Uncategorized – Page 8 – Uniquely Theo

Cross Cars, a not so “hot” Hot Springs, and Hoofed Ruminants

November 20, 2023uniquelytheo1 Comment

After the incredible expedition in Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks, I had a week to fill with adventure before I would board the Alaska Maritime Ferry “Columbia” in Skagway for the trip to Bellingham Washington. The reckless adventurer in me toyed with the idea of driving the Dalton Highway, a 414-mile stretch of gravel and dirt that runs from north of Fairbanks up to Prudhoe Bay. Remote it is. There are only three very small towns along the way from the midpoint Coldfoot to the end and there are no gas stations, restaurants, rest stops, or hotels the entire 240-mile stretch. It is stated that The Dalton Highway is brutal on ALL vehicles. So somehow the sane self realized that this undertaking would be sheer folly for an older adult female traveling solo in her Jeep Compass since I would have to camp, get extra tires, buy all the supplies, emergency equipment and food, so I started romanticizing a different Alaskan style adventure with a stay at an Old Roadhouse, a soak in the lauded Chena Hot Springs, a warm cozy night at Caribou Cabin in Tok, and a return visit to the beautiful Hidden Valley B & B in Whitehorse , Yukon Territory before arriving in Skagway.

I had no interest in going back to Soldotna so I booked my first two nights at the Talkeetna Roadhouse Inn. I had spent a few hours there in August of 2019 and had a meal at the roadhouse. It was a very lively bustling place known for its hearty meals, served family style at big tables, and lodging which had a tremendous amount of historical charm. It’s bakery was famous for its cinnamon rolls, pies, cookies and breads. So I was eagerly anticipating a repeat experience when I booked the ‘Lil Cabin in the Back for two nights. Much to my disappointment and dismay the place was as quiet as a tomb, unpopulated, and not a soul around. The bakery had very limited fare and only on weekends.

Seems the Roadhouse is focused on lodging only and the bakery and restaurants are the victim of COVID. A big point made in the booking information was that guest no longer had to share bathroom facilities as bathroom are now assigned. My ‘Lil Cabin in the Back was assigned a bathroom in the main building as it did not have its own water supply. It’s what is termed a “dry cabin” and this incidentally gave me a modified camping experience of trotting out of my shelter in the drizzle for a middle of the night peeing adventure. BUT aside from that, the dry Cabin was delightful with big comfy queen bed with a view of the gas fireplace, a micro-wave and small refrigerator, a french press coffee pot, wi-fi…

According to alaska.org : “Capture the feeling of bustling small-town Alaska in a stroll down Talkeetna’s Main Street, a 2-block journey through historic buildings, art shops, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream stops and a micro-brewery.”

True, the bustling small town is there except it would be more accurate to describe my stroll as an adventure in jockeying around the several hundred passengers off-loaded from the Princess Cruise Line buses, passing on very over-priced ice cream and coffee drinks, perusing the carbon copy souvenir shops that can be found in almost every tourist city in the world (except Talkeetna Alaska is emblazoned on them), passing the acclaimed Talkeetna Roadhouse and mourning the demise of their famous food and people extravaganza, and walking through the mud puddles at Talkeetna River Park at the confluence of three wild rivers (East, West, and main stem of the Sustina River)… all the while staring into the distant horizon searching for a glimpse of Denali which of course was obscured by the massive cloud banks and rain.

To be fair there was much that I did enjoy. There were some shops filled with local art, Alaskana, and colorful characters. A walking tour of downtown area (Talkeetna Historic District) which is on the register of National Historic Places, with buildings dating from the early 1900s was quite interesting. Nagley’s General Store, the Fairview Inn and the Talkeetna Roadhouse all are still in operation. But the true highlight for the two nights there was staying in this very cozy warm cabins, propped up in bed, reading and experiencing the dancing flames in the firepalce.

After two nights in “Lil Cabin in the Back” I was off to Chena Hot Springs Resort. I was excited as it was not a total “washout” of a day with non-relenting drizzle. I thus was finally able to get a partial view of Denali from a roadside pullout

The Chena Hot Springs “resort” was not at all what I had expected. My first impression upon entering the property was positive. The main building appeared well maintained and resort-ish! Chena was described in their reservation confirmation as a “Rustic Alaskan-style resort found in the Interior, 60 miles away from Fairbanks featuring a hotel, multiple types of tours and activities, and hot springs.. Relax in the hot springs, view the Aurora, and experience Alaska as Chena Hot Springs knows it.”

But there it ended. Rustic it was …but not even in a cute backwoodsy sense but shabby Motel 6 kind of way. I had anticipated a classier accommodation for an off-season price of $162.00 per night for a Fox room. Basically this rundown Fox accommodation was a quadplex building of 8 rooms in each, 4 downstairs and 4 upstairs. Naturally my assigned room was on the second flour which I reached by negotiating the grungy entrance and dark dumpy stairwell laboriously hauling my suitcase on up. The Fox Rooms, were touted to have a unique Alaska decor. My decor was a picture of a bear on the wall. But in our inflationary economy I guess that is the going rate for shabby.

