Sitka Photos

Morning is breaking

2009-08-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Downtown Sitka awakens across the channel from Japonski Island as Arrowhead looms in the background.

Any port at sea

2009-08-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

ANB Harbor shelters many of Sitka's commercial fishing boats. It is located downtown, right across from the Pioneer Bar, where many of the captains and crew school up around their beer to complain about low prices or not enough fish, and especially the growth of the charter fishing fleet. Tourists are also known to gather there to see what commercial fishermen look like.

From the North

2009-08-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Here's the view coming to Sitka from the northwest. Alaska Airlines provides twice-daily jet service to Juneau and Anchorage, and the same to Seattle. During the summer, the flights increase to three each way.

http://www.alaskaair.com/

Rescuers of the lost

2009-08-04T23:33:00.002-08:00

A U. S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over St. Michael's Orthodox Church during the Fourth of July parade this year.

2009-08-03T07:56:00.001-08:00

(Remember, if you would like to see a larger image of any of these photos, just click on the image, and when finished viewing, click on the "back" button to return to the blog.)

Governor Palin on Alaska Day

2009-08-02T05:27:00.005-08:00

Governor (now former Governor) Sarah Palin attended the Alaska Day flag-raising ceremony at Castle Hill in 2007, as have most governors since Statehood.

Last year, she was busy out of state, and was unable to attend.

http://alaskadayfestival.org/

Sail away

2009-08-01T23:18:00.004-08:00

The cruise ship Carnaval Spirit heads down Chatham Straits towards Juneau. Many of the ships won't be returning to Southeast Alaska next year due in part to a depressed economy, but also to the cruise lines indignance over a $50 head tax per visitor passed by a voter referendum to raise money to fund cruise related harbor projects.

For now, bargains abound as ships that leave port with empty cabins get 100% of nothing.

Harbor reflections

2009-08-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

Crescent Harbor, Sitka

Smoke break

2009-08-01T23:16:00.001-08:00

A couple of crew members share a moment on deck as they head out for a seine fish opening.

Guardians of the sea

2009-08-01T23:14:00.002-08:00

A small boater heads out to sea, knowing that if he runs into serious trouble, the U. S. Coast Guard stands ready to rescue him.

Their motto "We have to go out, but we don't have to come back."

Not too close!

2009-08-01T23:11:00.002-08:00

Grandson Max watches warily as we approach a large iceberg with a heart shaped opening

This year's Christmas Card

2009-08-01T23:09:00.003-08:00

My son's father-in-law, Dr. Phil Bearsdlee of Petersburg, took us on a three-day excursion between Juneau and his home port.

We cruised among giant melting icebergs at the head of Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm.

Catberg

2009-08-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

Looked like a cat to me. Was covered with seagulls sunning on its back.

To the beach

2009-08-01T23:06:00.001-08:00

Son Sam takes our grandchildren Max and Kinsey for a run to the beach to look for various flotsam, jetsam and critters under the rocks.

Mending his own business

2009-08-01T23:03:00.002-08:00

A seine boat crew member endures the tedious job of finding and repairing holes in the large purse seine used in corralling thousands of salmon in one set.

Seinework

2009-08-01T23:01:00.001-08:00

Crew members work on thousands of feet of seine nets in preparation for the next seine fish opening.

Small fish in a big pond

2009-08-01T22:58:00.003-08:00

It is hard to capture the sheer magnitude of Tracy Arm with a photograph, but if you'll keep in mind that the sailboat dwarfed by the mountains behind, is approximatey forty feet in length.

Drift ice

2009-08-01T22:48:00.002-08:00

A mile from the face of Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm, a group of small icebergs floats down towards Stephens Passage.

A little less glacier, a little more ocean

2009-08-01T22:46:00.002-08:00

Giant chunks of ice cascade off the face of South Sawyer Glacier into the frigid headwaters of Tracy Arm.

Alpha Mail

2009-08-01T22:44:00.001-08:00

A bull sea lion communicates by bellowing what sounds like a horn from an old Model T.

Puppy love

2009-08-01T22:42:00.001-08:00

Two young sea lions rest on the beach south of Admiralty Island, probably waiting for their mother to bring them some tasty seafood.

Sitka Sound

2009-08-01T22:39:00.002-08:00

Once called Norfolk Sound by early British sailors. Every time I'm on a boat fishing or whale watching, I imagine what it must have been like for those early explorers who came here without any modern equipment, and often had to learn where the rocks were by the Braille method.

Checking the wind

2009-08-01T22:37:00.001-08:00

A lone para-sailer readies his chute for a wild ride off Harbor Mountain, just above Sitka, with Mt. Edgecumbe in the distance.

