Picto Diary - 15, 16 June 2017 - Matanuska and Inside Passage

Above: Bishop's cabin. Alaska Maritime Highway System ferry, Matanuska. 15 June 2017.

Spartan but clean. Bring your own soap and towels. I fit fine in the lower bed and got two reasonably good nights of sleep.

Ferry departed Haines, AK at 11:30 PM on the 14th, and arrived at 1:00 PM on 16 June 2017 at Prince Rupert, BC.

Not everyone who travels this ferry wants a room. The two Arizona riders with whom I became acquainted pitched their tent on the fantail of the ferry. Others, would sprawl out on the floor in one of the lounges.

An individual ticket is not expensive... $150 or some such. But, the cost to ship the motorcycle is over $200 and the cabin (originally to be shared by Ahn Rhee) is $250. So, the cost can add up.

There was a cafeteria serving hot meals. Fine, all things considered. I spent quite a bit of time in the cafeteria. It was large, bright. I could "work at my desk" using one of the tables. And, the visibility of the Inside Passage on either side was excellent from where I was seated.

Throughout the daylight hours of the ferry passage, the weather was grim. Gray and rainy. Islands and coastline only half emerged through the gray mists.

You can take a ferry from Haines to Bellingham, WA, about double the distance of Haines to 'Rupert.

Last year we arrived at 'Rupert at 3:00 AM. After going for coffee and a bagel at an all night Tim Horton, re rode on, down BC 16. We turned south at Prince George on BC 97 and rode to Quesnel. Total distance approaching 500 miles.

This time, I wanted to check out Prince Rupert, so I booked a night's stay there. Also, I reserved a room at Smithers, 200 miles down BC 16 from 'Rupert. There is a ski resort in Smithers. I wanted to check it out... to find out if a ski resort, this far north... this far 'out of the way' could be any good.

Above: Bishop and Dave at Kake, AK. 15 August 2017.

Dave is one of the "Arizona guys" who rode their Suzuki 650 V-Stroms up to Prudhoe Bay, and pitched a tent on the fantail of the Matanuska.

Dave worked for a living... as a heavy equipment operator for the city of Phoenix. He raised a family and played by the rules. I didn't get a picture of Dave's buddy, Steve, a retired Phoenix cop, who now teaches law enforcement at a community college in Phoenix.

Above: Richard and Laura. Matanuska ferry. Kake, AK. 15 June 2017.

Kake is a small fishing community on the northwest side of Kupreanof Island. Petersburg, a larger town, is on the east side of Kupreanof Island.

I had met Richard and Lara at Chilcoot Lake Recreation Site, near Haines, yesterday.

Both widowed and retired, they are grade school friends from Idaho who have hooked up late in life. Laura still lives in Idaho and Richard lives in eastern Washington state. They worked for a living, raised families and believed in playing by the rules.

Kake is an irregular stop for the Matanuska. Last year, the ferry stopped at Wrangell for its one irregular stop of the route down the Inside Passage.

As the ferry approached the Kake pier, Richard and I were standing on the deck awaiting watching the docking operation.

Richard said he worked in Kake as a logger 59 years ago. He was a teenager, then.

"Well," I said, "you're probably looking forward to getting off during the half hour stop, to put your feet on the ground and close the loop of your returning to Kake!"

"No," Richard said, "I can't walk very well. Laura is not strong enough to help me if I get into trouble."

"Absolutely not," I said. "I'm going with you. I'll help you. You can't return to Kake after 59 years and not set foot on the ground!"

So, Richard agreed to let me help him and he, gimpy to be sure, closed the loop by setting foot on Kake soil.

Above: Bishop in Petersburg, AK. 15 June 2017.

The ferry stops in these small downs didn't last long. You could only go ashore for 30 minutes.

Only a handful of people who had booked onward travel got off the ferry to look around on these short layovers.

Above: Coast Guard cutter. Petersburg, AK. 15 June 2017.

Above: Tied down motorcycles. Belly of ferry Matanuska. 16 June 2017.

Above: Bishop alights at Ketchikan, AK 16 June 2017.

Above: Sign at Ketchikan ferry pier. Ketchikan, AK 16 June 2017.

Huh?

Above: Cruise liners berthed at Ketchikan. 16 June 2017

Alaska cruising. Big business.

Above: Prince Rupert harbor. Prince Rupert, BC. 16 June 2017.

Canada's furthest north ice-free port. Also, claims to be third deepest harbor in the world.

Canadian National Railways (CNR) has a rail spur that starts at Prince Rupert and joins the transcontinental CNR system at Jasper, BC. Consequently, despite its isolation, Prince Rupert is an important commercial port, complementing Vancouver, BC.

Addendum:


I and several other people from Park City bikers made many trips on the ferry it was always enjoyable place to share stories smoke good cigars and drink scotch , Ferry was always very comfortable and include interesting folks & excellent poker games-:) the rooms were far nicer than the ones on the ferry in Mexico on the sea of Cortez, Steve may want to share the story !!

Mr. Z3,
Ojai, CA

Ten years ago. Motorcycling with a Park City crowd. Ferry from Guaymus, Mexico across the sea of Cortez to Santa Rosalita, Baja pitched and rolled the whole of the overnight journey. I was sick as a dog the whole overnight crossing.


Concur with the Dempster comments - no problem going north (dry), but a real mess coming out, especially the ninety miles of Ogilvie Ridge in rain and snow - after twenty minutes almost too slick to stand up, mud packed front wheels. We were very happy to get back out to Dawson. The "fractured face" gravel goes after tires like razor blades - go tubeless with a good tire pump and lots of plugs.

The Colonel,
Bountiful, UT


happy Father's Day. Thanks for the great photos. The scenery is beautiful!

Bridge,
Palm Beach, FL


Another fabulous post. It makes my pulse uptick.

Peterbilt,
Salt Lake City, UT


Cool. Circumnavigated the state off road 😎

Brand,
Ventura, CA

Great shot!

The Inventor,
Park City, UT


We've enjoyed your daily journal and pics...what a great adventure you've had! Safe travels back to PC. Looking forward to seeing you.

Maui and 'Cake
Park City, UT


Steve -

I've missed your posts the last week or so. But you're in country I know well.

Hell, I was first in Chicken and Dawson in 1971 and at the Chickenstock festival in 2007 -- and I've still go the T-shirt to prove it. I hope you got to meet Mike & Lu Busby at the Chicken Gold Camp -- they are good friends. And I hope you stopped by the Chicken Creek Saloon for some more of the local flavor. Is Randy still tending bar there? If so, beware, I've got a few good stories. Did you catch the Robert Service recital in Dawson City -- the last time I was there the guy who played Service could have filled the house on Broadway in New York for a year or two. And I hope you had the onion rings with your burger at Fast Eddie's in Tok -- definitely a stop to be made every time through town.

I've spent big chunks of my career doing mineral exploration on either side of the Taylor Highway in Alaska and some of it in the Yukon. Big country up there! It looks like you had great weather too!

Looking forward to your return to PC to go over your latest travels.

Billy Barker,

Park City, UT

Shoulda had your guidelines before I went!