The Alaska Marine Highway

Our ferry was the MV Columbia - not the Kennicott as I mentioned in the previous blog entry. The Kennicott does the northern half of the run...from Juneau to Anchorage and back. The Columbia does the southern half...from Bellingham to Skagway and return.

Our drive up to Bellingham on the 23rd was uneventful. After getting checked in to our hotel we had a chance to explore the pretty little town of Fairhaven (where the ferry terminal is actually located) and grab some dinner before settling in for the night. Stopped by the ferry terminal just to get our bearings for the following day and were able to take care of the administrative check-in procedures while we were there - thus saving a bit of hassle the day of the sailing. That done, we were able to sleep in the next morning, then drove down to the ferry dock just before 11:00 AM to queue up for the actual boarding...which wasn't scheduled to begin until 3:00PM. So...we locked up the car and walked the couple of blocks back up into the town to do a little more exploring and (hopefully) a little walking before settling in for the 3 days of forced inactivity on the ship.. Found a nice shoreline walk that connected Fairhaven to Bellingham, and after a one hour power walk we caught the local bus back to Fairhaven in time to have a leisurely lunch before heading back to the car. As luck would have it we were the first ones loaded aboard, which meant we were able to hustle up to the Purser's Office and get the keys to our stateroom before the rush began. Worked out pretty slick... even had a chance to take a quick nap before the ship pushed off at 6:00 PM.



Although there are stateroom cabins available, those traveling on a budget have the option of just pitching a tent on deck for their 2 or 3 day trip (depending upon where they get off) . The choice spots are those under cover, but fortunately we didn't get rained on so everyone stayed pretty dry. There are recliner seats available for sleeping inside, and the public restrooms include showers and laundry facilities, so it really is a great deal, if not quite as comfortable as the cabins.

I had forgotten how time can drag aboard ship. Our mini cruise last year on the BC ferry up to Prince Rupert was only 15 hours, and all of that in daylight, so the novelty and enjoyment never had a chance to wear off. Not so this trip. The first 37 hours were all cruising...up the inside passage which was as beautiful as before, but with nothing except meals (and reading, playing with the Ipod, etc) to break up the monotony of shipboard life. Started to remind me of those long months aboard the Enterprise & Independence - especially on the days I couldn't get away for a while by going flying. Not sure if we were both a bit jaded by our previous experience on the BC ferry, but this voyage paled in comparison to that one...stateroom not quite as nice, the food not quite as good, and the ship not quite up to the Canadian standard. We did enjoy the trip but I must confess that the thought of being stuck aboard ship on longer cruises (even if they are the luxury kind) doesn't exactly pique my enthusiasm. I tend to agree with an old Samuel Johnson quote I once heard, when he supposedly opined that "life aboard a ship is exactly like being in jail... except with the added danger of drowning". I'm with you, Sam.

Skagway was the last stop on the northbound trip, as well as the end of the line for this particular cruise. Stops along the way included Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, and Haines - each time for about an hour or two- just long enough to unload those getting off (with their vehicles) and load up for the next leg. Most of the cities along the inside passage can only be accessed by ship (or air) so the only way for local Alaskans to get their cars from one town to the next is via the ferry, ie the Alaska Marine Highway.

Our first stop was in Ketchikan the morning of the 3rd day, and we were in line early to walk off and stretch our legs for a bit. Had enough time to walk into the town and grab breakfast at the Pioneer Cafe before we had to retrace our steps back to the ship. Wanted to get off in Juneau but we were only there from 0445-0645 - a little early for us - so we gave it a miss.

Our last day aboard was really very enjoyable. Didn't hurt that the sun finally appeared and made for a truly spectacular day as we sailed up thru some of the prettiest scenery of the whole trip approaching the town of Haines. It was a real pleasure to be up on deck just taking it all in. Saw whales, Orcas, and dolphins in the water, more bald eagles than we could count, and some terrific views of the surrounding mountains. Made it seem like a cruise up one of the Norwegian Fjiords. About the only thing I can equate it to is Milford Sound in New Zealand - one of the prettiest places we've seen.





Itching to get off the boat during our layover in Ketchikan.


Trying to find a local cafe for breakfast before the 5 (count 'em!) cruise ships in port that day disgorged their passengers and instantly quadrupled the size of the town.

Saw several of these remote fishing lodges as we cruised north the 2nd day. Near this one I noticed what appeared to be white balls in some of the spruce trees - almost looked like someone had trimmed a Christmas tree with ornaments or something. A closer look revealed that they were actually bald eagles (at least 30 of them) perched in the nearby trees waiting for the days catch to be cleaned...and thus gaining an easy meal.



Some of the spectacular scenery on the way north.

More


And still more. You can make out one of the several glaciers we saw moving down the nearby valleys.


We finally arrived in Skagway yesterday afternoon. Staying in a cabin about 7 miles from town near the old gold rush town (now abandoned) called Dyea, which is only about a quarter of a mile from the Chilkoot trailhead. Time to dig out the hiking boots, dust off the shipboard rust, and do some exploring.