Again this was not a resort. I did not mind the small room but the cheep wood paneling on the wall was definitely not what I would consider worthy of the resort designation. There is no microwave or refrigerator so one is captive and thus needing to use their restaurant. The room was very cold and had a no functioning thermostat ( which created the illusion guest actually had power over the temperature in their room). I went to the front desk to ask if something could be done, the staff was rather rude and abrupt but said they would send someone up. Two hours later there still was no resolution or maintenance person and I tried many times calling the desk but they never answered the phone. I finally put on extra sleepwear and went to bed. I went to the desk in the morning to again complain about the cold room and phone attempts to reach front desk. I was rudely told that they are so busy they just don’t answer the calls. The positive ending to the no heat saga was that I hijacked the individual cleaning the rooms on my floor and inquired about the heat. He immediately went to their closet and produced a space heater which served nicely to provided me with a toasty sleeping experience the second night.

The mineral spring water rises from the earth at about 150 degrees. Thank goodness it is cooled down to about 106 degrees when feeding the boulder lined outdoor “lake pool”with it’s sandy bottom. Soak I did each morning before the crowds descended, all the while strolling around as there was no place to sit in the lake. Unfortunately I did not feel healed by the healing waters. What I had enchantingly pictured for a hot springs experience was a whole lot more raw nature (as pictured in my backpacker magazines out there in the wilderness) than a man-made lake. Though there was a real hot spring, it was cordoned off by a falling down fence around the hot spring that could not be used. There was also an outdoor hot tub and indoor hot tub and large pool, but I was turned off by the smell of chlorine permeating the air and thus opted out of a relaxing swim. I carefully negotiated the gym like locker room, feeding quarters to the hungry lockers, and changed out in what was akin to the locker room in an ancient gymnasium.

I was less than impressed with the restaurant. Upon entering, I asked to be seated and stated I was alone. First thing out of the hostesses’ mouth was “would you like to sit at the bar!” Seems like if I wanted to sit at the bar I would have asked to sit at the bar. . Clearly it is not quite as lucrative to have a table which could seat four occupied by this lone woman. Since there are no other food/dining options nearby, eating there was my only option. In general I found the food mediocre and overpriced BUT the one thing that was excellent was the salads. Chena is a greenhouse to table restaurant so greenhouse grown lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs were on the menu. The second night I was seated in the adjacent banquet area…I figured they were opening this for additional guests but seems I was the only additional guest! Hmm! I see a pattern emerging since there were open tables in the main part of the restaurant. and there don’t take reservations. I did enjoy the fresh salad and chowder but was a tad taken aback when served a hot roll, which clearly had the temperature and texture of a bread that had been microwaved. Fortunately, in preparation for the upcoming ferry ride I had nonperishable breakfast and lunch items in my car which saved me from having to depend on the restaurant for 3 squares and since it was cold at night what perishables I did have in the cooler stayed chilled!

On the positive side, I toured the greenhouses where they grow much of their fruit, vegetables, and herbs and this left me in awe of the sustainability aspect of the property. They definitely are doing certain things right. Following that there was a geothermal energy tour of the property which was very interesting. The geothermal powering of everything in Chena, by harnessing the power of the hot springs, is incredulous. I felt like I was in a time warp though as ambling over to the geothermal plower plant I found my self in a “graveyard” of all manner of rusted out trucks, cars, machinery . I came away with the impression that anything that arrives in Chena over the years stays in Chena ad infinitum.

There was a sled dog kennel tour available but it was pricey and I discovered it was okay to wander over to the kenneling area and visit with the dogs. Exceptionally nice was the opportunity to go into the adoption yard area where the dogs who are aging and no longer able to pull the sled are available for adoption. They were all so eager to be petted. Oh, how I wished I could have taken several of them home.

The surrounding area had beautiful views of mountains. It was September and the mountains were all dressed out in their golden finery. Several hiking trail option were available but I decide to keep it simple and follow the designated nature trail around the beaver pond. But in the maize of trails around and a very unclear hiking map and trail signage, I never did discover the beaver pond. But it was a beautiful day exploring the surrounding woods and property.,

As with most resorts (I use the term loosely) the main attraction seems to be never enough and all kinds of side gigs (for a price) are available for extra bucks and a way to “soak” customers if the hot springs isn’t enough of a soak. I did not opt for a visit to the Aurora Ice Museum, a sled dog cart ride, 4 wheel drive adventure, ATV Wheeler drive….or the Apple Martini from the ice bar where you drink out of ice glasses and then smash them.

