You don't go to this remote state for the weather – at least not unless you find Ireland too dry. Instead, CATHAL De BARRAfollows its marine highway – and the stampeders who set off for Klondike in search of gold
WE HAD arrived in Sitka, our first stop on the Alaska Marine Highway, on a wet afternoon, and were sheltering in the Old Harbor bookshop and cafe. A sign on the door read: “Please don’t drip on the books.” It was a reminder that we had not come here for the weather. After all, with more than two metres of rain a year, this part of the US is even wetter than Ireland. So my wife, Jane, and I followed the lead of the locals, grabbed a coffee and waited for the downpour to pass – being careful not to drip on the books.
The Alaska Marine Highway is not as well known as some of the world’s other classic coastal routes. Indeed, for a designated Scenic Byway running the entire length of southeast Alaska, car traffic is decidedly light. That is because this highway is not, in fact, a road but a ferry route linking the lower 48 states of the US with Alaska and many of the coastal communities that are inaccessible by road.
During the summer the boats share the route with cruise ships that are bringing visitors to one of North America’s premier tourist destinations. But cruises are expensive. Here is a way to see it all – the dramatic coastline, the historical towns, the wildlife and the wilderness – without spending thousands. Our multistop ferry tickets cost $160 (€120) each.
Sitka is a rugged place with a frontier feel. In other words, exactly what you would expect of an Alaskan fishing town. Down in the harbour, boats compete with seaplanes for space while, nearby, anglers cast their lines for salmon. They couldn’t fail to catch one: the water is soupy with the fish. Local fashion is dictated by the weather – fleeces, waterproofs and wellies predominate – and nature is always close and to be respected. Casually conscious that bears like berries, too, a schoolgirl in a hardware store told us she “would never go pickin’ ” without her bucket and her gun.
The town’s impressive totem poles were carved by the native Tlingit people long before the “Americans” came. Long, indeed, before the Russians came, Sitka having been the capital of Russian America, as Alaska was known between 1733 and 1867. Often referred to as Seward’s Folly, the deal ordered by William Seward, the US secretary of state, to buy the entire territory from Russia for $7.2m, or just under 5c per hectare, was widely seen as a waste of public resources. He was vindicated the following year, when gold and, subsequently, oil were discovered there in abundance. Even today every Alaskan receives an annual dividend of about $1,000 from the state’s oil revenues. (The record, in 2008, was $2,069.)
Irish Dave, whom we met in the lively Pioneer Bar, had come over from Kilkenny in his 20s. In his time in Alaska he had caught his share of king crabs – named the state’s “deadliest catch” because of the number of crab fishermen who drown or die of cold at sea – and had risen to the rank of fishing-boat captain. The job evidently pays well. I agreed to give the bell hanging over the bar a “good ol’ clatter” only when he assured me that he would deal with the consequences. This popular sound is the Alaskan fisherman’s signal of a good catch – and a call for a drink for everyone in the house.
We pitched our tent on the deck of the MV Takuas we set out for Juneau. It is an exhilarating alternative to taking a cabin for the night – and an option, I suspect, that is not available on a cruise ship.
During summer the ferries carry US Forest Service staff who, with their expert eye, are quick to direct passengers to sightings of bald eagles and whales. They also give talks. That evening our guide explained the “bounce back” phenomenon: global warming is causing Alaska’s ice fields to recede so fast that, released from the weight of the ice, the land below is springing up and rising in height. You cannot witness deglaciation without coming away with thoughts of the urgent need for change.
Nowhere is the importance of the Alaska Marine Highway system more evident than in Juneau, which is the capital of Alaska. For many of its 30,000 people the ferry service is their link to the outside world, for there are no roads to Juneau. Having begun as a gold miners’ camp, it is now principally an administrative centre and tourist draw. Locals joke that the gold in the mines was nothing compared with the gold mine that is the tourists.
Its biggest attraction is Mendenhall Glacier. For many visitors it offers a unique opportunity to get close to a massive glacier that sweeps down 15km or so from the Juneau ice field. In late summer you have a good chance of seeing bears there, too, as they feast on salmon spawning in nearby streams. (And if that is not enough for an afternoon’s sightseeing, head to the Alaskan Brewing Co’s microbrewery for an entertaining tour with a tasty beer in hand every step of the way.)
For more pristine natural beauty, head for Glacier Bay National Park, a series of bays and inlets culminating in impressive tidal glaciers, all overlooked by the majestic Fairweather mountains. The ferries don't go there, but you should. A short flight in a tiny plane will take you from Juneau to Bartlett Cove, where you can board MV Fairweather Express IIfor a day trip up bay, as they say here. You will see glaciers calving towers of ice. You will see sea otters, sea lions and humpbacks. You will almost certainly see bears. And you may even see kayakers, like us, spending several nights paddling and camping in the area. With those bears.
You’ll find both black and brown, or grizzly, bears in Glacier Bay, although telling one from the other can be challenging, as they often both look cinnamon. A helpful US Forest Service leaflet describes how to react if you are attacked. If a brown bear makes contact, “you should play dead”. If it is a black bear, however, “do not play dead! Fight back vigorously! Never play dead with a black bear!”
