Way up North to Alaska
- Ash Collins
- Jul 31, 2019
- 7 min read
At the end of May we embarked upon our long awaited cruise from our home Port of San Francisco bound for Alaska.
The Grand Princess, the 950 foot pride of the Princess Cruise company fleet accommodates 3,100 passengers and approximately 1,060 crew. Our round trip journey would see us sailing a little over 3,200 nautical miles through 4 ports (Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, & Victoria) and sailing through the majestic Tracy Arm up Stephen's Passage (said the actress to the Bishop).
Passing by Alcatraz and sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, Captain Harry Smith pulled the ship's hand brake and wheel right hand down and set course in a North Westerly direction into the open Pacific ocean toward our first port of call, Ketchikan. At an average speed of just over 19 knots (22mph for the petrol heads) we would be at sea for 2.5 days before arriving at our first port of call. With this much time up our sleeves our plan was to explore the ship from bow to stern, from port to starboard, to find the most comfortable bar with the friendliest bar staff. We dropped anchor midships at the Crooners Lounge & Bar. This would become our local for the next 10 days. Centrally located, Crooners was an ideal place for people watching (some whales) as well as a meeting place for like minded people with a drinking problem. One of the many people we met was Ray (below)...the resident lumberjack. A fantastic fella that would certainly give William Tell a run for his money.
After 2.5 days at sea we finally docked at Ketchikan. Ketchikan as Alaska's salmon capital, is the fifth-most populous city in the state with ~9,500 residents, with the Tongass (unfortunate) Hwy. as its main arterial in and out of the area. We disembarked at 7.30am to begin exploring the town before our Wildlife Safari Cruise & Beach Bonfire excursion. The 2.5 hour tour took us around the local harbor and out to a remote island area where we would be met by members of the local indigenous community. With bon fire ready, we cooked our reindeer (sorry Rudolph) hotdogs marshmallow style and washed them down with an Alaskan amber ale. Along the way we witnessed a female humpback whale and her calf frolicking in the sunlit bay, sea lions and bald eagles.
With a little time left upon our return, we explored the town and its surrounds. A major attraction of the town is the old Red Light district. Having convinced Trace it was out of commission, we walked 10 minutes to Creek Street. The street or boardwalk is mounted on stilts that support the multitude of gift shops that were once a series of brothels supporting the needs and urges of the gold miners. Creek Street was officially closed for (naughty) business in 1954.
Leaving Ketchikan in our wake, Capt. Smith set sail for the Alaskan capital, Juneau. Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains. An interesting and unusual fact about Alaska's capital is that there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of Alaska or to the rest of North America (although a ferry service is available for cars).
We had some time to kill before our shore excursion that allowed us to experience one of the city's most popular tourist attractions...the Mt. Roberts Tramway. The Mt. Roberts Tramway is one of the most vertical tramways in the world rising 1,800 feet from the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau. Rolling above the rain forest to the Mountain House, the final destination offers expansive views of Juneau and Gastineau Channel.
Our half-day wildlife adventure began with a pre-flight meet with our Alaska float lane pilot. Safety drill complete, we climbed aboard for the breathtakingly scenic flight over southeast Alaska's glorious landscape. In a little over 20 minutes our plane landed in the shallow crystal waters off Admiralty Island. Located in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, we found ourselves in the largest temperate rainforest in North America and more excitingly, in the heart of brown bear territory. Our small group was met by our expert local guide who shared his in-depth knowledge of the area's fascinating natural history, wildlife and, of course, the life and habits of brown bears. Notwithstanding the tranquil streams, breathtaking estuaries and coastal areas, I was in the epicenter of a wildlife photographer's nirvana.
A bit of trivia I learned from our guide...the distinction between brown bears & grizzlies. Brown bears are generally considered to be the species that have access to coastal food resources like salmon. Grizzly bears live further inland and typically do not have access to marine-derived food resources.
Today fulfilled a bucket list, a lifelong dream to witness these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. Watching this young family at play, grazing the wetlands and searching for clams was simply breath taking. The bears were only a few weeks out of hibernation. Mum had given birth to the cubs whilst in the den hibernating so all three were keen to put on some much needed weight (fat) and condition. Our guide estimated that mum was ~8 years old and her cubs were about 3-4 months old.