After a less than illustrious experience at Chena, I headed over to TOK, about a 250 mile drive and situated at the crossroads of the Alaska Highway (AK 2) and the Glen Highway (AK1). Much of the landscape out of Chena and, after negotiating the the urban sprawl through Fairbanks is boreal forest. It then heads east along the meandering Tanana River with the landscape opening up into a wider valley of tundra and impressive view of the Alaska Range to southwest and eventually the distant rugged peaks of the Wrangell and Mentasta Mountains. There was definitely minimal traffic (and services) on this Alaskan road through the wilderness. My traveling buddy Siri did a very poor job of directing me to my nights lodging at Caribou Cabins but after a bit of backtracking and finding accurate directions on the reservation sheet, I made it to this very quiet, wooded setting. What a great cabin, beautifully constructed and spotless, spacious, bright and very comfortable. I’d give it a five star if I were to rate it, especially because it had a great assortment of K-cup pods for the Kuerig coffee maker.

The name Caribou Cabins indicates what the favorite pets are. There are two reindeer(caribou) in a fenced in area behind the main building. Though it was quite fun seeing these large antlered hoofed ruminants, I felt sad seeing them so confined and not able romped around the lovely forests with the other 750,000 wild caribou in Alaska.

Motoring on over to Yukon territory was a re-run as I had travel this section of the Alcan Highway when I had motored up to Alaska in 2018. The route traversed skirts the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge and cuts through the valleys adjacent to the Wragell and St Elias Mountain Ranges.

It was not exactly smooth sailing as there was a significant amount of road work which appeared to be repaving but mostly a repair of the road heaves from the previous winter. I was in need of a pee stop but got stuck in construction zone just a few miles short short of the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center. As the minutes piled up and I was feeling more desperate, I began eyeing the port-a-potty on the roadside up ahead… of course that would be sheer desperation but I was actually considering pulling my car out of the line and braving a rather awkward encounter with the construction crew and probably a completely grungy potty. I have never wished to be a guy, but right then I would loved to have been able to step out of the car and just whip it out for instant relief. I sat there practicing the Kegalls and taking calming breaths when after 25 minutes the line of cars began to slowly move forward. Thank goodness about 15 minutes later I was at the refuge visitors center and their hygienic bathrooms.

This was to be a 400 + mile driving day so I was soon back on the road and crossing into Canada, This wilderness area is not heavily trafficked so it was quite a relaxing drive all the while being thoroughly awed by the surrounds and drinking in the scenic Kluane Mountains to the southwest and Lake Kluane to the northeast. Being mid-September the fall foliage was perking up and there was a panoply of golden hues roadside.

I arrived at Hidden Valley Bed and Breakfast around 6:00 pm. As I experienced in Talkeetna , things are not quite the same since COVID. No repeat performances here either. Being a different season (fall versus mid summer) , the grounds were void of the magniifcant flower gardens and outdoor seating areas surround by beautiful pots of flowers. It looked quite dreary arrayed in dead plants. I found a note on the door to let myself in and headed up the stairs per direction to the Blue Room. Fortunately it did not turn out to be the tomb like atmosphere of Talkeetna, but it was obvious the woman who owned the B & B had aged considerably and was not the same peppy purveyor of 5 years ago. I did ask her for a restaurant recommendation and ended up going to the recommended Whiskey Jacks’s Pub and Grill. Being around 7:30 on a Friday evening and desperately hungry, I ended up sitting at the bar (not my preference for sure as discussed in Chena Hot Springs ) so as not to have to wait an hour or more for a table. I was actually quite entertained throughout my meal by the bartender whipping up and out with a flourish hundreds of alcoholic drinks. The Blue Room slept well!

After a not very appetizing breakfast of a rubbery poached egg on toast, I head out for the final driving excursion to Skagway Alaska on a very cool, foggy rainy day. Since the distance would only be a bit over 120 miles, I could have a leisurely drive through a very picturesque and historic area. After a sort 40 minute drive just short of Carcross (Tagish First Nation) Emerald Lake came in to view…though on this day it would not be touted as a fin ‘gem’ since it was not shimmering with a brilliant emerald green hue that promotional literature states captivates so many visitors. It was lovely none-the-less with the fall foliage adding a bit of colorful contrast. Back on the road again, I was intrigued when I came upon a small dunescape , the Carcross Desert, which clearly seemed out of place in this area of snow capped mountains, lakes, and forests. It is touted as the World’s Smallest Desert.

Carcross, (previously know as Caribou Crossing), at the north end of Bennet Lake , was an encampment on the way up to Dawson City for the Klondike. I wondered why they change the name. I fantasized it was because the local caribou made a decision to avoid the gold rushers and disappeared north and the town needed to be renamed because the motorcar was doing most of the crossing in the territory. My thought process was very dense as I failed to deduce that it was a truncation of the original name to simplify postal service…a very utilitarian reason but having nothing to do with the motor car.

