Rebound

 May 23, 2023

This is a story of the resilience of a people who survived in the shadow of a glacier for centuries, perhaps for millenia, whose ancestral homelands were wiped away by the glacier, whose survival was later threatened by the closure of a cannery, and who managed to find a new path forward through creativity and determination.

Icy Strait Point is a cruise ship port developed by the Huna Tlingit clan and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Icy Strait Point is not a “made place” like some of the ports we have encountered in the Caribbean. A salmon cannery used to be located here. Prior to that this area was used by the Tlingit people for fishing, fish camps, and other seasonal uses. Icy Strait Point is adjacent to the village of Hoonah, on the edge of the Tongass National Forest, on Chichagof Island, the fifth largest island in the U.S.

Our ship docked at a newer dock a little distance away from the cannery site. There was a path through the forest to the cannery. There was also a free cable car or aerial tram that could be taken between the cannery and our dock. 

The free cable car

Near our dock there was another cable car that went to the top of a steep mountain. It was $50 per person to ride it, though the ticket price included a snack and a few other amenities. We did not do this. It was very steep. The mountain. (And the price.)

The $50 cable car

We did take the free cable car over to the cannery area. The cannery site has been fixed up very nicely. There are some shops and a fire circle. The smell of the campfire helps you to imagine what this place was like in the early days when the Huna people had a fish camp here.

There is a beautiful walkway along the water. It’s about 1.5 miles into Hoonah. We walked to Hoonah, and then back. The weather was cold (upper 40’s), but the sun was out and it felt much warmer. It may have warmed up into the low 50’s later in the day.

Scenes from the walk into town . . .

Three or four WW2 era houses can be found near the cannery. They are occupied, ad the occupants have a fabulous view

A Russian Orthodox church - a legacy of the Russian occupation of Alaska before the US purchased it in 1867 for 2 cents an acre

Cannery buildings and derelict fishing boats

Icy Strait Point also boasts “the world’s longest zip line.” I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that there is no way you are getting me on that zip line. It is my understanding that it was sold out the day we were there. There were two other ships in that day.

Overall, we were very impressed with the job that was done to develop this property. Considerable effort was made to preserve the look and feel of a Tlingit fishing village while providing the infrastructure necessary to receive thousands of passengers and move them around. There are numerous reasonably authentic activities, including fishing, whale-watching, hiking, bear-viewing, and so on. The cable-car up the mountain may not seem as authentic, but it allows you to get a wonderful view of the area and I presume the absence of a road up the mountain makes the view much better. As for the zip line, well, it doesn’t leave a big footprint on the land, and again, it puts you right out there in the environment.

Footnote: The Huna clan lived in Glacier Bay for centuries — probably for millenia. In the mid 1700’s, a Little Ice Age occurred. This has been documented by Huna legends as well as by historical records. The colder weather caused the glaciers in Glacier Bay to advance all the way to the present-day entrance to Glacier Bay. The Huna people were forced to leave their valley, as the rapidly advancing glaciers combined into a single large glacier and covered all of their land. They settled in Hoonah in 1754. The glacier eventually receded, but it had scoured out the valley, so as the glacier receded seawater flowed in and the traditional Huna lands remained covered.

In the evening we saw a new production show called Fantastic Journey. I didn’t like it that much. Most of the music was unfamiliar to me (yes, because I am old), and I couldn’t figure out the theme or storyline (I don’t think there was one).

Afterwards, we went to listen to the soprano, Elina Moon. She is very good, and quite charming. Her show was well worth going to.

Today’s color is dark red.