Juneau, Alaska

July  22-24, 2018

Juneau
Depending on the story you believe, Juneau was founded either by a pair of lucky drunks or two hard working miners in 1880. Joe Juneau and Richard Harris was sent there by Chief Kowee for samples of gold-bearing rock, which sparked a gold rush unmatched for 17 years. Juneau became the capital of Alaska in 1906, and government began to replace gold in Juneau. Today Juneau has 31,000 inhabitants.

Juneau was a bit of a disappointment as a town, as it was totally geared for cruise passengers (4 cruise ships a day) with souvenir shops and jewellery stores lining the main streets, and not much local atmosphere at all. It was very scenic though. We stayed in the historic Alaskan Hotel from 1913, and it was a great location.

Mount Juneau

As there wasn’t much to do in town, we decided to hike Mount Juneau, as we could walk the 1.5 mile/2.4 km road to the trail head. Mt. Juneau is steeped in mining history and was originally called Gold Mountain in 1981, then Bald Mountain in 1896. Mt. Juneau rises 3,576 feet/1,090 m above Juneau.

Mt. Juneau in the background.

It was a very hot day - 27 degrees - and we started the hike too late in the day, so it was very hot climb, but worth it with wonderful views along the way.

It took us 3 hours to climb the 3 miles/4.8 km with the elevation gain of 3000 ft/914 meters to the top, where we had lunch and well-deserved rest.

Note the eagle in the background.

Well back in town we had nice local seafood dinner at Mary’s Crab Shack well away from all the cruise ships (and their passengers) which blocked the view from all of the harbour side restaurant patios.

Next stop Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska Marine Highway: Prince Rupert, BC, Canada to Juneau, Alaska, USA

July 20 - 22, 2018:

The Alaska Marine Highway ferry runs from Bellingham in Washington State (just south of the Canadian border) to Haines in Alaska, and you can get on and off at each stop for about 45 minutes. It largely takes the same route as the Alaska cruise ships departing from Vancouver, and the part we did was so beautiful.

The ferry left Prince Rupert at 7pm, and it was a nice evening. We had a private cabin with bath and shower, but no window. This is not a cruise ship but an ordinary ferry, so the amenities were fine, and the food was varied and good.

The ferry makes 6 stops (the towns with squares on the map) before getting to Juneau.

About and hour after departure, we saw a single humpback whale playing, according to the captain. I am convinced it waved goodbye to us, but see for yourself.... well I cannot get the link to work, so you will have to become friends with one of us on Facebook to see it!

Humpback whale adults range in length from 12–16 m (39–52 ft) and weigh around 25–30 metric tons (28–33 short tons). humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 km (16,000 mi) each year. They feed in polar waters and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters  (Hawaii) to breed and give birth,fasting and living off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish.

We had an early night, as we had had a very long day in Prince Rupert, so we didn’t stay up for the arrival to Ketchikan around midnight.

July 21, 2018

Wrangell

We were allowed 30 minutes off the ferry, and we took the opportunity to stretch the legs, and set foot on Alaskan soil for the first time. Wrangle has around 2,400 inhabitants, and has been Tlingit territory and then under the jurisdiction of Russia, Great Britain, and the United States, Wrangell has the unique status as the only Alaskan city to have been governed under four "flags". Logging, fishing and tourism are the current mainstays of the Wrangell area economy.

This sign perfectly describes our visit to Wrangel.

The weather was just fantastic, and we spent all day on the sun deck enjoying the scenery and reading.

Petersburg

Petersburg is a small town with 3,100 inhabitants, and is known for its Norwegian heritage and for harbouring one of Alaska’s most prosperous fishing fleets. Around 1885 the Norwegian Peter Buschmann eyed the blue ice of the LeConte Glacier, and thought it an ideal place for a cannery. In 1887 construction began for Icy Straits Packing Company, and soon a saw mill, docks, houses and other business sprang up, and in 1910 the city of Petersburg was incorporated.

We came across a group of humpbacks feeding, and the captain turned the ferry around so we could enjoy the sight without disturbing the whales. What an experience.

We also saw bald eagles, dolphins and seals along way.

July 22, 2018

The last stop before Juneau was Sitka, right on the west coast, but this stop would be between 3 and 6am, so we would NOT be getting up for that. However, Dorte woke up just before 3am, and decided to go outside on the deck to take a look, as we would never come back here. The sun was just rising, and it was a great sight.

It was very serene and quiet, and then a seal came out of the water and we exchanged good mornings. Back to bed for Dorte.

It was a bit overcast when we woke up, but the sun burned off the clouds, and we had another day of beautiful scenery.

Juneau Marina and the Mendenhall Glacier above. The port is located about 19 km from downtown Juneau.

We reached Juneau at 3:45pm, and we were ready for new adventures in the capital of Alaska.

Prince Rupert, BC, Canada

July 20, 2018

Prince Rupert, BC, Canada

Prince Rupert is a port city on British Columbia’s northwest coast. It’s a gateway to various wilderness areas, and has a population of around 12,000 people. 