Peace

2009-08-01T22:36:00.001-08:00

After a full day of cruising, we anchored in Gambier Bay on the south end of Admiralty Island.

Not waiting his turn

2009-08-01T22:24:00.002-08:00

A humpback whale nonchalantly dives under a passing tug and barge carrying cargo up Stephens Passage between Petersburg and Juneau.

Ruffled feathers

2009-08-01T22:22:00.001-08:00

I don't think he liked my flash attachment.

Bear foot, but not pregnant

2009-08-01T22:19:00.002-08:00

One of the two brother bears at the Fortress of the Bear in Sitka, shows off his size 32 paw.

http://www.fortressofthebear.org/

Mendenhall Glacier

2009-08-01T22:16:00.002-08:00

Over near Juneau, my other stomping grounds and hometown, Mendenhall Glacier quietly retreats up the mountain side into the Juneau Icefield.

Twenty miles or so south, another glacier, the Taku, is advancing and threatens to close off the mouth of the Taku river.

Coastal beauty

2009-08-01T22:14:00.002-08:00

During fishing off Biorka Island, about fifteen miles from downtown Sitka, a view of a couple of islands framing distant clouds demanded space on my camera's flash card.

In the trough

2009-08-01T22:12:00.001-08:00

Mt. Edgecumbe looms in the background as this charter fishing boat slips into partial view in the trough of a wave passing between our boats.

Spotted in mid-flight

2009-08-01T22:10:00.001-08:00

Bald eagles can almost turn on a dime when they spot an edible object in the water below. This one was heading right for us when something caught his ey.

Loafers and fishes

2009-08-01T22:07:00.002-08:00

My father-in-law, Pete Karras and yours truly claim bragging rights, along with other family members who took part in a gray morning's fishing. Six kings and nine silver (coho) salmon line the fish cleaning barge deck.

Corks on the deck

2009-08-01T22:03:00.002-08:00

The seine skiff operator awaits the next set as his fellow crewmen unload the net after surrounding a school of salmon with their purse seine.

Check out this site for more photos and a description of this method of commercial fishing.

http://www.fishingnj.org/techps.htm

Different kinds of fishing

2009-08-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

A salmon troller drags his lines in the distance as a pod of humbacks prepare to dive for their dinner.

A whale of a meal

2009-08-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

One more shot of a group of bubble net feeders.

Double Header

2009-08-01T21:58:00.001-08:00

A pair of humpbacks dive for the bottom, accompanied by at least ten others; all of whom surface five minutes later in a bubble net feed.

Bubble bath

2009-08-01T21:51:00.002-08:00

Humpback whales burst through the surface with mouths full of sea life in a maneuver known as bubble net feeding.

Visit the following website for better photos and very interesing information about this phenomenonal display of aquatic teamwork.

http://www.alaskawhalefoundation.org/education/bubble_net/bubble_net_feeding.html

All to ourselves

2009-08-01T21:49:00.001-08:00

Beaver Lake trail hikers cool off with a skiff ride in a row boat available to the public.

Follow the arrows

2009-08-01T21:47:00.002-08:00

A boat from Sitka's fishing fleet heads out of the harbor and a sailboat in through the breakwater built by the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers to reduce damage in the harbors caused by storm activity.

Transfer

2009-08-01T21:42:00.002-08:00

Modern military and costumed performers stand at attention after the U. S. flag replaces the Russian flag during the reenactment of the 1867 flag ceremony that brought Alaska into ownership by the United States.

Hail to the Gov

2009-08-01T21:39:00.004-08:00

Sarah Palin attended the 2007 Alaska Day reenactment of the 1867 flag-raising which occurred after Alaska was purchased from Russia. During the ceremony, just before the sun came out, a hailstorm dumped on Castle Hill.

I'm sailing....I'm a sailor

2009-08-01T21:37:00.001-08:00

Keith Greba and guests enjoy a day on Sitka Sound on his sailboat, the Pearl.

Island Paradise

2009-08-01T21:35:00.001-08:00

Biorka Island, about fifteen miles from downtown Sitka, is the site of an FAA facility that monitors aviation in the area.

Wave goodbye

2009-08-01T21:31:00.002-08:00

A seiner heads home after the end of the Sitka Sac Roe Fishery in early April.

Horizons

2009-01-01T22:07:00.000-09:00

Just minutes from downtown Sitka is Harbor Mountain Road, built during the Depression during the military build up prior to WWII.

At the top, after a steep, but relatively short hike, are some of the most beautiful, panoramic views in the area.

The waiting fleet

2009-01-01T21:02:00.000-09:00

Sunset casts beautiful colors over New Thompson Harbor last July. Sitka's fishing fleet is a main source of "new" dollars coming into the Sitka economy as well as contributing many "colorful" characters to the public scene.