Carcross has a significant indigenous heritage and a whole lot of historical charm with several historical buildings lining the street. Its a mixture of artisan shops, galleries, cafes, many newer but also old decaying buildings, It also was over run on this day with Holland American Cruise Line Buses which disgorged many many passengers.. I weaved through the streets of Carcoross, visited the White Pass and Yukon Railway Station, walked a bit on the beach of Bennet lake, explored the restoration site of the S.S. Tutshi BUT avoided the packed shops and galleries. .

The territory covered, traveling beyond Carcross/Tagish First Nation on the south Klondike highway, was dressed out with snow capped rugged mountains bordering a wide wilderness valley hosting Bennett and Tutshi Lakes, rugged lichen encrusted rocks, rushing rivers, picturesque waterfalls, ascending up to White Pass and the Alaska Border. The road was steeper with many curves and a bit more of a navigation challenge that I had encounttered so far under most circumstance but more so with a steady drizzle and fog at the higher elevations. I however did find the area quite striking until I ended up with no scenery at all given the density of the fog at there top of White Pass. I had been looking forward to the panoramic vista from the White Pass summit at 3292 feet but twas not to be.

For prosperity’s sake I had to do a photo of five years later with the Welcome to Alaska sign as I did on the day I entered Alaska when I was moving to Soldotna in 2018.

I arrived in Skagway, a quaint Klondike Boom Town of 1000, which is steeped in gold rush history and situated between towering peaks and the coast line of the Inside Passage. The primary commercial street, Broadway, is lined with all manner of tourist oriented shops and restaurants and has tried hard to replicate the look of the buildings of 100 years ago. My first weave down Broadway in my car was a cautionary challenge avoiding the packs of off loaded cruisers rushing about to find end of season bargains and other tourist tchotchke emblazoned with Skagway. Smack dab at the end of the road was the cruise ship the Carnival Miracle , a Spirit Class ship accommodating 2000 + with the Sapphire Princess, a Grande Class cruiser with 2600 spots docked next to it. These two of the three massive cruising vessels in harbor this day had the potential to disgorge thousands as their capacities run fro 2000-3000 passengers each. Skagway host approximately one million visitors each summer, meaning thousands per day patrol the streets in the 4 month long season.

The good news was that most ships require passengers to be back on board by 5:00 pm so that left the streets relatively calm and unpopulated and no line for dinner at the Skagway Brewing Company either night. I normally would not revisit a restaurant except that this was the only one open on Sunday evening. The town had pretty much shut down for the season. I am sure, by now you have guessed, I don’t care to mingle amidst massive crowds. Late Saturday afternoon and on Sunday , with only one ship in port, the crowds were sparse and the streets were relatively empty. It was quite enjoyable, despite intermittent showers. The town is steeped in Klondike Gold Rush history so perusing the historic buildings was warranted.

My main goal became enjoying my spacious bright room, perusing the town after the crowds thinned, acquiring food for the ferry trip, and finding the docks and procedures for the boarding on Monday. I had visited Skagway about 15 years ago and not much had really changed visually. Below are a few photos from 2007 including the Arctic Brotherhood Hall, the Golden North Hotel and the Alaska Maritime Ferry and a large cruise ship in the harbor.

I had two days in Skagway and had booked a room at the White House Inn, a 9 room 1902 house operating as a bed and breakfast (without the breakfast now-a-days) and on the National Historic Register. Some original woodwork and the 100+ year old staircase, along with many antiques dressed the foyer. It was cozy and comfortable with all the amenities of most hotels and especially appealing was that it was in a quiet residential neighborhood just a couple of blocks from the bustling and jostling Historic District. It also had some fun and creative neighbors.

I would be boarding the Columbia the next morning. My last week in Alaska had been an excellent adventure despite it not being at all like the picture perfect descriptions presented in promotional literature.

Tlingit Tales, Sucking Mud, and Black Water

August 28, 2023August 28, 2023uniquelytheo3 Comments

The Glacier Bay Lodge is beautifully sited. Hiking trails lead from the lodge along the bay and into the woods. This was departure day and what a shock it was to awaken, part the curtains, and see a sky, though still mostly cloudy, in which I spotted a couple of blue openings… so I determined I would attempt the remainder of the various hikes near the lodge, which included the Forrest Trail and Beach Trail. After the fiasco of the Bartlett River Trail the previous day, I did not want to venture too far off from seeking DRY shelter., even if it was to pop into a strangers tent in the campground. I was totally over getting soaked.

