Kichxaan Day 33

Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek, which flows right through the city and empties into the Tongass Narrows. Tongass Narrows is the waterway that flows past Ketchikan. The Tlingit name for the Ketchikan Creek is Kitsch-hin. It served as a fishing camp for the Tlingit people for a hundred years until the town was established in 1885. Unfortunately, as in other areas of North America, the First Nation presence faded into the background in the name of progress. In modern Tlingit Ketchikan is rendered as Kichxaan. Salmon still run up this river to spawn in large numbers.  It’s a big draw for tourists and cruise ship inhabitants.

And Boy Howdy, when the ships come in the cruising tourists are in every nook and cranny of Ketchikan. The ships arrive in the morning and tie up at one of 4 berths right in front of the downtown area. There are two more berths north of town where the cruisers disembark, are loaded into buses and shipped into town. The Ketchikan cruise calendar identifies how many ships will be docked on what days and how many guests will arrive in those ships.  A quick glance at the June calendar shows June 16th as a big day for the sellers of trinkets, t-shirts and other fare. There will be 17,690 folks jumping ship looking for the best deal on a "I love Ketchikan" hoodie when all the berths are filled. 

The ships are in!

After leaving the ship, they attend the lumberjack show, a waterfall sightseeing tour, float plane excursions, hydrofoil rides, a cannery tour or any number of other attractions the city has to offer. By mid to late afternoon there is an instinctive call to return to the ship, much like the salmons call to run up the rivers to spawn. Except the cruiser’s call to the ship is for a nap and preparations for the evening feast.

The ships then leave in late afternoon or evening and head towards the next destination, usually Wrangell, Petersburg or Sitka. The ultimate goal of a trip like this is Glacier Bay, northwest of Juneau, in hopes of catching a glimpse of glacial ice calving into the bay. It’s supposed to be pretty spectacular. Ketchikan is normally the first or last stop on a 7-day cruise. 

Our slip in Thomas Basin marina where the the cruise ships dock.  There were no ship this day. 

No cruise ships? Streets are empty. 

Ketchikan sits on the southwest end of Revillagigedo Island. Bet you can’t say that the first time you try, or the second. The Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness is located on the southeast, east and northeast sides of the island. Pleasure boaters cruise around Revillagigedo Island, a 100 mile loop if leaving Ketchikan and returning there. Some boaters cruise the loop clockwise, like we will, visiting Misty Fjords on the end of the loop. For some reason, most boaters cruise the in a counterclockwise fashion and visit the park on the first part of the journey. We’re really looking forward to seeing it.

 

Cruising through the central coast of British Columbia we were amazed by the size and height of the mountains as our travels took us through canals, reaches, narrows, passages, channels and straits. However, Alaska mountains are…whoppers. When we crossed the open waters of Dixon Entrance the snowcapped mountain ranges were a spectacle. I asked my best friend Siri how many peaks in Alaska were over 10,000 feet. She came back with info about the height of peaks in the USA that were above 14,000 ft. The first 16 of those peaks that were the tallest in the USA were in Alaska. Then, a couple in Colorado and California, then a few more in Alaska.  Amazing. 

Red skies at night, sailors delight.  Good weather tomorrow is expected. 

Our first stop will be in Yes Bay. (We just couldn’t say no.) …(Bada Boom).  

Ed out.