When we docked at Skagway, I thought the scenery was beginning to live up to my expectations of Alaska.
The excursion to the Alaska Chilkat Eagle Preserve began with a very short bus ride to another dock. There we boarded a catamaran (I think that’s what it was) that took us from Skagway to Haines via the Lynn Canal -the deepest fiord in North America, and one of the deepest and longest in the world. A fiord (or fyord) is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.
Although the tour description had promised/threatened heated interiors on the boat, it also had a large, unenclosed deck in the back where I got to take unobstructed photos and experience the dry, windy day.
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- Just off the cruise ship at Skagway
It was a beautiful ride.
A single sad note about this trip: my recently acquired Tilley hat (which kept me shaded on Lake Harriet Hunt and dry in Juneau) blew off my head the minute the catamaran picked up speed on an already windy day. (Ack!)
This is sad not only because it was the most perfect hat ever designed for outdoor pursuits but also because it was given to me by Eff after its original owner (Ben’s mom) passed away. It floats, so I’m hoping that it quickly arrived on shore and is being enjoyed by someone else now. (Turns out there was a way to tighten the chin strap after all, but I learned it too late.) I’m planning to get another one.
