04. Alaska Travels

October 30, 1993

Typical trip to Anchorage and Skagway

Diana and I have just returned from a two trips. First to the Regional Office in Anchorage (400 miles one way) and then to Skagway (Superintendent's Conference). Typical, for Alaska, this trip entailed a journey through the Yukon Territory of Canada (back into Alaska) to the Marine Highway port at Haines (600 miles one way) and catching the ferry on down to Skagway.

Once again the extreme distances of Alaska was brought home to us. We stopped for gas at Northway and I got to talking to a guy who moved up here from Arkansas. He asked me about the park and its location. When I told him it was near Eagle, he said, "Why, heck that's just up the road here….we’re neighbors". Well, "just up the road here" means going back up the Alcan 50 miles. taking a 190 mile dirt road that is not well maintained, and not even open for 9 months of the year. "Neighbors" is definitely a relative term in Alaska.

Diana and I spent the night there at Northway when we were on our way up here in July. They have about 10-15 rooms in a thin prefab plywood building and only charged $50 per night. The rooms were clean, the restaurant had good food, and we did get a key to the room. The key/no key thing seems to depend on the distance to civilization.

We crossed into Canada's Yukon Territory and spend the night at Haines Junction. As we crossed back into Alaska the weather was not very good for picture taking. We drove down the Chilkat Valley to Haines, where we were to catch the ferry to Skagway. Like all things in Alaska, this had its mixed blessing. I was not tempted to try and use the camcorder to capture photos of the 300-400 Bald Eagles we saw along the river. It's very tempting to record the noble symbol of our nation at each opportunity, especially when there were so many. But, Diana captured the essence of our dilemma when she noted, "I never knew that they waded around in the water and mud like that. Benjamin Franklin may have been right when he called for the Wild Turkey as our national bird." They did look something more like wet, bedraggled, mud-covered buzzards as they fed on the carrion washed up on the flats. It was still a sight to behold, with so many eagles gathered in one location. We were told that, at the height of the season, there could be as many as 3,000-4,000 of them in the Chilkat valley.

In Skagway, we stayed in the Golden North Hotel. It was built during the Gold Rush and has been pretty faithfully restored complete with the “Russian Onion Top” roof. We were lucky and got a room with a shower, most just have small, old-fashioned tubs (makes you realize how small people were in the “good old days”). There is also reputed to be a ghost that wanders the stairs (no one in our group saw her). Although, the group that closed down the Red Onion Bar each night saw lots of other things equally spooky. The Red Onion has the world's largest collection of bedpans. Many did not look as if intended for humanity.

On the way back home, we spent a night in White River, Canada. White River is a service station, restaurant, and motel combined. The Alcan is used as an airstrip. Someone, “runs out and drops the roadblock arms when a plane buzzes to let us know it wants down”. Here three levels of accommodation are offered: a cabin which has no bathroom (have to use the outhouse), rooms inside which are nice but have a bathroom down the hall and (the one we chose) which is in a trailer, has a bathroom but no key. Once again, they do have a safety chain (on the bathroom door) "for courtesy".

This place has some of the best sourdough I have tasted. They have a breakfast pancake that carries a warning label concerning its size. I told Diana we should try it anyway. We would just have this as brunch and skip the noon meal.

The waitress listened to my logic and said, "why don't I bring one for you two to split? That way the second will be hot." Sounded like good logic, verified when she brought out a huge platter with a thick pancake overflowing the sides. I took one look and said, "I don't think we want a second."

"I didn't think you would. Now and then some folks insist on two. Gives the dog a nice snack."

Diana noticed the owner's dog out in front of the restaurant and told him how she liked dogs. That's when we found that Canada is a little different from the U.S. and they are not hamstrung by concerns about the local health and safety inspector. The owner opened the door to the restaurant and let in the biggest husky (McKenzie River Husky) I have seen up here, his back was as tall as our table. Fortunately, the dog is real friendly-----maybe too friendly.

While we were eating (ample time) we visited with the owner and petted the husky. He advised that the dog has one really bad habit. He watches for tour busses, waits for them to start unloading, grabs the nearest small case and takes off with it. He will only relinquish his prize in trade for a large dog cookie. "I do the only thing I can, I keep a large stash by the door and hand one to the owner of the stolen property".

A couple of truck drivers were at the next table, "That ain't the only bad habit!" one emphasized. "A few years ago, late one night, I pulled in and was adjusting something on the trailer. All of a sudden my hand was in a wet mouth....full of teeth." Now my Frien's, in the north country, a mouth full of teeth evokes only one image..............grizzly!

"What happened?" the other driver questioned.

"What the hell do you think happened? I started running! I think I was half way to Whitehorse before I realized I had forgotten my truck."

The owner defended his "pet". "He does like to greet people by taking their hand in his mouth."

Encounters with other "interesting residents" tends to be the spice of a trip into the bush. I had not realized that I was considered part of this cadre; until the Superintendents Conference.

Even to other Alaskans, Eagle remains a town of fascination. The Regional Director approached me and said, I have been talking to the Mayor of Skagway. The Mayor had just returned from Eagle and had observed a guy dumping truckloads of dirt into the Yukon River, "right on the main street". Well, main street is a one-block, dirt track, some 15' wide, that runs in front of the general store/trading post. The outside edge drops down about 30' to a bend in the river, which is washing away the bluff. It made sense to the store owner to give it something (other than "main" street) to work on. But, the Mayor (of Skagway) realized that we have rules (even in the far north) and he asked the guy if he had a permit. "Certainly," was the reply, "it's right here in my holster," and he pointed to a .357 on his hip. My boss then asked, "You haven't said anything to him about a permit have you"?

"Certainly not," was my initial response. The look on his face told me that this was the wrong answer. I knew he needed "the rest of the story".

"You see boss it's my dirt," got a rather stunned look so further explanation was warranted. “I hired the guy to remove dirt from a parking lot I'm building at the airport. He’s doing it cheap and I can’t be choosy about the disposal. Besides it will all go downstream and into the park (the downstream 120 miles is in the park). So, we get all of our dirt back.” Then I delivered what to me seems the logical Coups de Gras, "And, finally, that damn permit looked like it did grant him the permission he needed."

My brilliant logic caused him to wander off shaking his head in wonder. At least that’s what I thought until I overheard his comment to his assistant, “He’s a good choice for Eagle, you should send a crazy man to deal with crazy people!”

We are becoming a part of Alaska and that pretty well wraps up this epistle from Paul.