We arrived in Prince Rupert just before 5am!, and took a taxi to the Crest Hotel, which Andy’s daughter, Alaiza, had recommended as a good place for breakfast. We were not the only people hanging around the lobby waiting for the breakfast restaurant to open at 6:30am, and we recognized other people from the ferry from Haida Gwai.

The hotel had great service as we could leave our backpacks there for the day while exploring the town even though we weren’t staying at the hotel.

We walked around town, and came across the Mariner’s Memorial Park which is a memorial to honour the Nordic influence in Prince Rupert.

Andy had a haircut and a beard trim as the day’s first customer at the barbershop, and there was a lineup when we left.

We also visited the Sunken Garden, which is a small two level park with lots of beautiful flowers.

Shops and cafes dot the waterfront Cow Bay Area, which is the nicest part of town in our opinion.

We had a great fish lunch at Dolly’s Fish Market Restaurant, and then headed to the wharf to watch the action as the fishing boats came in. Seals, eagles and seagulls were fighting over the fish leftovers, and it was quite a show.

The eagle is on the top of the post.

These guys had had a successful day at sea!


... and so had these guys! Halibut, sockeye salmon and live crabs eating fish heads!

What better way to kill time waiting for the ferry to Alaska than with a lical craft beer from the Wheelhouse Brewing Company.

The Last Day on Haida Gwai

July 19, 2018

We said goodbye to the beach and the ocean, and drove towards Charlotte Town 120 km south of Masset.

We stopped by the Balance Rock, another one of the Haida Gwaii' spiritual wonders. A large bolder left behind from the glacial retreat of the ice age. Many decades later it still sits perfectly suspended on another rock's pointed head, guarding the shores of Skidegate, Graham Island.

Defying all odds for many centuries, how come not even the powerful forces of a Haida Gwaii storm, with its thundering waves and high winds, are still not able to knock the rock from its magical perch?

We also visited the Haida Gwai Museum, and learned more about the Haida culture, and their way of living then and now.

Then we drove to the village of Queen Charlotte, and visited the “library”, which also functions as a bus stop.

We relaxed in a coffee shop and had a nice dinner before returning the rental car. The owner of the car rental company offered to drive us to the ferry to Prince Rupert, which was very nice of him.

We had a great time on Haida Gwai, and if we do come back we will spend time on the southern islands. A lot of people go there to kayak or go boating as there are no roads, and it must be a wonderful experience.

The only thing we didn’t understand and missed was the fact that we couldn’t buy any fresh fish or seafood, but we did buy some frozen halibut, and it tasted really good when cooked.

“Lost is where we find ourselves. Weather weaving through unfamiliar neighbourhoods in a new city or jumping in the deep end of an adventure, the act of surrendering yourself to the unknown can be terrifying, exhilarating, and revealing. Lose yourself a little - you never know what you might find.” - Matt J. Simmons

Cape Fife Trail, Haida Gwai

July 16, 2018

The Cape Fife Trail (10 km one way), located in Naikoon Provincial Park, at the north end of Graham Island, is an old settler's road, which supplied the many homesteads in the area in the early 1900’s.

The trail goes right across the peninsula, and ends on the East Beach facing the mainland (point 3-6).



We navigated mud and roots, and even tough the trail was flat, it wasn't easy going as we couldn't get a good rhythm going.

Trail Marker

Tree Tunnel

Most of the vegetation was moss and ferns, and this was the only “flower” we saw.

Cotton Grass

After 3.5 hours we reached the beach and the endless rows of driftwood stretching down the beach from the cabin were amazing. 

Big Lion’s Mane Jellyfish - it has a painful sting even after it is dead.

We had lunch on the beach, and then headed back the same way.

We were in for a wonderful surprise when we got back to the cabin:

Our only disappointment at this cabin was that we couldn’t see the ocean, and they must have “heard” us, as they were chopping trees to give us a view. Wonderful!

The evenings are chilly, so we get the wood stove going and enjoy the heat and the smell of cedar. We keep the patio door slightly open so we can heatr the ocean and get some of that clean air.

Tow Hill and the Blow Hole Hike

July 15, 2018

We woke up to drizzling rain, so we took it easy in the morning. We went onto Masset and checked emails in a coffee shop, and shopped for dinner - elk meat - as the fish store was closed!

It cleared up, and after lunch in the cabin with drove 7 km east to Tow Hill, which is 400 ft high and towering over Agate Beach.

Tow Hill

It's face consists of rock columns formed from molten lave approximately 2 million years ago. We hiked the 3.5 km Tow Hill/Blowhole loop hike which had magnificent views of the coast.

The Legend

The Haida speak of a time when Tow lived beside his brother, Towustasin in Juskatla (Port Clements). According to the legend,Tow and Towustasin frequently argued as Tow felt that Towustasin unfairly received more fish than Tow. The legend tells of a feud that sent Tow stomping from Juskatla through Masset Inlet, casting off piles of rock and creating the Tow with all his stomping.

As we were there during low tide, the blowhole wasn't “working”so this is what it looks like, and the local story behind it:

The elk meat tasted gamy and very nice, and was served with pesto pasta and a salad.