The ritzy Forrest Trail included two viewing decks and a boardwalk part of the way and I hate to admit that it was a quite a relief this morning to not be drenched nor to have to monitor every single foot footfall into puddles, root crevices, and craggy rocks, lest I twist an ankle or massacre any other part of my porous skeleton. This trail was a well “ manicured and sanitized” version of the Bartlett River Trail…beauty abounded with minimal puddles and minus the serrated rocks and so many snagging roots. Of course my ordinary preference and inclination would be a tougher trail but, after yesterday, I finally came to the conclusion that not every hiking adventure needs to be a Mt. Everest endeavor. Maybe the story isn’t as dramatic but perhaps I am getting to a point in life after 8 decades where everything I do does not have to be high intensity, the toughest, or a crescendo to the top tier of an endeavor.

The birdsong was beautiful and the black water ponds a window of life below and a mirror for life above. Their dark colored tea-stained appearance in this mossy glen led me to whimsically imagine the black water as a repository of mossy stories from other eras. The trail ended at the campground so I meandered through that area, scouting future possibilities. I doubt I will ever return to take advantage of these wonderful sites nestle in the between the spruce and alder, lichen, fungi, ferns, and carpets of moss.

I had intended to return by the identified beach trail but realized that, though you could get views the water and the beach from it, it was NOT on the beach. So I blazed my own trail through the rocks, seaweed, shells, and sand with a very light mist adding a sparkle to a delightful morning… with temperatures around 60. Guess that thought about everything didn’t have to be high intensity and thus taking the easier road had already vanished. This is not a Florida Beach, Long Island or the Jersey Shore type of beach. There were areas of coarse sand but mostly a mixtures of pebbles, gravel, shells, larger rocks and an occasional boulder, a variety of smooth stones of various colors… a beautiful mosaic or countless textures, vibrant colors and a myriad of natures detritus. I love striding barefoot on a beach but had no urge to ditch my shoes and scurry barefoot here. The tide was low so here was a variety of sea weeds washed ashore, wet and glistening, tangled, ribbon-like and splayed out across the shells and rocks adding to the ambience of this coastal edge . I spotted shells included clams, mussels, barnacles, scallops but no conch as these tropical mollusks do not inhabit frigid waters. .

To dip or not to dip my toes into Glacier Bay. Typically the beach’s edge is a mixture of water and sand and when stepped upon one’s foot might sink in a few inches. But at every beach I have visited in Alaska, the shoreline is a quicksand like substance I call “sucking mud” composed of sand, water and clay mixture. It behaves like quicksand and will eagerly gulp and swallow a boot or shoe that is loosely attached to your person. How far it might quaff me down I chose not to test. Soon it would be time to return to my room with the task at hand to pack up and to check out by noon though the only flight out of Gustavus wasn’t until 5:30.

As I tread this fascinating mosaic of the shore, my mind wandered to one of my beloved classics , Anne Morrow Lindberg’s “A Gift from the Sea. ” Like this author, exploring the shore brings me peace, solitude and contentment of my mind and soul. What a fitting way to close out the hiking portion of my visit to Glacier Bay.

What to do with the three and one half hours before the shuttle to the airport in Gustavus departed. I meandered out to the dock and discovered a Glacier Bay National Park sign and had the good fortune to have a couple a folks meandering there as well and was able to get my traditional photo in front of the park sign which I have been doing since I had my first national park visit to Great Smokey Mountains National Park when I was 11 (guess I was not as important to fully capture as my brother and sister and the road were.)

Since I had not had an opportunity to visit the Tribal house of the Huna (my priority usually is to beat up my body with physical endeavors), when a member of the Huna Clan, a subgroup of the Tlingit people, would be present to share their story, I headed there. I was mesmerized by the carved totems outside and the carved pillars on the interior. Owen, a craggy old gent, was the Huna representative and had been intricately involved in the carvings in this Ancestral House which opened in 2017. He took the time to share the story of each pillar. I regret that I can not remember accurately so much of the lore he described in the totems and walls of the of Tuna Shuka Hit, the Huna Ancestor’s House.

There were 4 totems representing a story of the 4 clans. The tribal lore is fascinating. In the tribal tradition, the stories can only be told by a tribal member. They are not written but passed through the generations via the oral tradition, so I would not be recording his tales nor recounting these tales to you. His concern, as so many members of indigenous groups concur, is the disaffection of the young people for the traditional in favor of the wider world brought to them through the internet.

I had a difficult time not being incensed when, earlier in the trip I heard the story of the alienation of the Huna by US government. Typically, for many many decades the US government had no regard for Indigenous Americans and their cultural practices, and in this instance the Alaskan Native Clans. The relationship between the Huna and the National Park Service was fraught with animosity in the early years when the Glacier Bay National Monument was established. Laws and regulations implement by the government, without collaboration of the Huna, led to restriction of the Huna land use, regulating what land they could access, what they could harvest and resources they could gather. The tensions have eased and regulations revised and the building of this tribal hut has been one way to foster a much stronger relationship and connection between the two. After I had left Owen and was on my way home I had wished that I had the thoughtfulness to express my sorrow about the how my government had treated his ancestors. It is a very important gathering place today for reconnection with preserving oral history and other traditions, music, dances, and the sharing their heritage with visitors today.

