my father's bright orange slicker disintegrated all over the boat. The melting glacier made a crackling sound like Rice Krispies. Two kayakers glided perilously close to the ice.
Under her breath, I heard my mother say, "Mother would kill me if she knew where I was." I asked why and learned that long ago my grandmother had two uncles who went off to make their fortunes in the Klondike.
My great, great uncles vanished and were never heard from again. I have spent thirty years wondering what became of them.
Glacier Bay transported me as few places ever have.
8
Love the John Muir footsteps angle of this adventure. It's a two'fr: combining learning about Alaska and John Muir! The photos in this article are top notch. Many Thanks. I think you've just encouraged a lot of folks to try this adventure. Bravo.
7
I had the chance to visit Alaska in 2000. We did the cruise ship thing, but even so, it was astounding and immensely profound.. The scenery is so vast. You don't know if that mountain is 6 miles away or 60 miles away. Yes, Skagway is very touristy, but if you can get there early in the season, the folks who present the town are not so worn down by too many tourists. Haines did not have the tourist pressure of Skagway, as noted in the article. Kayaking on Chilcat Lake at sunset was remarkable. The bears and the moose were coming alive. If you ever get the chance, YOU MUST GO! It is an experience that you will not forget.
5
Alaska's marine highway system is the best way to get around Southeast. My family took in 1967, from Prince Rainier to Haines, when we moved to Anchorage. I've taken it many times in all directions.
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After all, how are you going to visit Kake, Tenakee Springs, Pelican, Hoonah, or Angoon without taking it? And the locals you'll meet are the very best. Sleep in the lounge with the view up ahead, dine al fresco*, and shower for a couple of bucks. Travel doesn't come any better.
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* If you take your halibut burger out on deck.
10
We made this journey on the ferry in the 80s, when my husband was at Stanford and he needed a break from school. It was one of the best trips of my life. We slept on the floor just beneath the bar and watched the sun never set, took a wee hours tour of the Mendenhall glacier courtesy of a generous cab driver outside of Juneau, and clambered aboard a sea plane to eat the best Alaskan salmon I’ve ever had in my life. It was unforgettable and I still take out our photo album decades later and look at the pictures, recapturing a very special trip. Thank you for this article!
11
Unless you went through the Bering strait to the Seward Peninsula and the Beaufort sea, the sun most certainly did set. Admittedly, once one is North of 60 it doesn't get dark from May to July.
1
While you're technically right, I was walking around Juneau at 10:00 at night in April with still enough light to see by--even to see the island on the other side of the passage. It's quite an experience for us from the lower 49.
Right, the sun technically does set but it never really gets dark that time of year... I think that's what they mean.
2
Thank you for taking us away from the canned experience of a cruise ship, giant containers where travelers retreat to eat, drink and regurgitate the reason they came for, the all you can eat buffet! The whole purpose of traveling is to experience the unknown and through that discovery, understand ourselves. It dawned on me that life doesn't really require much, usually no more than a cup of warm liquid and some kind of bread, and yes, a good attitude and acceptance.
21
Speaking as an Alaskan, we would love to see more visitors on our Marine Highway! Please visit our beautiful state. Your ticket will help keep our ferry system going.
37
My wife and I took the Alaska Ferry from Bellingham to Swagway last summer. I planned early and got one of the 2 state rooms for 4 (even though there was just the 2 of us) with large double windows. It was fantastic!! The cafeteria was indeed and adventure with characters like "Duffy" who took this trip seeming all year long. We stayed in Skagway outside of town and make sure not to go into town until after the cruise ships left. We rented a car and drove over the famous White Pass and continued to White Horse in the Yukon. I am convinced that the best beer in the world is Yukon Gold!! After a week we got back on he ferry and returned to Bellingham. Duffy was on board again. What an adventure for a 75 year old man!
25
Nice. Article confirms my hesitation about signing up for a cruise - couldn’t bear the thought of those big cruise ships. My first Alaska trip will be Denali and Seward in Sept. A second might be the ferries!
6
What a fabulous article w amazing photo's! Thank you!
16
Dont know if the author's route missed it, but the Wrangell petersburg narrows are not to be missed. The route is impossibly tight, as is you can see the water flood out of the channel as the ferry displaces it, and the views are fantastic. Petersburg is a very cute Norwegian town, almost devoid of tourism. You cab take your car, and as was my choice, my motorhome, but it is pricy.
3
I enjoyed hanging out at the bow of the ferry as the pilot navigated the Wrangell/Petersburg narrows. There was a crew member right at the bow radioing info to the pilot/captain. The margins seemed very tight! I loved how in the age of modern technology, they still needed someone eyeballing it from the bow.
15
Back in the day, Dec 1944, Apr 1945, I spent some time in Haines. My uncle, Curly Powell, arrived with the Alaskan Hwy. He ran lumber mills for the project. He stayed for the rest of his life. It was a perfect place for someone of little education but a lot of get up and go.
On the trip up we flew to Juneau then via float plane to Haines. I remember skimming the tops of the trees as the plane was scud running under the overcast. Coming out we were on a fishing boat to Juneau and the rest of the way on the Princess Pat. A crew member took my brother and I for a stem to stern viewing of the ship. From the prop shaft, engine room, boiler room, cargo hold and focsle.
It is a trip I want to repeat but not with 3000 of my closest friends.
Haines was an interesting place for a young boy but if we had stayed I don't think I would have done all the things I have done down here in the lower 48.
