Alaska is a country at the northwestern tip of the American Continent, which belonged to Russia until 1867. In the same year, it was sold by Tsar Alexander II to the USA, thus creating the 49th state. In Alaska one encounters some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. Glaciers, fjords, lakes, wild animals on land and sea which “marry” with the great local cultural and historical heritage, making Alaska a unique tourist destination. Few places in the world make the visitor feel so small and insignificant when faced with the majesty of nature and the uncertainty of survival in such a wild environment.
The only safe way to discover these vast unreal landscapes is to travel by icebreaker cruise ship through the famous “Inside Passage” which is a coastal route for cruise ships, thus avoiding bad weather in the open ocean. The cruise ship sails from the port of Vancouver, Canada, one of the world’s busiest picturesque urban cities surrounded by greenery, sea and mountains. Cruise ship ports of call include the cities of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway culminating in Alaska’s largest glacier off the coast of Yakutat, Hubbard Glacier. The cruise ends in the port city of Seward, located on a fjord in the Gulf of Alaska, 120 miles by car from Anchorage, the country’s largest city, and about 1,000 miles from the Bering Strait.
In Vancouver we are given the opportunity to experience the city’s beauty and exceptional quality of life. In the afternoon of the next day, we set sail traveling north.
The next day we travel crossing the “Alaska inside passage” through islets, bays and fjords. The landscape becomes eerie and mysterious as it is surrounded by a thin veil of fog leaving the snow-capped mountain peaks peeking through the mist. At seven in the morning the ship docks at the port of Ketchikan, a small picturesque town of 3,000 inhabitants. The old town with the wooden houses painted in pastel colors, built on wooden stilts, drowns between the sea and the green mountains. The main occupation of the inhabitants since the time of the indigenous Tlingits Indian tribes, is salmon fishing and for this reason the city is considered, according to Tourist brochures, “Capital of Solomon and Totem”.
In 1870 this marine wealth was discovered by residents of Seattle who, having the experience of canning fish, invested in Kechikan and thus the native Indians were made workers by bosses only to be exterminated by diseases brought by the new residents.
We walk down Creek Str. known as “Red Light” street because of the houses of ill repute created by the arrival of new residents to the city. Fishermen, miners, gold miners after a hard day’s work, on their way back to town, Creek Str. and her almshouses were waiting for them. The most famous of these is the famous ‘Doly’s House’ which today has been converted into a museum of a typical house with period furniture and decoration that harkens back to the era of the great economic boom.
Just outside the city is the village of Saxman. Here, lived years ago residents of the Tlingits Indian tribe. The most impressive part of the village is the square with the 6 totems. The totems are wooden tree trunks up to 6 meters, painted with colorful colors that mainly represent faces with animal characteristics. They are erected outside each house and symbolize the genealogical roots of its owners. Something like a flag for each tribe. The whole idea of the totem is based on animism, the belief that everything has a soul or spirit including animals, plants, rivers and stars.
At three in the morning, the ship sets sail for Juneau, the capital of Alaska. We arrive at seven in the morning. We are located 900 miles north of Seattle and 600 miles southeast of Anchorage. Juneau began to develop in the 1880s as a gold mining camp, as three of the world’s largest gold mines were located in this area. City life centered on Juneau’s main street, Franklin Str. The whole street is full of saloons, cafes, small hotels which are still maintained in good condition. Walking down the street you get the impression that you are in another era. But beyond the historical part of the city, Juneau is known for the many glaciers that exist in the area.
One of them, the most impressive and famous is the “Mendenholf Glacier”. Outside an office that organizes various tours in the surrounding area, I read ‘Trecking to Mendenholf Glacier via Helicopter’. The temptation is great. I also participate in a helicopter the next day in the morning together with five other people and with the necessary equipment that the trainers of the mission have given us, we get on the helicopter to go to the glacier. The day is sunny. Juno looks like a dot from above. The deep blue of the sea succeeds the white landscape of the glacier. As we approach to land three black bears in the white landscape are chased carelessly until they are lost on the frozen slopes of a mountain.
We land on a glacier plateau. Following the instructions of the experienced instructors we manage not only to walk without slipping, but also to climb with ropes and hoops on the frozen hillsides. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. After 6 hours of intense activity, we return to Juneau. We drink a coffee to relax and then we visit the Russian Orthodox church of Saint Nicholas which was built in 1897. Before entering the ship we stop for a cold beer at the legendary “Red dog “Saloon””. At eight o’clock the ship sets sail. Tired, I fall straight to sleep.
The next day I wake up at 5 am. Wearing a warm jacket, I go up on deck with a mug of coffee. The ship has taken the long turn to enter the Lynn Channel reducing speed. Our destination is Skagway, which is located on the edge of the canal. I’m alone on deck and I like it. I grip the handrail tightly and leave myself to the view of wild nature. The mountains surrounding Skagway reach the sea in wild cliffs with small caves filled with seals. Among them I can see a sea elephant. As I leave, I see a fishing boat full of salmon and a flock of birds perching incessantly, following the ship.