CHOOKANEIDI (GLACIER BEAR)

There are four clans That are represented here. The above is the CHOOKANEIDI Clan (Glacier Bear) and part of the eagle/wolf moiety. Also part of the eagle/wolf moiety is the KAAGWAANTAAN Clan (Wolf/Bear). The third totem is WOOSHKEETAN (Whale).The fourth totem is the T’AKDEINTAAN Clan (Raven). Don’t go and update Wikipedia based on my less than educated guess as source material is not consistent across most of what I read.

KAAGWAANTAAN (WOLF )

The symbols on the walls and totems are a beautiful example of Northwest Coast Indigenous art. I find it a stunning unique artistic style of flowing lines and bold colors and containing many ovoid and U-shapes that represent various elements such as eyes, mouths, or spirit beings. The deep connection with nature and the spiritual world you can see reflected in their symbols that are used in their art.

T’AKDEINTAAN (RAVEN)

From animals like eagles and bears to intricate geometric patterns, each symbol tells a story and represents aspects of their culture and beliefs. Each totem tells a story of its clan. These Tlingit symbols differ from symbols used in other Indigenous cultures due to their focus on animals and natural elements, the intricate formline designs, their use in telling the Tlingit story and clan identification, and their connection to spirituality. These symbols serve as a visual representation of their deep connection to the land and their ancestors.

WOOSHKEETAN (WHALE/SHARK)

It was by now time top board the bus to Gustavus Airport and make the trip back to home on the Kenai Peninsula in reverse: a quick leap to Juneau, aviating to Anchorage, a trudge to find my car out in the farthest reaches of long term parkingalone at midnight, and on to the motel so as not to travel half the night back to Soldotna. But there was one last bus stop on the way out at the park entrance for another photo op with the other park sign.

Brume, Lazy Glacier John and an Otter Raft

August 19, 2023uniquelytheo2 Comments

Standing on the dock, in the early morning brume, I was feeling a tad discouraged about this 8 hour cruise through Glacier Bay up to the John Hopkins Inlet. It was definitely a relief though when I noticed that the passenger count was far below the capacity that this high speed catamaran, colloquially named the “Day Boat, ” could accommodate. At least there would be less of a foray when patrons start jockeying for a berth on the railing. This chaotic scenario always occurs whenever the crew announces a sighting of wildlife, which always leads to a rush of the madding crowd from one side of the ship to another, from the inside cabin to the outside deck , and up the stairs to the viewing deck from downstairs. Far be it for me to buck the trend and, so that I could lead the rush of the cattle call crowd, I secured my “indoor station” by a window and quite proximate to the exit for the viewing deck.

For the first couple of hours there was a myriad of photo ops of this dense fog ahead of us, the fog off to port side, the starboard side fog and the fog we left behind.

This gauzy scrim gradually began to lift and ascended upward enough so that we had a better chance of spotting wildlife in the air, on the waters, along the shores and on the rocky slopes of the islands in the bay. Currently the glaciers are now about 65 miles northwest of Bartlett Cove whereas 250 years ago Glacier Bay and Bartlett Cove were a massive river of ice so its was going to be quite a while before we reached the glacial area.

It seemed like we were just tugboating along – I surmised it was the heavy fog— but I came to realize that there are definite noise restriction and speed zone areas designated so as to protect all wildlife, but especially to protect the harbor seal and whales. This definitely is not an attractive area for the jet skiers of the world to congregate and hold a convention. I am all in on respecting the wild land, air, and sea creatures that we share this earth with and grateful for the quieter ride that exist because of the myriad of boating restrictions. Think about it. Would you relish a six foot long 250 pound harbor seal undulating like caterpillar through your living room or otters webstroking in your swimming pool. Perhaps we need to think a whole lot more about our roaring motors churning through their living room. This definitely made for a most pleasant three hour journey to get to the first glaciers. A National Park Service Ranger kept us informed about what we would be seeing (or not seeing) along the way as we moved from the rainforest area of Glacier Bay to the guano and lichen-encrusted rocky islands of the bay.

