Into the Interior

Posted on June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 by Dusty Roads

As we left the coast behind we moved through the Alaskan Tundra toward the Alaska Range and Mount McKinley also known as Denali. That can get confusing because Denali is also the National Park and a State Park. I’ll try to remember to make clear which one I’m referring to.

We weren’t seeing many bald eagles now and the reason we were given was that we were leaving the coast behind and bald eagles need the coastal waters and rivers to fish, salmon being a big part of thier diet. The higher into the mountains we traveled the more likely to see golden eagles which survive on small ground animals like squirrels or hares. (Don’t call them rabbits!)

The food and beverage service in the car seemed to be concentrated closer to the bar where several groups were keeping the attendant and bartender busy. The food menu in the car was quite limited so we decided to try the dining car which was really just the first level of our car. The restrooms were on that level too so about noon all 4 of us headed downstairs. Since we’d only have to climb over each other if we went at different times we thought it’d just be easier to all go together.

The menu in the dining car was also quite limited but that makes sense when you figure they have to bring all of the supplies for the whole trip. Eggs benedict seemed to be a featured item. I ordered what I thought was a crab cake lunch only to get crab cakes with eggs benedict piled on top. At least I wasn’t the only one who misunderstood the menu.

Back in our seats cries of “Moose” started going up. Most of the sightings were on the opposite side from us. I managed to stretch up far enough to see some of them but after 1 attempt to shoot over everyone’s heads and across the car and through the window I decided it just wasn’t going to work and gave up.

The moose on my side were a possibility but the angle of the sun made the reflections from the windows cause distortions in the pictures.

Our seatmate, Robert, came back up to say he had gotten some pictures from the platform but that it was really cold standing out there. We had a few stops with no explanations. After sitting still for 5-10 minutes at each unscheduled stop we’d start up again with no explanation.

Mount McKinley came into view in the distance. This is a rare sight from what we were told. The mountain is so high it makes it’s own weather and its almost always shrouded in clouds and fog. Over and over during our stay we were told that only about 30% of visitors ever get to see the mountain and how lucky we were.

Today it was really clear so everyone’s camera came out, including mine. Well almost everyone’s. We heard one husband complaining to his wife: ” You brought me all the way out here to see a mountain!” I guess the wonder that is Mount McKinley is lost on some people. 🙂

Where the Wild Things Are

Posted on June 23, 2013June 23, 2013 by Dusty Roads

As the train slowly pulled out of Whittier I realized that I had the wrong seat for photos. I had my back to the direction we were heading.

The crew in our car introduced themselves. Our bartender was a snowbird from Florida who sells real estate for his full time job. There was also a car attendant to assist with drink orders, limited menu items and act as tour director with narrations about the passing landscape. I liked her. An older woman, she had lots of personality and was very attentive.

Both were new at their jobs. They had completed the training together. This was the first run of the season. A “shakedown” trip for the whole team.

The Island Princess was a pretty sight as we got underway. It was a chance to really appreciate how huge she is.

It was slow going as one would expect leaving a station but we didn’t gain any speed. Then we stopped. And waited, and waited. Finally the tour guide (I think her name was Lynn) got on the mike to explain the delay. Ahead was a tunnel that had been converted for both rail and auto but only 1 type of transport could use it at a time and right now there were cars in the tunnel so we had to wait.

Eventually we were back on our way. Sandy’s seatmate went down to the platform where he spent a good part of the trip taking pictures to avoid the glare off the windows. I was seated on the inside and my seatmate wasn’t going anywhere, not even to use the restroom. I could have asked her to let me out but I wanted to photograph animals and so far I hadn’t seen any so I decided not to disturb her.

Lynn was telling everyone to keep their eyes open because this was a good opportunity to see moose and maybe a bear. Of course I was facing the wrong way and pressed in so tightly that I couldn’t move much. If we spotted any I would have to hope they were on my side of the train and not gone by the time the train went by them so that I could see them. I did have the camera out and ready just I case I got lucky.

As the train passed Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet we saw possibly 100 bald eagles. Many were sitting on the ice. Some were taking off and then landing again while others floated in the air. The sight was amazing but out of camera range especially through the glass. Eagles had become a pretty common sight since we’d been on the cruise but never in such numbers. I wanted to “turn again” to go closer for pictures. Of course being on the train made that out of the question.

There were little towns along the route where we either slowed down as we passed through or stopped to either drop off or pick up supplies.

As we rolled out of one town someone yelled “Sheep!”. Sitting on an overhang above the train were several of the rare Dall Sheep. They looked like white dots of snow but when I looked through the binoculars they popped into view. That got my heart beating faster! Again, no photo op between the train’s movement, the thick glass of the dome car and the distance. Even the telephoto on my camera couldn’t do the job.

It was only a couple of hours into our train ride so maybe we’d see something else. We were off to a good start.

