The Last Ferry to Dutch Harbor

... sounds a bit like a cheap mystery novel, doesn't it?  Well, it actually is the last ferry to Dutch Harbor until spring of next year.  The only way in or out of the communities on the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands in winter is by plane.

The vehicle component of the ferry was full both going out of and returning to Homer, but there were only 5 of us continuing on round-trip -- 4 resident in Alaska and 1 woman from New Mexico who has done this October trip every year since the Alaska Marine Highway System started running it.  

We boarded the Tustumena just after 11:30 pm (an hour late) on October 6th in a cold rain. Rain and mist persisted during the 5 days out to Dutch Harbor with the weather becoming nastiest at False Pass -- the first stop on the "Chain".  

One guy from Homer and I were hoping for just a taste of the roughest of seas as we approached the Bering Sea but when we expressed this wish to a crew member he threatened to put us off the ferry on Akutan (the smallest of the Aleutians) just so we wouldn't jinx the ship.  So while we did experience 50 knot winds, the waves were relatively small.

Kodiak, the first stop on the Alaskan Peninsula, is just over 9 hours from Homer.  We passed stunning views on the peninsula that (with the Aleutian Islands) boasts 46 active volcanos. Most of them were shrouded in mist, however.  You will notice that these photos are grey.  We did have a bit more sun on the way back so photos in the next post will be more colorful.

As this is southwest Alaska, fall colors were still prominent -- a bit hard to appreciate in the absence of much sun.

Kodiak harbor

Holy Resurrection Church 

The church serves the oldest Russian Orthodox parish in the New World (established in Kodiak in 1794).  

The interior is strikingly beautiful.  There are no benches in these churches as one is expected to stand or kneel in the presence of God.

Leaving Kodiak we head for Chignik, nearly 7 hours away.

The dock at Chignik

This is the prettiest of the harbors where the ferry docks. Even in the mist the waterfalls and the colors can be appreciated.   Although you can get off the ferry and walk around for an hour or so, most businesses have closed for the winter.  Chignik is a case in point -- it has a bakery famous for providing passengers with excellent pastries.  After a search of the fishing village we were finally informed by a local resident that it has shut down for the season.

The October trip of the Tustumena is known as the "pumpkin run".  The Safeway supermarket chain donates pumpkins to be delivered to children at all of the ferry stops on the last run of the season.  Here you see residents of Chignik -- very happy with their pumpkins.

More clouds and mist on the way to Sand Point --  over 9 hours from Chignik

We arrived at Sand Point about 10:30 pm on October 8th and on the return trip arrival was 11:00 pm.  Sand Point, therefore, was the only stop we never saw in daylight.  Here is the ferry from the dock.

A scene from the pumpkin delivery

An expectant pumpkin recipient

Approaching Cold Bay at 9:45 am on October 9th

The pier at Cold Bay.  You really can't see it very well, but there is a phone booth just beyond the pier.  It is in the middle of nowhere, but it actually works.  It really looks bizarre -- like something out of a Monty Python sketch.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) headquarters on Cold Bay

Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

This 417,533 acres of land is home to nearly the entire North American brant population of 135,000 birds in spring and fall.  They feed on large eelgrass beds in the Izembek Lagoon.  We saw clouds of them preparing to fly out.  The lagoon is 11 miles from Cold Bay but the US Fish & Wildlife Service runs a bus out to the lagoon when the ferry is in port.  

Being on a ferry, rather than a tour, presents some risks to passengers.  The crew, hearing that we were facing deteriorating weather made the decision to leave earlier than planned -- with no consideration for the fact that 8 of us were out with the Fish and Wildlife people.  Luckily, there was a girls' volleyball team on their way to a game in Dutch Harbor and their teachers were with us on the bus.  The girls said "You can't leave without our teachers!!!" ... so they lowered the gangway again and waited for us.  It would have been serious (and expensive) to have been left at Cold Bay.  The experience made me paranoid about straying from the ferry at subsequent stops.

A view from the lagoon

The village of False Pass -- the first stop in the Aleutians

That is a store at the end of the pier.  It was blowing so hard they did not lower the gangway here -- only allowing cars to exit and enter.

The worst weather we had was around False Pass and Akutan.  We arrived at Akutan while it was still dark but on our return we were able to visit.  I will cover it in the next post.

When we finally arrived in Dutch Harbor on the morning of the 10th, we were surprised with an unusually beautiful day.

Dutch Harbor and Unalaska are beautiful.  

The last ferry has arrived!  We will have nearly 7 hours to explore (and buy Deadliest Catch memorabilia).  More to come ...

Fall in Fairbanks

How quickly one forgets about scraping frost off the windshield.....

This is Fall ? 

We had our first substantial snowfall on September 22nd, the autumnal equinox.  It seems a little early for the beginning of winter.  The northern lights shows on September 15th and 16th were spectacular -- clear skies, bright stars, and swirling curtains of fluorescent green. Unfortunately, I cannot capture these with my camera.  I have been thinking for awhile that it might be time to upgrade to something a little more sophisticated ...

Toward the end of August the birds began amassing at Creamer's getting ready for the long flight home.

It looked a lot like it did in Spring but there were many more birds.

August 24th was the Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival.  I missed the celebration as we had just returned from the Brooks Range late on the 24th.  The field staff at Creamer's counted over a thousand cranes on site.  I learned that these Sandhills are different from those in Florida.  These Lesser Sandhills are a little smaller and have more reddish-brown feathers.

A walk near our cabins -- Ann and the dogs.

The fall colors in the Goldstream Valley area (very near my cabin) were extraordinary.

Ballaine Lake on the edge of the UAF campus -- looking very fall-like.

A moose just off Willow Run Road ...

The Alaska Range appears most frequently (and clearly) in Spring and Fall.

Willow Run Road decked-out in yellows and oranges.

The hills beyond Ballaine Road where it crosses Goldstream Creek

... Goldstream Creek and surroundings on a sunnier day.

Willow Run Road after the first snowfall

Fairyland just beyond the cabin

Actually, fall has been more beautiful and lasted longer than I expected.  We now have nearly 8 months of winter in front of us.  People say I will get tired of it.  We'll have to see ...  Next stop Unalaska and Dutch Harbor.

Arctic tundra

The plants and lichens found on the tundra were very colorful at this time of year.  These mountains were once on the ocean floor as evidenced by the fossil corals and marine life easily found in the river drainages.  Strangely, many of the plants reminded me of a marine environment -- looking very much like they would be at home on coral reefs.  

I did not find a good reference to aid in identifying these plants so, for the most part, you will just have to enjoy the photos.

There was a lot of this yellow lichen on the rocks.

The red berries are "bear berries" and the bears really like them.

Dwarf fireweed

No idea what this is but it is one of the plants reminiscent of marine coral

Another of these plants growing in a more rocky environment -- hence it is more scraggly. 

White lichen on rocks

A lovely golden color

More red leaves

An arctic poppy

More poppies (although they also remind me of aquatic plants)

A bright patch of leaves

Moss

Again, a coral-like plant

More very dense white lichen 

This will be the last post on the Brooks Range trip.  Stay tuned for Fall in Fairbanks and then ... the Aleutian Islands if I survive the ferry (or if the ferry actually goes on its last scheduled trip).