For me, the most interesting aspect of this experience was observing the behavior of the adult female as it related to our group and her cubs. She was keenly aware of our presence at all times! Despite most of our group having showered this morning, a bear's sensitive nose more than makes up for their average eyesight as they can smell us from 3 miles away. The bears are accustomed to the presence of humans however their innate behavior is not affected or influenced by us. With that said our guide was very specific as to how we as a group (never as an individual) should behave in the bear's habitat so as to maximize our experience. For the most part we kept our distance until we arrived at the wetlands. From a slightly elevated vantage point, our intrepid group witnessed the family grazing from a distance of only 20-30 yards...wow living the dream!!!
As some negative butthead once said, "all good things must come to an end" and they did. After a dream day it was time to embark upon the Grand Princess as we sailed from the port of Juneau en route to our next destination, Skagway.
Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents however it still retains the flavor of the Klondike gold rush era.
Our shore excursion adventure today would begin with a 45-minute scenic cruise aboard a high-speed fast ferry along North America's longest and deepest fjord to Haines. The ferry journey provided spectacular views of waterfalls and ice-sculpted peaks carved out over millennia.
Upon arrival in Haines, we boarded a bus driven by a local naturalist guide who steered the bus along the the route the Chilkoot River. Nestled between rugged glaciers and snowcapped mountains, the fertile Chilkoot Valley is home to generations of grizzly bears, bald eagles, mountain goats, marine mammals, numerous birds and spawning salmon. Right in my bucket list wheelhouse once again.
Our driver dropped the group at the River Adventures tour company on the heart of the Chilkoot River. Having piled on the warm clothing we boarded our speedy aluminium craft to make our way along the channels / estuaries of Chilkoot River system. With binoculars in hand our trusty guide kept a sharp eye looking out for views (hopefully) of mountain goats, moose, grizzly bears along the river and nesting eagles. There are no certainties given on these expeditions...consider yourself lucky to see 1 of 4; we got 3 of 4 BAZINGA!!! Bald eagles were plentiful including a local that was fed each day by the guide as part of the tour. Once again we were very lucky to get access to a grizzly mom and her 18 month old son. And on our way back to camp we caught sight of a pregnant female moose feeding in the wetlands. We could not contemplate just how lucky we were...
Exhausted from another wildlife-rich extravaganza, we headed back to the Grand Princess for a well deserved cocktail or 10. Could we possibly top the fauna highlights of the past two days (rhetorical); but of course! Capt. Smith, ably supported by Seaman Stanes and Roger the Cabin Boy (god bless you Kenny) steered the GP on a cautious course down to Tracy Arm sailing through Stephens Passage towards Endicott Glacier.
Hung over and sore from our previous evening's celebrations in the disco, we awoke next morning to stunning vista views as we sipped a heart starting Irish coffee on our balcony. My vocabulary is not extensive enough to put into words what we witnessed over the following 3 hours. I've been told a picture tells a thousand words...on that basis I'll let the images do the talking!
Understandably Tracey & I were completely overwhelmed by what we witnessed in the aptly named Tracy Arm Fjord. I must have taken 200 hundred images and I can honestly say that none of them captured the scale and majesty of this awesome creation of mother nature. Instead we opted to go topside on deck 16 to sip another Irish coffee and simply take in the view.
As we steamed out of Stephen's passage our course was set for the final port of call on our 10 day cruise. We sailed overnight through the Strait of Juan De Fuca (who names these landmarks???) heading southward to Victoria, Vancouver Island.
Winding back the clock, British Columbia was the second stop on my world tour way back in 1988. I had never forgotten the old world charm of Vancouver Island and Victoria with its colorful port / harbor area, its offbeat houseboats and European architectural influences. Today would entail a hop on / off bus tour around the island followed by a relaxing day walk around the city centre and harbor areas.
And that concludes the cruise of a lifetime...after 10 days, 3,236 nautical miles, 4 ports, 100 Chairman of the Board martini's, restaurants, exhausting belly laughs and meeting many damn fine people it was time to hand back our lifejackets. A big thank you to all the crew of the Grand Princess, particularly our barmen, that made us all feel at home.
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