So if you are ever charged by a bear, you are going to have to make one seriously important decision. Especially if it is a cinnamon-coloured bear.
WHEN A COUPLEof ragged prospectors stepped off a steamship in San Francisco in July 1897 with a pocketful of gold, little did they know that they would provoke the largest speculative migration in modern American history.
Of the routes to the Klondike gold fields, the shortest (but toughest) ran from the town of Skagway, which lies at one end the Alaska Marine Highway, about 250km north of Sitka. It is a small town now, but during the gold rush its population swelled dramatically, as an industry sprang up to cater for prospectors’ every need.
Many prospectors, including a young Jack London, arrived in town unaware of one important fact. The Klondike gold fields are in Canada, not Alaska, and the Canadian authorities insisted that each prospector bring a year’s provisions in order to cross the border. It was known as the one-ton rule, and during the winter of 1897-98 more than 40,000 “sourdoughs” tried to carry that weight of provisions, by hand, 50km over Chilkoot Pass into Canada and 800km down the River Yukon to reach Klondike. The journey took the average stampeder more than six months, and by the time the survivors arrived most of the gold was gone. The majority returned penniless.
Skagway survives on its historical importance, with up to 800,000 people stepping off cruise ships each year to wander around its faux-fronted streets. While more than slightly twee, it provides an insight into life during those glory years.
A trip on the White Pass Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway, built at the end of the gold rush, is extremely worthwhile – not least in order to marvel at the brilliance of its construction, which was overseen by an Irishman, Michael Heney. It is listed, with the Eiffel Tower and Panama Canal, as a landmark of civil engineering.
To really get a taste of what the prospectors endured, though, you need to put on your boots and hike the Chilkoot Trail. Widely regarded as one of the world’s classic hikes, the 50km route is littered with artifacts left behind as prospectors tried to lighten their loads. Despite our packs’ being decidedly lighter than theirs, it took us four days to slog up and over the pass into Canada.
Jack London’s ghost walks before you. Why not answer his call of the wild?
Where to stay
Shee Atiká Totem Square Inn. 201 Katlian Street, Sitka, 00-1-907-7473693, totemsquareinn.com. Comfortable but functional. Central location and views over the harbour and mountains are the draws.
Silverbow Inn. 120 Second Street, Juneau, 00-1-907- 5864146, silverbowinn.com. Boutique BB with friendly staff who will serve you the best bagels north of the 49th parallel for breakfast.
Glacier Bay Lodge. 199 Barlett Cove, Gustavus, 00-1-907-2644600, visitglacierbay.com. This chalet-style timber lodge offers cosy comfort in the wilderness. You may have difficulty maintaining your loved one’s attention over dinner, though, given the stunning views outside its picture windows.
Skagway Inn. Corner of Broadway and 7th Avenue, Skagway, 00-1-907-9832289, skagwayinn.com. Home-style BB with pretty rooms named after the “ladies of the house” who plied their trade there during the gold rush.
Where to eat
Backdoor Cafe. Old Harbor Books, 104 Barracks Street, Sitka, 00-1-907-7478856. Join Sitka locals in their wellies and wet gear for mugs of steaming coffee and home-cooked treats. You may hope the rain doesn’t stop.
Ludvig’s Bistro. 256 Katlian Street, Sitka, 00-1-907- 9663663, ludvigsbistro.com. Food of a quality you might not expect to find in Sitka. Make sure you book your spot in this warm, intimate setting in advance.
Hanger on the Wharf. 2 Marine Way, Juneau, 00-1-907- 5865018, hangaronthewharf. com. Watch seaplanes take off while you enjoy great pub grub and pizza.
Where to go
Glacier Bay. Gustavus, 00-1-907-6972257, glacierbay seakayaks.com. Try sea- kayaking for a real taste of adventure and up-close views of glaciers. If you’re going overnight, the rangers will give you a rundown on bears. We only had one encounter, when a bear ran past our tent at night. It sounded like an SUV on paws. White Pass Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway. wpyr.com. Get a feel for the Klondike stampeders’ journey by joining this engineering marvel in Skagway, to steam up a series of switchbacks on this engineering marvel.
The Chilkoot Trail. 00-907-9832921, nps.gov/klgo. You will need camping gear to hike the trail from Skagway, but the views and historical context make it extremely worthwhile. And when you get to the end you can take the White Pass railroad home.
Sitka National Historic Park. 00-1-907-7470110, nps.gov/sitk. See the Tlingit people’s impressive totem artwork.
Alaskan Brewing Co. 5429 Shaune Drive, Juneau, 00-1-907-7805866, alaskanbeer.com. My favourite brew? The IPA, hands down.
Go there
Air Canada (aircanada.com) flies from Dublin via London and Vancouver to Prince Rupert, where you can catch an Alaska Marine Highway System ferry (dot.state.ak. us/amhs). Air Excursions (airexcursions.com) will take you to Gustavus for Glacier Bay. You can book a boat up Glacier Bay through visitglacierbay.com.