30 July-3 August.

Juneau-Ferry,Sitka-Ferry,Petersburg-Wrangell-Ketchikan-Prince Rupert.

You certainly get to fly in all manner of planes in Alaska, returning in a small Husky to Juneau. The midday sun on the Mendenhall Glacier seemed to accentuate the blue ice as we approached Juneau.

Juneau has one main road that traverses the valley created as the glacier retreated. Steep tree covered mountains tower above the sprawling city that lines the road. Massive cruise ships look so out of place in the harbor especially as the original gaily painted wooden houses are quiet small. We strolled around downtown Juneau which has a European feel, possibly due to the Russian influences of the past. We visited St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church built in the late 1800’s, its octagonal pale blue timber walls capped with a copper dome, remind us of how close we are to Russia and the importance of Russia’s influence on Alaska. But unfortunately, the town is now about fat American cruisers, so ice-cream parlors, pubs, art shops and 42 jewelry stores, line the streets near harbor.

Continuing with our DIY approach, we caught the local bus to within a mile & a half on the Mendenhall Glacier. As we rounded the last corner we could feel we were close as there was a noticeable drop in the temperature. Melt water spews from the side of the glacier creating a waterfall, something we had not seen before and huge blue icebergs float like beached whales in the wide river below the ice-wall.

The East glacier trail, unfortunately does not allow closer views of the glacier but it passes through a beautiful forest with a moss-covered floor. On our way down we got good views of a Porcupine, which is covered in fine, short quills.

We complete our stay listening to a local band playing in the park near the harbor. The cruise ships have left……………Juneau is quiet again.

At eight the following morning we boarded the fast ferry bound for Sitka. We are amazed at how narrow the passage is. At times the ferry needed to slow right down to negotiate the tight turns it needs to take. We pass tiny tree covered islands and get to see a number of Hump-backed whales along the way. Being one of the outer islands, Sitka has its western seaboard in the Pacific, with Mt.Edgecumbe providing protected waters where the town lies. The only public transport is a bus at $16 for the 3mile ride to our B&B or 1 of 2 taxis, which we find out on the way back out, charges $20 for the same 3 miles. So we quickly learn to hitch hike the 3 miles to town & back.

Once again the Russian influence is everywhere, with the 2 domes of St.Michael’s church right in the center of town. We take the walk out to the historical park, here a number of carved totem poles each telling a story of the native Indians, dot the coastline.

As with most of the coastal towns we have visited, Sitka has a large tide which when it recedes attracts locals & Eagles alike. The path leads alongside a shallow stream in which ‘Pinks’, the smallest salmon species, returns each year to spawn. We saw hundreds congregating in the shallow water near the banks of the river, possibly resting before they tackle the rapids and waterfalls.

This site is also of importance to the local native Indians; as this is where they managed to oust the Russians in the late 1700's. The Russians returned a number of years later; this time the Indians had no chance.

In Sitka its either raining or about to rain and it was no different when our ferry weighed anchor on route for Prince Rupert.

The early part of the route passed through the aptly named Narrows. Here tiny islands are so close, it feels as if we could just step over board onto one of them. The scenery is beautiful and the sea calm, making it easy to see why these waters are so popular with the cruise liners, especially when the sun comes out, as it did for us.

At 19:30 after 11.5 hours at sea, we pull into Petersburg. This quaint, anchovy smelling fishing village with its Norwegian past, is how I imagined Alaska would look.

Small fishing boats and brightly painted houses set against tree covered, snow capped mountains. Here, like all the villages in these waters, the people are totally dependent on the sea.

Sailing on through the night & following day, we stop at Wrangell, Ketchikan and finally 32 hours after leaving Sitka, we dock in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, leaving the US in the sunset.