Sitka Sound Sentinel

2009-01-01T20:09:00.001-09:00

Mt. Edgecumbe sits on Kruzoff Island, about fourteen miles from downtown Sitka and highlights one of the most beautiful settings of any town in Alaska.

Surf's up!

2009-01-01T08:06:00.001-09:00

Just two miles from downtown Sitka, a hardy group of locals come out in any kind of weather to practice their surfing techniques as Mt. Edgecumbe looms across the sound.

Bishop's House

2009-01-01T07:54:00.002-09:00

Ivan Veniaminov, later canonized as St. Innocent by the Russian Orthodox Church, spent more than a decade in Sitka during the early 1800's. This building, the oldest in Sitka, served as his residence.

http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi668.htm

http://www.nps.gov/sitk/historyculture/russian-bishops-house.htm

Snowcapped

2009-01-01T07:50:00.002-09:00

This awesome view of Mt. Edgecumbe is from a newer subdivision out Sawmill Creek Road.

Runway, or driveway?

2009-01-01T07:47:00.002-09:00

Coming from the south, Sitka's runway looks much smaller than its six thousand foot length, nearly three times the distance needed for a 737 to land in a pinch.

They served us well.

2009-01-01T07:35:00.002-09:00

Sitka's National Cemetery, one of the earliest west of the Mississippi, is located at the old city limits. It's occupants include the first governor of Alaska, John Brady, Charlie Paddock, once known as the "world's fastest human" and Archie Van Winkle, Alaska's only native-born Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/sitka.asp#hi

Santa Rests

2009-01-01T07:10:00.002-09:00

My father-in-law Pete Karras takes a welcome break during the Christmas season from his duties as St. Nicholas.

St. Peter's By the Sea

2009-01-01T06:55:00.000-09:00

Overlooking Crescent Harbor, St. Peter's Episcopal Church held it's first service on November 26, 1899 and has an active congregation to this day. Read more about it at: http://members.tripod.com/~Southeast_Seafarer/stpeters.html

A Jewel at the End of the rainbow

2009-01-01T06:24:00.000-09:00

St. Michael's Orthodox Church provides a wealth of comfort for a congregation that dates back in Sitka to the early 1800's.

I will set my bow in the clouds

2009-01-01T06:01:00.001-09:00

Downtown Sitka got a special treat last September.

Safe Haven

2008-07-18T07:48:00.002-08:00

The fishing vessel Sea Haven passes the Sitka waterfront after a several-day trolling trip in Sitka Sound.

Trollers in the mist

2008-07-07T20:40:00.002-08:00

Early morning the 4th of July, these trollers were trying to catch king salmon during the next to-the-last day of a five day opening. Twenty-hour work days are not uncommon during these fisheries where each 20 pound salmon is worth $130 this year.

Co-op

2008-07-07T20:35:00.001-08:00

Seiners wait their turn in a co-operative salmon fishery a few miles south of downtown Sitka.

Low tide at Hayward Straights

2008-07-07T20:29:00.002-08:00

Abundant sea life swarm in little pools and under rocks at a minus tide this past week. Eels, crabs, starfish and other creatures are there for the curious.

Regal

2008-07-07T09:55:00.002-08:00

These awesome, graceful birds soar over Sitka skies year-round, but especially during the spring and summer months when herring and salmon return to spawn.

Aleksandr Baranov

2008-07-07T09:40:00.006-08:00

Baranov ruled Russian-America from Sitka and Kodiak between 1799 and 1818. Baranof Island, location of Sitka was named after him as well as many other place names and businesses.

http://www.netstate.com/states/peop/people/ak_aab.htm

This bronze statue sits in a park area at the Centennial Building in downtown Sitka.

Along with St. Innocent, Bishop Ivan Veniaminov, the largest impact in the early recorded history of Alaska came from Aleksandr Baranov and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Evening departure

2008-07-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

The cruise ship Silver Shadow leaves Sitka after a day in port. One to three cruise ships a day drop anchor in the harbor and bring their passengers to shore in covered "lighter" boats.

Fishing

2008-06-25T23:39:00.004-08:00

This humpback whale is beginning a five to ten minute dive in search of sea life to feed his massive body.

Mt. Edgecumbe's slopes

2008-06-25T23:36:00.003-08:00

Late evening June sun glistens off the slopes of Mt. Edgecumbe, an inactive volcano about fifteen miles across the harbor from downtown Sitka. A well-maintained hiking trail affords the hardy hiker with access from the beach to the crater...a fifteen mile round trip.