8
I’m guessing Uncle Curly had no hair, right?
2
My wife and I traveled parts of the authors itinerary last year -- late August 2017 with Juneau as our home base -- using the Alaska Marine Highway. The sights and stopovers are as described: seemingly unending majestic landscapes and small but hardly unrefined villages such as Haines. The ferries were comfortable but not luxurious; onboard food was competent but not necessarily ideal for the health conscious. On the other hand we found some practical considerations which may matter to other travelers. Scheduling was complex even with a 3 week time window for travel: point to point roundtrips need to be coordinated with lodging availability; circuits with multiple stopovers were nearly impossible. Tickets for trips within Alaska were quite reasonable but traveling from Bellingham, WA much more expensive and time consuming. In summary not a substitute for the large commercial cruises but a very different approach to touring Alaska's Inside Passage.
8
When anyone asks tell them by FERRY. As Sr. Citizens we spent a month cycling the Inside Passage by ferry. With "Alaska Highways" as our guide we selected the villages of interest to us. Selected motels and guest houses in close proximity to where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. Reserved cabins with a bath for our ferry portions and took off for an adventure we recommend to everyone. For a month we met some of the most welcoming people ever, enjoyed morning coffee on the deck as the sun rose over the most breathtaking scenery in the World. Shared picnic lunches watching the views as we listened to stories of life in the remote villages, enjoyed simple but wonderful dinners with our new friends . Bikes are just enough transportation around the villages, The ferries are comfortable, the bridge alerts you to wildlife on the shores and often gives you a mini history of a sight to see up ahead and the people you meet are amazing. H.S. sports teams heading to a game upstream, families heading to an reunion, young and old...sharing. Each ferry is different in it's amenities but all are a wonderful experience. We suggest not bringing a car,
when a ferry is in port you have time to get off and explore for a few hours as they unload supplies. With a vehicle you can not leave the ferry in case they need you to reposition your car. I also suggest contacting the Alaska State Ferry office for assistance in planning and scheduling.
39
Now that I'm retired, I may get to make my own DIY inside passage. It sounds like a nice escape from the humdrum. OTOH, if Mr. Adams can describe as 'congenial' tablemates who "insisted climate change was a hoax", in a place that's presently elevating by two inches per year due to the visibly accelerated melting of nearby glaciers, he must be pretty congenial himself. If I'd been at that breakfast, I'm afraid it would have devolved into a shouting match 8^(!
Ignorance is excusable, and easily remedied. In the case of anthropogenic climate change, however, an effective plurality of Americans have been persuaded that an overwhelming consensus of scientific specialists, drawn from multiple lines of evidence accumulated for nearly 200 years and rigorously verified by thousands of trained, disciplined scientists around the world, is somehow a weapon of culture war. It's a matter of public record that fossil fuel money is flooding the public sphere with more-or-less specious disinformation about climate change, yet "cultural identity" is apparently a stronger motivation than basic reasoning from verifiable facts. How can government "of the people, by the people, for the people" succeed, when so many of the people are unwilling to acknowledge simple cause and effect? Once again I'm glad I never had children!
49
Reminded me of the time in the 1980's when my uncle came out for the last time. He said when he came to Haines, winter weather hit 20 below frequently and snow up to 3-4ft was common. That last winter it was rarely below freezing and there was no snow. Don't know where those folks think climate change is a hoax live in AK.
15
dd,
The people who, according to Mr. Adams, "insisted climate change was a hoax" were tourists from Colorado. Climate change is happening there too, of course, but maybe not so conspicuously as in Alaska. In any case, their denial of climate change is hardly evidence-based. While Mr. Adams didn't elaborate, I presume it's informed by 'conservative' cultural identity.
Speaking solely for myself, I can't imagine rejecting simple physics in the name of an illusory culture war. Yet people who think climate scientists all follow Al Gore's orders, nonetheless are in control of the US Presidency and both houses of Congress, as well as a majority of state Governors. The implications for our country's version of popular sovereignty are deeply disturbing IMHO. My own hopes, however slender, are pinned on Lincoln's truism that "you can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time."
4
While climate change is evident throughout Alaska, connecting it to people is more tenuous. Alaskans tend to have strong opinions - all sides. The volume and enthusiasm increase as you get further from the tourist traps. If that is a problem for you, avoid Alaska. By the way, I am also glad that you are childless.
1
Isn't there a way to make this trip with a bit more comfort - say somewhere between a backpack and rough towels and a mega-sized cruise ship?
5
The ferries on the AMH offer a range of rooms.
3
Holland America (based out of Seattle, WA) has medium size ships. You get to see quite a lot. I have done the trip many times and I always enjoy it.
8
There are small boat trips that one can find on the internet. Less than 100 passengers to as low as 10. I want to take one before this body completely wears out.
Good Luck.
7
It's been awhile, but I once camped by the road at the outskirts of Haines in October trying to catch a ride to Fairbanks. I got a copy of the ferry schedule and stuck my thumb out only for an hour or so after the ferry arrived. Otherwise, I talked and played pickup baseball with a couple of kids who lived nearby.
A great place, South East.
1
I envy the author. It's been 34 years since we departed San Francisco on the "Royal Viking Star' for a glorious cruise. Yes, the ship was considered large then, but we were the only one docked in many ports. Glacier Bay has cold, but I still have photos of the many glaciers that are so reduced in size today.
Go, but go as this author did. If we do this again, it will be on a small ship stopping a ports that don't see the mega liners. Our 49th state is truly glorious.
8