Ketchikan Alaska- Warblers, Eagles, Orca- Oh My!
Posted: Fri May 05, 2023 9:56 am
Just returned from a brief trip to Southeast Alaska with my 20 year old son. He has a long summer job at a big fishing resort on Prince of Wales Island, and wanted to do some hiking before getting down to work. I was pretty thrilled with the idea. We flew to Ketchikan from San Jose via Seattle in brilliant weather for less than $200 each, and found a cheap hotel room for $65 per night. We were there together from April 26 to May 2nd, and we got in 5 hikes with a couple of climbs, totaling about 26 miles. For S.E. Alaska the weather couldn't have been better-- a few brief, misty rains, and a bit of sleety graupel during my climb of Deer Mountain, and then a lot of clearing weather with sometimes more than half the sky a cloudless blue!
Ketchikan is on Revillagigedo Island (which most folks reduce to "Revilla"), at the south end of the southeastern leg of Alaska. It is along the Inside Passage, and one of more than 1,100 islands of the Alexander Archipelago, and surrounded by the immense Tongass National Forest. I have cruised through twice before, taking deck passage on the ferry to Skagway. I recalled Ketchikan fondly as the first place where I saw Bald Eagles swirling in the sky like a flock of gigantic gulls! We had a lot of luck with the Bald Eagles, and the various species of bright yellow Warblers also blew my mind! We also saw a few Sitka Deer, Harbor Seals, and best of all, we twice got to watch Orca Whales cruising through the inlet just off the coast! We had a great trip together. Here it is in pictures:
I felt like I hiked right into the scenery from the plane flight.
Ketckikan waterfront.
It's a very real, working waterfront with all kinds of fishing boats after Salmon from Pinks to Kings, and world class sized Halibut. There are also docks for tourist ocean liners, and container ships, and canneries, and fish packing plants. For a town of 9,000 it seems like a big city.
Nathan was pretty excited to be out in this fishing world.
Old town "Creek Street," formerly the rowdy saloon and red light district, and above is "Nob Hill" where the ship captains and big-wigs lived.
I was fascinated but this juxtaposition of cultures old and new.
Seems this old totem spirit is rolling his eyes.
This spirit seems ready for anything. Ketchikan's greater area has a population of fully 30% native Tlinket, Haida, and Tsimshian people. They have a vibrant community with a lot going on, including native arts, language, and cultural centers. Many are successful in the fishing industry; we learned a lot from our interaction with these locals.
Ketchikan is on Revillagigedo Island (which most folks reduce to "Revilla"), at the south end of the southeastern leg of Alaska. It is along the Inside Passage, and one of more than 1,100 islands of the Alexander Archipelago, and surrounded by the immense Tongass National Forest. I have cruised through twice before, taking deck passage on the ferry to Skagway. I recalled Ketchikan fondly as the first place where I saw Bald Eagles swirling in the sky like a flock of gigantic gulls! We had a lot of luck with the Bald Eagles, and the various species of bright yellow Warblers also blew my mind! We also saw a few Sitka Deer, Harbor Seals, and best of all, we twice got to watch Orca Whales cruising through the inlet just off the coast! We had a great trip together. Here it is in pictures:
I felt like I hiked right into the scenery from the plane flight.
Ketckikan waterfront.
It's a very real, working waterfront with all kinds of fishing boats after Salmon from Pinks to Kings, and world class sized Halibut. There are also docks for tourist ocean liners, and container ships, and canneries, and fish packing plants. For a town of 9,000 it seems like a big city.
Nathan was pretty excited to be out in this fishing world.
Old town "Creek Street," formerly the rowdy saloon and red light district, and above is "Nob Hill" where the ship captains and big-wigs lived.
I was fascinated but this juxtaposition of cultures old and new.
Seems this old totem spirit is rolling his eyes.
This spirit seems ready for anything. Ketchikan's greater area has a population of fully 30% native Tlinket, Haida, and Tsimshian people. They have a vibrant community with a lot going on, including native arts, language, and cultural centers. Many are successful in the fishing industry; we learned a lot from our interaction with these locals.