Mark's Bike Tock: Alaska Cruise

I ride rail-trails almost exclusively. Alaska has very few. My wife and I planned an Alaskan cruise and cycling was not foreseen as worthwhile. I did however manage to get a few short rides in. Let me tell you about them in the event you are planning a similar cruise. Perhaps it will be helpful.

· Juneau

Our first stop was Juneau, AK. Our chosen shore excursion was Rain Forest Nature Walk/Whale Watching. It wasn’t cycling but both parts were awesome. The walk in the rain forest was a new, eye opening experience. Along the way we stopped at Mendenhall Lake and were able to see the Mendenhall Glacier and even grab a small piece of ice that was the remnants of an iceberg cleaved off the glacier.

The second part of the excursion was a boat ride to view whales. We saw several including a mom and her calf. Our guide was able to identify these specific whales that had nicknames of flame and baby cinder. At one point cinder surfaced alongside our boat about 10 feet away. This baby was estimated to be 30 feet long. We also saw several sea lions including three that appeared to be synchronized swimming very near our boat for a time. Overall awesome experience.

· Sitka

Sitka, AK was a last minute addition to our itinerary after a landslide damaged the area near the port in Skagway. My wife booked an excursion that did not appeal to me. I opted to leave the ship with her and just explore the town. This required a shuttle bus to reach the town. The bus drop off was a visitor center and directly across the street was a bike shop. That was my first stop and I enquired about bike trails and rented a bike. It turned out a very nice trail was just a few blocks away. It is called the Sitka Cross Trail. I started on a spur off Baranof Street. What a delight. The trail was wide, packed gravel traversing another part of the rain forest. The only adjective that comes close to describing the area is enchanted. With yearly rainfall exceeding that seen in the Amazon, the area was a lush green made even more so by the moss that covered the ground and the trunk and branches of the trees. The only downside were some steep up and downs. Of course, being a rain forest, it rained. I was not prepared, a rain jacket but just jeans on the bottom. I was soaked and short on time to get back to the ship before casting off. It was a very short ride that left me wishing for much more.

· Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay is a national park that is only accessible by sea or air. It is wilderness except for a visitor center. We viewed the bay from the comfort of our balcony. The experience was images I am sure to remember the rest of my life, truly spectacular. The wilderness, the waterfalls, the icebergs and of course the glaciers were all magnificent. It was worth a day without cycling.

· Ketchikan

My wife and I booked an excursion called ebike and nature trail. This was the first-time riding an ebike both of us. We followed a pipeline service road. The scenery was disappointing. It was interesting that the pipeline was above ground and made of wood. After a mile or so we had to ride a road for a short distance to get to the next portion of trail. I got a flat. One of the guides was kind enough to give me his bike and he apparently called someone for a rescue. I went ahead to catch up with the group. They were out of sight, and I wound up exploring trying to find them. Eventually I was able to reconnect thanks to cell phones. After meeting up we continued along the trail and eventually ended at a spot I had just been to on my own. This was also the turn around point where we did the nature walk part. The walk was very nice but much too short.

Overall this was a bit of a disappointment. The guides were 20 somethings that only worked there a few months. They seemed to know a bit about the forest but very little about cycling. When I had my flat the tire came off the rim. I did not see a tube but also didn’t see any slime. I asked if they were running tubeless and the guide did not seem to understand my question. Also, the fat tires were very overinflated making for a bumpy ride. I get a smoother ride on my hybrid.

· Victoria

The last stop on the cruise was Victoria, BC. We had booked a horse drawn carriage ride to tour the city. We got off the ship as soon as we were docked. This allowed about an hour and a half to explore before our carriage ride. Turned out there was a bike rental vendor right at the port. That was how I spent my time before the carriage ride. Based on the vendor's recommendation I rode along the waterfront on a dedicated, paved bike path. No cars and a separate path for walkers, very nice.

Following the offered directions, I turned at the totem pole. It was easy to spot since it is the tallest totem pole in the world. This took me into Beacon Hill Park. The park was amazing. Lots of paved paths some with occasional slow speed car traffic but many without any cars. The park landscaping was spectacular. As I was riding one path three buck black tail deer crossed in front of me, about five feet in front! I was stopped at the time admiring the landscaping. This was my first time seeing black tail deer. I didn’t even know they existed before this. At this point it was getting dark so I looked for the totem pole and headed back the way I came. I got back and met my wife for the carriage ride. I wished we arrived earlier; I could have spent all day exploring from the bike.