All Aboard The Denali Express

Posted on June 22, 2013June 22, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Bright and early we disembarked from the Island Princess for the last time. We passed through security checkpoints , under a plastic covered walkway right to the train.

Our tickets had seat numbers but not seats like you might expect. The numbers were really table numbers. When we first got on I thought it wasn’t too bad, even kind of cool. There was a table with a bench seat on either side. It wasn’t luxury but it would do. That was short lived because it turned out that there were 4 people to every table. That mean that unless you were about 12 years old it was going to be very cramped. It was a tighter fit than an airplane! To make matters worse we had to hold our carry-ons or put them under the table right where our feet were supposed to go.

The brochure says “Princess Cruises exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness service allows you to step off your cruise ship in Whittier onto your unique Princess Alaska rail and arrive at your Princess wilderness lodge that same afternoon.”

I guess that was true. It was a short walk from the ship to the train. The 9 1/2 hour trip turned in an 11 hour trip but being in the land of the midnight sun, it was still daylight when we reached Denali.

Another brochure describes the trip like this: Our exclusive Alaska cruise ship-rail-lodge connection takes you straight to Denali National Park. While others are still in transit, you’ll be enjoying more time at one of our two Denali area lodges where fabulous Princess service meets the real Alaskan wilderness.

Well I don’t know if I agree with that. The cruise ship passengers that went to the lodge by bus got there before we did. It was more like we were the last to arrive.

The last quote I’m going to share is the best. Our luxury rail service direct to Denali will make all the difference in your Alaska cruise vacation. It’s one of the many reasons Princess Cruises is the leader in Alaska.

If that is luxury I’d hate to see “coach”. Sandy and I both love to take railroads whenever we can. Vintage sightseeing railroad trips are high on our list. When we put this trip together we insisted that we wanted to take the dome rail car to Denali. We were familiar with the dome cars on the Grand Canyon Railroad. This was nowhere near as nice as those. It would have been fine for a short trip but anything over a couple hours is cruel and unusual.

The train is owned by Princess Lines. For the duration of the cruise and land tour you are always on or involved with Princess owned or operated properties so the deplorable conditions on the train came as a surprise after the opulence of the Island Princess.

I think it would have been fine if we’d had a little more room. The booths weren’t adequate for 4 adults.

Sandy didn’t say much about the crowded conditions but she tolerates people and crowds better than I do. Her issue was that we had a dome car for viewing but the dome windows were cracked!

They say you can never get a 2nd chance to make a great first impression. Denali Wilderness train didn’t make it. It was going to have to deliver some really special sights to redeem itself.

College Fjord to Whittier

Posted on June 20, 2013June 20, 2013 by Dusty Roads

College Fjord to Whittier 24 Nautical Miles 8 Knots

As the Island Princess came about and started her return trip through College Fjord we kept our eyes peeled for animals. So far we hadn’t seen the abundance of wildlife we’d expected but maybe the unusually late spring and cold weather was partly responsible. At least the scenery was spectacular.

We did spot something. I’m not sure what. Just a dark head moving through the water leaving a wake… otter? seal? certainly not a whale or a porpoise. I’m really not sure. Now it’s easy to see how legends like the Loch Ness Monster come into being.

As we headed back to the stateroom we stopped to linger near the enclosed pool, not to swim but to say good by to the little stowaways we’d been watching the whole cruise. There were some little sparrow/ finch type birds that had apparently joined the ship in warmer climes but they seemed to be doing ok for themselves in the enclosed part of the deck.

But we had to get back to the room. Tonight we’d deal with luggage. It will be tagged and placed outside our stateroom door. We are going on to Denali and the luggage is limited. I sent some on to the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, things I didn’t expect to need but with the camera as my “carry on” I was still pushing the limit.

In the morning we’d be in Whittier where we’d board the dome train to Denali. That would take most of the day. The brochure says it’s 9 1/2 hours. For a number of reasons our train ride turned into 11 hours. The folks that took the bus arrived before we did! More on that later.

But I wanted to tell you a little about Whittier. We didn’t get to see much of it but we did get some basic information. All of our itineraries listed Whittier (Anchorage) so I wasn’t sure if Whittier was a neighborhood of Anchorage or if the names were for the same place or what.

Turns out Whittier is a little town in its own right. It sits at the head of Passage Canal, a deep fjord that connects with Prince William Sound. It’s location provides easy access to the interior of Alaska. The town was originally established in World War II to allow for the movement of troops and supplies but it had a long history of being a supply route for the Chugach Indians, fur traders and gold prospectors.

One thing that I found amazing is that most, if not all, of the 180 full-time residents live in the same building, the multi story Begich Tower originally built to house operations and personnel when the railroad was extended. The railroad tunnel has been converted to allow both rail and auto traffic so Anchorage is now only 90 minutes away.