Looking for Sunshine in Petersburg

Petersburg on Mitcoff Island, Alaska

When we booked our ferry schedule several months in advance, we were looking specifically for islands with little or no cruise ship traffic.  Early in our retirement, we had driven into Skagway and were aghast to find this little town with a population of about 800 swollen to over 30,000 people from five or six cruise ships.  After being remote for so long, there was just too much hustle and bustle for us.  While we recognize that cruise ships have much to offer, with my claustrophobia I long to stay clear of crowds.

We had read that the ports of Wrangell and Petersburg had little to no cruise ship traffic.  If cruise boats stopped at these ports, they were only the smallest of ships.  The large cruise ships simply could not reconnoiter the Wrangell Narrows, a sliver of a channel with islands on either side.  Our ferry, the Matanuska, was the second largest ferry that could pass freely through this area.

As we sailed the Narrows, we were astonished at how close the navigational buoys were to the sides of the ferry.  Truly these were a navigational nightmare... hopefully these photos will help you understand how narrow these Narrows are!

A view from the rear of the Matanuska as it reconnoiters the Wrangell Narrows

The ferry had to steer between the right and left buoys in the Wrangell Narrows

More buoys to steer through on the Wrangell Narrows

We arrived in Petersburg under heavy clouds.  Occasionally, a patch of blue would peak through.  The tiny specks of blue passed within moments, however, and were quickly engulfed again in gray.  After days of rain on Wrangell, we were beginning to say just what the locals said... when folks called this a temperate rain forest... well, they mean just that... RAIN!

Liz and Walter met us at the Petersburg visitor’s center.  The young lady at the desk was remarkable… able to answer questions from four people with four different perspectives, and all firing in rapid succession.  We each needed re-provisioning, so went our separate ways with plans to meet at Green campground toward the southern end of the island.

We quickly became entranced by Mitcoff Island and the lovely town of Petersburg (known as "Little Norway").  We were delighted with Green campground.  It sat right on the bay, overlooking mountains.  Our site was literally 15 feet from the point of highest tide.  The clouds parted a bit and the mist stopped.  Walter and David stoked a fire while Liz and I prepared supper. 

View from Green Campground, Mitcoff Island

Green's Campground on Mitcoff Island

Rain began in earnest that night and followed us throughout next day.  We visited the museum and watched a very interesting movie about Mitcoff Island, including the founding of Petersburg, its Scandinavian roots, and how it has grown into the working town it is today. 

Later, David and I discovered Tonka Seafood on the outskirts of town.  A young lady sold us a filet of fresh-frozen silver salmon for $8.25 a pound… a bargain as far as we were concerned.  It was great to be able to share the bounty of Alaska’s seas with Liz and Walter.

Sunset hidden by clouds on Mitcoff Island

Fearing that we would never get to see the island if we waited for the rain to stop, the next day we donned slicker suits and took a hike.  That afternoon, we stopped by the library to check emails, only to find that one of our credit cards had been compromised.  Thankfully, the fraud department had recognized that the charges were not ours.  They would send a new card to our final port of call.

Hiking in the rain on Mitcoff Island

Our last day in Petersburg, the sun broke through the clouds, and we had a glorious day.  The lupines along the roadside were absolutely stunning in the brilliant sunshine.

Lupines on Mitcoff Island

Lupines along the roadside on Mitcoff Island

The four of us took several hikes together, around Man Made Lake, then over to Crane Lake and Hill Lake.  When we reached the last two lakes, we discovered rowboats and landings available for hikers to use to paddle around the beautiful shorelines. 

Man Made Lake, Mitcoff Island 

Hill Lake, Mitcoff Island

As we traveled the gravel road back to town, we startled a black bear… Liz and Walter’s first.  Further up, an enormous porcupine scurried across the road.  As they slowed down next to us, Liz rolled down her window and asked, “What the heck was that?”

That evening, we were in line for the ferry by 9:00, ready for the eight-hour sail to Juneau.  Learning from our last overnight cruise, we had booked a cabin.  The cabin on the Matanuska was much smaller than the cabins on the Canadian ferry.  The shower, however, was more than welcomed, and I was ever so glad to have a window near the bunks to make the cabin feel larger.

The purser knocked on our door around 6:30 the following morning, announcing our arrival in Juneau. We were leery about the cruise ship traffic but ready to see what Alaska’s capital city had to offer.  We looked out the window to discover SUNSHINE! 

Our time with Liz and Walter would come to an end in Juneau.  After two days and nights, Liz and Walter would leave for Sitka.  David and I would leave the following morning for Haines.  We felt blessed that our time together would end under glorious, clear skies.

Walter and Liz on Mitcoff Island