As we ferried along the captain would maneuver close to shores of Strawberry Island, the Marble Islands, and Tlingit Point for better animal sightings. By count birds far outnumber any other wildlife sightings. Thousands of seabirds nest on cliffs and rocky shores within the bay. I don’t have the patience or acuity of vision (or very good binoculars) to be a successful “birder.” but spotting the puffins and the Arctic terns was a treat. The Arctic tern is my hero and is famous for migration since it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year. They are the ultra ultra marathoners of the avian species. The shortest distance between these areas is 12,000 miles. I surmised, just like our human snowbirds traveling south in the winter, these terns seek perpetual summer and lots and lots daylight. The Tufted Puffins, often identified as “parrots of the sea” because of their bright coloring were not behaving like the adorable tufted puffins I’ve seen in the penguin exhibits at aquariums waddling . They were far too busy foraging for their own food, swimming, and steering them selves around with their web feet preparing for a dive for the fresh catch of the day. . Also spotted were Black-legged Kittiwake, Eagles, a variety of Gulls, especially Glaucous-winged Gull , which is basically a large white headed gull. They were plentiful on the Marble Islands. I took almost no photos because I do not possess one of those cameras with massive lenses especial designed for wildlife photography with their auto focus and zoom lenses and look like they weigh a ton. My 5 year old iPhone camera suffices but does’t do the job that these heavy behemoth expensive cameras do. I already have too many photos of unidentifiable minuscule blurred dots in the distance.

As far as spotting the large mammalia, a brown bear was seen sauntering around a beach on Tlingit Point, an occasional whale spouting or breaching in the distance, sea lions on the rocks but no proximate heart stopping encounters with the ship. Perhaps these Glacier Bay inhabitants too, just like many humans , prefer to hunker down on a foggy rainy day and thus opted out of putting on a show for the tourists encroaching into their habitat. I was especially enchanted by the “raft” of sea otters, churning through the water. I noticed their preferred swim stroke is by far the backstroke (mine too) and I spotted them in large numbers hanging tight with each other traveling in tandem. I wonder if it’s like a pace line in cycling where you cycle into the slipstream of another cyclist and let them “pull” you along. This was an “otter version” of the pace line.

By now the fog had dispersed and though still totally overcast, we were motoring through the bergy bits and growlers (ice flows that aren’t behemoth enough to sink the Titanic) and soon we were seeing many tidewater glaciers crawling down the mountain crevices and ending at the sea, with the grandad being the John Hopkins Glacier at the end of the inlet. Though we were mooring around the John Hopkins Glacier and inlet for around 2.5 hours, at this time Glacier John was taking lunch and a siesta and was not calving.

Our lunch was provided “glacier -side, ” which was a classic school kid bag lunch of a Wonder Bread sandwich, chips, and a candy bar! Jupiter, the king of gods and the weather god, must have been in a more favorable mood for our return trip. It was under partly cloudy conditions, so the shore lines were more visible. This Sky Deity was in a imaginative space and fluffed up pillowy, sheetlike, fleecy, and diaphanous clouds to hug and drape the islands and thankfully not thunderheads or threatening clouds to churn and spin the waters around our trusty vessel.

One of the VERY amusing things noted on our return was the huge Ruby Princess Cruise Ship along side and we all were laughing because those folks who paid for those high deck outside cabins were getting a great view of the fog!

It was quite a satisfying experience , definitely to be had before there are no more glaciers to ooh and awe about. . Additionally , I began to make the acquaintance of a number of couples who are “park baggers” like myself, hoping to visit all 63 National Parks in their lifetime. I am proud to say I have the most under my belt (52) of those I met but it was fun comparing favorites and numbers visited etc. After regrouping, I made my way to the dining room so as not to be the last in line again for a table and after be able to go to the Park Ranger presentation on this park.

A Donk, Icy Strait, Rustic Rooms and a Burger Bargain

August 16, 2023August 15, 2023uniquelytheo2 Comments

Getting to Glacier Bay National Park

With my goal of visiting every National Park, the logistics of getting there at times can be challenging and expensive. Glacier Bay roads are definitely not on a road map grid of either the USA or Canada. It is part of a huge corridor of wilderness that is the largest contiguous roadless area left on earth which includes Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Wrangle-St. Elias in Alaska and Kulane in British Columbia. It is access able only air or sea.The park itself has only 9 miles of paved road leading from Gustavus airport to Glacier Bay Lodge ( air being one access point to Glacier Bay NP. ) The other access is via private boat or ferry. Since Glacier Bay is served intermittently by the Alaska Maritime Highway Ferry system, you technically could bring your car or RV there but there is no place to drive to other than to the Lodge with very limited parking and locally in Gustavus. The 30 site campground at Glacier is quite primitive with pit toilets and food caches and blessedly NO RV camping facilities to accommodate noisy generators, polluting motors, electrical needs, and waste dumping.

