Alaska Shore Excursions

Having recently returned from a wonderful holiday to Canada & Alaska, I thought I'd tell you about the three shore excursions we did during our 7 night Alaskan Inside Passage cruise from Vancouver.

We arranged the tours via the cruise company's website before departing Australia, but you can book these directly with the suppliers.  I have included the name & hyperlink to each of the tours in case you want more information about each of them.

Juneau (10 May 2017)

"Alaska's Whales, Glaciers & Rainforest Trails" - 5 hours $200USD

This tour was conducted by Gastineau Guiding Company

This was a very interesting, thought provoking and informative tour that included a hike through part of the Tongass National Forest. Not only did we learn about the rainforest succession with the regression of the glacier, but we also got to see Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. This was followed by a trip on a specially designed "safari vessel" that we boarded in Auke Bay to go whale watching.

Our guide Kellie had studied Ecology at University and was very knowledgeable about the flora & fauna in the rainforest.  Her family had also been in the area for some time so she was able to enthrall us with many stories about the region & its history.  Our captain, Susannah, was also expert at guiding the vessel in search of whales.  Sadly, as we were to learn many times, we were a little too early in the season to see any spectacular whale breaching, nor Orcas.  We did however see Sea Lions lazing on a buoy!

All up, an enjoyable day!

Here are some photos to enjoy:

Mendenhall Rainforest Juneau © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Mendenhall Glacier - Juneau © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Whale Auke Bay Juneau © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Sea Lions near Juneau © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Skagway (11 May 2017)

"Alpine Snow Shoe and White Pass Railway Adventure" - 8 hours $270USD

This tour was conducted by Packer Expeditions-Guiding Services

We had a truly spectacular day!  This was a major highlight of the entire holiday!

The tour started with a bus ride along the Klondike Highway from Skagway to Fraser in British Columbia. At this point we reached the Canadian border. After passport checks we boarded the White Pass railway for a 10 minute journey to our "drop-off" point in the middle of the wilderness! Water resistant overboots & pants were provided.

I must admit, I was worried about the "strenuous activity" level assigned to this tour as I lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle and my general fitness level is not what it should be. I had also come down with a flu a few days before & was concerned that I wouldn't make it. There were definitely times during the tour that I got a little out of breath, & struggled to keep up with the others, but I survived & had a great time doing it!  I would recommend the tour to anyone who believes they are generally fit enough to do it. I wouldn't recommend it to the elderly or physically impaired.

We had a small group of 6 together with the 2 guides: Dillon, who we dubbed Grizzly Adams, and Jack. Dillon set the trail through the snow in his shorts & short-sleeved top, whilst Jack followed behind the group making sure nobody got lost & provided assistance to those whose legs suddenly disappeared in the soft snow.

The scenery was magnificent.  The rugged expanse, with its snow capped mountains & frozen rivers/lakes, made for an unforgettable hike through the snowy terrain.  The sun shone all day, although we did see a little snow fall.  We even got to sled down a hill! We had some great laughs along the way & took lots of photos & videos.

During the hike we stopped a few times for photo opportunities, lunch, to catch our breath, and to marvel at the countryside. Dillon informed us that within a couple of weeks of our tour the snow would melt and this tour would be over for the season. Instead it becomes a river rafting tour! It was amazing to think that it could happen so quickly!  Sadly we were too early in the season to see any "real" wildlife like bears or moose.  It seemed to be that way during our entire holiday!  Note: if you want to see bears I would suggest you delay your travels until at least June!  But then, you risk not seeing the snow!

Once we got back to where the train had left us, we boarded the next train for the journey back to Skagway.  There was plenty more to see along the way.

All up, a fantastic way to spend the day!!

Below is but a glimpse of the beauty we encountered:

Reflections on water - White Pass Snow Shoe Adventure - Skagway © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Snow covered landscape - White Pass Snow Shoe Adventure - Skagway © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

White Pass Snow Shoe Adventure - Skagway © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

White Pass Rail & Snow Shoe Adventure - Skagway © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Ketchikan (13 May 2017)

Misty Fjords Cruise & Floatplane Adventure - 3.75 hours $380USD

This tour was conducted by Taquan Air.

The last of our shore excursions included a 30 minute float plane ride from Ketchikan over the 2.3 million acre Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Park. The views from the plane were spectacular, although a lot of the snow had begun to melt & the weather was such that it wasn't so misty!! The sun was shining again!

We were dropped off at a floating pontoon in a secluded spot in Punchbowl Cove.  Here we boarded a small catamaran for the trip back down the fjords to Ketchikan.

The boat ride back to Ketchikan took about 2.5 hours. Along the way we were regaled with stories & history of the region by guides who had grown up in the area. We didn't see a lot of wildlife, no doubt because we were too early in the season!! A story we were to hear repeatedly. We began to wonder if bears could really be found in Alaska, not to mention whales!

Actually, we almost hit a whale!  It was a surprise to our captain when the whale gracefully rose out of the water directly in front of the speeding boat! We had to stop pretty quickly!  I think the whale was a bit surprised too because it soon got out of the way!  We also saw the dorsal fin of an Orca, but it was so far off in the distance behind us that we had little chance of catching up with it.  Besides, I don't think they intended turning around to follow it!!

Along the way we passed New Eddystone Rock which is the plug to an extinct volcano. It rises 237 feet above the water.

All up, a pleasant way to spend the day.

Here's a few pics for you to enjoy:

Misty Fjords - Ketchikan © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Float Plane - Ketchikan © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Misty Fjords - Ketchikan © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

New Eddystone Rock - Ketchikan © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

The shore excursions filled 3 days of our 7 day cruise. In some respects I wish the cruise had have been a little longer so that we could unwind & relax a little more 'at sea'. We were lucky enough to strike fantastic weather on most of the journey, although there was one night that we encountered rough seas with 50-knot gusts!

The day we toured Glacier Bay was perfect! It was warm & still. Here's a couple of great photos to enjoy:

Glacier Bay © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

Glacier Bay © Holidays Beckon Pty Ltd

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