Around seven o’clock we arrive at the port of Paly. Skagway has its own history. In 1896 a news story from the radio and newspapers upsets America. Literary titles “Gold-Gold-Gold” refer to the rich gold deposits found in the Yukon region of Canada and more specifically in the Klondike. This news creates the “Klondike gold rush”, a migration of thousands of gold seekers to Canada’s Yukon Territory. They sell everything they have, collect money and leave for Seattle and from there by boat to Skagway. Some are looking for the cheapest, but dangerous solution to go to Skagway, as most are dying in the icy waters of Alaska. The road to the Klondike required good preparation so staying in the small town of Alaska was deemed necessary for at least 5-6 months. The city is filled with men. Before long, women also arrive. Between ’97 and ’98 the town had 80 “houses”.
The Yukkon region with its rich gold deposits belongs to Canada and is located behind the mountains that surround Skagway. So, the person concerned had to climb to the top of the mountain 950 meters, continue another 32 km to Bennett Lake and then cross the Yukkon River another 965 km in a makeshift boat. to reach the rich deposits of the Klondike. The ascent to the mountains had to be done in winter so that by the time the person concerned reached Lake Bennet, the lake ice had melted. Later, seeing the museum’s rich photographic material of this golden age, you can see on the faces of the gold hunters the anxiety to reach their destination, as they know very well that there is no way back. Either you come back rich or you leave your bones in the wild.
There were two options for the route to the top of the mountain. The “Chilkoot” pass which was the most legal but also the most difficult and the “White pass” route which was easier but took more time. On this second route in 1898-1900 a narrow-gauge railway was established that reached Lake Bennet. Later, when the gold rush collapsed in the early 20th century, the train stopped operating. With the boom in tourism in Alaska it was put back into operation. It is truly a unique experience to travel today on this train which was considered a marvel of engineering as it climbs to 3000 feet. The view and the constantly changing landscape of mountains, rivers and glaciers with the recorded narration heard from the train’s loudspeakers about the frenzied hunt for gold and the construction of the railway impress even the most demanding travelers. We return after 4 hours.
Before entering the ship we go for a beer at the “Red Onion”, one of the most famous saloons of the time with live “country” music. The next day we reach the “Icy strait point”. A small harbor surrounded by old abandoned fish canning factories. The loud noise of the engines and the intermittent jolts of the ship before it anchors wake me up. I go up on deck and as my gaze is lost in the vastness of the ocean, I see a pod of whales diving in the water just a few meters from the ship. The area here is famous not only for the whales that congregate, but also for five different species of salmon, as well as the many cod.
We disembark and wander into the small town of Hoonah, nestled at the base of White Alice Mountain, about 1000m. from the port. The town, which is inhabited by native Tlingit tribes, ends on a small harbor filled with wooden docks, fishing boats and seaplanes which I am told are mainly used for fishing. We board the ship in the late afternoon and continue to Glacier Bay National Park. We arrive at 5 in the morning. Here, Hubbard Glacier is located one of the largest and most impressive glaciers in North America with a length of 120 km and a width of 11 km.
As we approach, a multitude of smaller icebergs that have broken off from that particular glacier float out to sea. As we observe the glacier from the deck of the ship, we see up close the detachment of a huge part of it sinking into the sea creating a deafening noise. The sight is shocking. We spend some time on deck observing the wild side of nature and listening to a variety of natural wild sounds: wolves howling, ice falling from glaciers, brown bears hunting salmon and whales singing. Soon the ship picks up speed. It is noon and we are already out of the bay. The next day in the morning we arrive at Stewart.
We take the train to our final destination, Anchorage. We travel through wild landscapes and picturesque coastlines, enjoying the view from the train’s large glass windows and domed glass roof. After four hours we arrive in Anchorage which is considered the most populous city in Alaska with most of them being native Alaskan Inuit, i.e. Eskimos although the term Eskimo is considered offensive and racist by the Inuit as it means meat eater, as I learn later in anchorage history museum. In this amazing museum, all the history and culture of the Inuit is spread out.
They are considered native Alaskans as centuries ago, crossing a narrow strip of land, they passed from Siberia to Alaska. At the entrance of the museum dominates the typical Eskimo boat “Umiac” of about 10 meters with a wooden frame and a sealskin cover. Anchorage, which is surrounded by a wild landscape, is a modern city with wide avenues, skyscrapers, malls. But it is almost empty of people and cars, which is why it is considered one of the most sparsely populated cities in America. There, when you walk down the street, under the skyscrapers, you are more likely to walk next to a deer or a bear than people.
Somewhere here ends our journey to the last frontier of the earth, Alaska. An adventure journey between impressive glaciers, silent fjords and indigenous villages. The next day we leave by plane for Calgary, the largest city in population in the Canadian province of Alberta to continue with a road trip to the Rocky mountains following the Calgary-Banff-Jasper route.