Of course the first challenging part was driving the 125 miles from Soldotna AK to Anchorage through road construction, many delays, and then negotiating the massive mess of full parking lots (because of construction, now at 50% capacity in the high tourist season!) at Ted Stevens International Airport, in the rain. I am not one to have to have to find the closest parking spot to my destination, but I really did not relish walking a considerable distance lugging my suitcase. I drove around all the aisles for A through O in long term parking and several beyond that with no signage to the second from last aisle before I found an empty spot…which was only open because I had to squeeze Lady Spitfire between a wide bodied muddy high-rise pick-up and a rather old rusty and dented Suburban parked right on the line. I managed to squeeze out of my car and offered a prayer to the patron saint of automobiles, St. Frances of Rome, to protect my cherished jeep from any harm that might be inflicted upon it by the rather careless parker or the dude with the donk. That was all good training for dealing with the rain and with the flight delays out of Anchorage and then out of Juneau. No need to elaborate here on the delays as I assume all readers have had the experience of and the challenges and tedium that plane delays present.

Since I cannot literally spread my wings and fly nor do I think my swim from Alcatraz Island to Marina Green in SF years back would have been adequate validation of my ability to swim the Icy Strait to Glacier Bay, I opted to fly into Gustavus from Juneau, a very short hop of 41 mile in 36 minutes. It would seem unremarkable except Alaska Airlines flies a 737-700 jet into this postage stamp airport with one runway. The flight reminded me of going up the St. Louis Arch with its steep arc up and then right back down. I am not sure I have been on a flight before where the pilot did a sharp U-turn in the runway and taxied right over to the terminal.

We were met by a National Park Ranger in Gustavus. In pre-trip reading about Gustavus, it entices would be visitors with “you will see that we are surrounded with breathtaking mountains, pristine inland waters, glorious sandy beaches…and wild strawberry fields”. This might be true if one arrives in this temperate rain forest area on a sunny day but not so glorious when arriving surrounded by massive cloud banks in all directions, fog and a spattering of rain. Gustavus, home to 655 residents, did not appear to me to be a thriving community even with its claim to fame of being the “Gateway to Glacier Bay Park.” I would imagine most touristy types (like myself) merely pass on through on the park shuttle bus which was the best photo op of the day.

After an extend wait for our checked luggage, we rattled along the entire Gustavus road system (9 miles total of paved road) to to Bartlett Cove (where Glacier Bay Lodge is located) in a well used and rather sketchy looking bus. I must say this is the perfect vehicle for this setting … no need for glitzy mini-vans in my minds eye. Of course upon our arrival the heavier rains set in and by the time I got my room key amongst the last of the 15+ couples and families who flew in on the same plane, my poor forlorn suitcase was sitting out there getting a nice cold shower waiting to be claimed.

What an absolute delight to be staying in a lodge that fits beautifully into the landscape and to be ensconced in a room that befits this rain forest and is tucked into the hillside and forest surrounded by aging sitka spruce, fiddle ferns, cow parsnip, beach strawberry….. How grateful I was that I booked “a room with a view” (i.e premium room) fronting the picturesque Bartlett Cove. The only downside is the number of stairs, ramps, and walkways to get UP to the Lodge…though it makes for a nice body-weight workout. My room itself was a basic aging national park room and not even trying to be an imposter 4 star hotel. I would not even want that in a wilderness setting. The rooms are rustic but clean and comfortable . Perfect! Nor are there amenities such as the mini fridge, microwave, and TV in the room (or lobby). Great! But I must admit I was quite relived to see one of those typical hotel coffee pots as I certainly did not have a keen yearning to get a morning stair stepper workout up to the Lodge to buy expensive coffee.

As anticipated, like most National Parks, there is no cell service and limited wi-fi…what a blessing … but the withdrawal can be challenging! There was wi-fi in the main lodge and lobby area so the “living room” was packed with internet surfers and anyone, myself included , hoping to connect with the family left behind as I waited for a table. I vowed not to read any news during the stay. The upside of no room wi-fi is it can it definitely promote more social interaction (for me it did quite a lot) as well as interaction with the environment. The down side being a vey crowded lobby at times with most individuals fixated on their screens.

Once my room was “organized” I headed up to get dinner as it now was 7:30. Seems like all the patrons had a jump on me so the wait would be about an hour. Given that one is a captive in this wilderness and not being a hunter and gatherer myself, I got on the waiting list and searched out the offerings in the gift and sundries shop off the lobby. Unlike some parks that provided a much larger variety of options, I decided that what appeared to be day old sandwiches, caramel cookies, a variety of energy drinks, and an good assortment of single serving bags of junk food and candy was not on my preferred menu. So I waited.

The menu at the restaurant was varied and I already knew that what I would anticipate as a reasonable price in the “lower 48” would be at least 30-40 % higher in Alaska, and of course jacked up again given the short season during which to turn a profit. My $19.00 hamburger however was quite good and I figured quite a bargain given our remote location… I kept reminding myself that everything has to come in by ship or air. Quite sated and delighted with everything , it was time to turn in as I needed to report at the dock at 6:50 for the glacier cruise scheduled for tomorrow. I wound down my day, sitting on the bed and looking out the window and watching the boats in the harbor.