Tom Boy

2008-06-25T23:34:00.001-08:00

Dragging as many as twenty-four lines at various depths, a power-troller increases his chances of catching salmon entering Sitka Sound.

On the drag

2008-06-25T23:32:00.001-08:00

Trollers follow the beat of their own drums while circling their fishing grounds.

Wonderland

2008-06-25T23:30:00.001-08:00

A lighted trail serves as a sledding hill about five in the afternoon on a dark winter afternoon in Sitka.

Salad

2008-06-25T23:28:00.001-08:00

While munching on seaside grass, this young brown bear pauses long enough for a snapshot.

Landed

2008-06-25T23:26:00.001-08:00

One that didn't get away. A hatchery king salmon is netted by a sport fishermen at the Medevici Hatchery near Sitka.

Tlingit ceremony

2008-06-25T23:23:00.002-08:00

A memorial party (potlatch) was held last September to honor the memory of Mark Jacobs, Jr., a Tlingit elder who passed away two years previously. At the elaborate parties, regalia is displayed and used in dances and other ceremonies. Many of the pieces are more than a century old and are priceless.

Don't you dare use your flash!

2008-06-25T23:18:00.002-08:00

Two young brown bear cubs were rescued and taken to the Fortress of the Bears at the old Alaska Pulp Company site seven miles from downtown Sitka. The cubs' mother was shot because she began raiding garbage cans and her cubs would very likely have become victims of older male bears without the protection of their mother. A handicap-access ramp at the site leads to a bear-viewing platform allowing a close-up view of these soon to be one-half ton carnivores.

Siesta

2008-06-25T23:12:00.001-08:00

This year and a half old cub had just made a lunch of a frozen halibut filet and was contemplating a nap.

Empty nets

2008-06-25T23:08:00.002-08:00

Periodically some of the National Park Service staff at Totem Park, test the waters to see what sea life they can capture with a beach seine. Data is kept in an effort to track changes in the ecology of Sitka's waters.

Skyways

2008-06-25T23:05:00.002-08:00

Alaska is home to more float planes per capita than any other state. Not too many are owned by private individuals in Sitka, but at least two flying services will take you to a lake or bay somewhere for some private camping, fishing or hiking.

Seine life

2008-06-25T23:01:00.003-08:00

One of the more efficient ways of catching salmon is with the purse seine, a long net which closes at the bottom and which is pulled into a circle in an attempt to surround schools of fish. The seine skiff in the foreground has an extremely powerful motor needed to tow the heavy net with its corks and weights.

F/V Gulkana

2008-06-25T22:57:00.002-08:00

Numerous charter fishermen offer half and full day trips out in Sitka Sound in pursuit of king, coho, chum, pink and sockeye salmon as well as halibut and rock fish. Keith Greba, also an Alaskan artist, plies his trade in Sitka from May to September each year.

A Whale of a lot of fun

2008-06-25T22:51:00.002-08:00

Once in a while boaters are treated a show while a whale will slap his tail on the water. Last week, while we were whale watching, one came straight up out of the water the entire length of his body twice while I was looking the other way; I did get a great shot of the splash, though. You'll have to take my word for it until I get lucky enough another time to catch the action preceding the splash.

Pop top

2008-06-25T22:48:00.002-08:00

There is a direct relationship between the crater of Mt. Edgecumbe and the existence of St. Lazeria Island, which is volcanic material covered with vegetation kept lush by rainfall and the droppings of thousands of birds that make there home there.

Huffin' Puffin

2008-06-25T22:44:00.002-08:00

Built for comfort, not for speed, the Puffin rarely flies more than a few feet above the water. Many of the little critters live on St. Lazeria Island, a Federal Bird Sanctuary in Sitka Sound.

A meal fit for a king

2008-06-25T22:41:00.002-08:00

Grandson Max hauls in an impressive catch, which was returned to the sea to add on some inches and pounds.

Hood ornament

2008-06-25T22:36:00.002-08:00

Sitka is home to many fly-fishermen, traditional and otherwise. This gentleman was fishing at the Medevici Hatchery in Silver Bay, hoping to capture a Wild Alaskan King.

Winter Blues

2008-06-25T22:34:00.001-08:00

The Prospector looks out from his rocky pedestal over the West end of downtown Sitka.

Planes, boats and automobiles

2008-06-25T22:30:00.002-08:00

Sitka's airport at top lays off Japonski Island, home to the U S Coast Guard, the University of Alaska Sitka Campus, the SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital and the Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Between the island and town is the Thompson Boat Harbor, home to a part of Sitka's fishing fleet.

Now and Then

2008-06-25T22:06:00.002-08:00

The excitement of the Gold Rushes of the late 1800's brought thousands of gold-seekers from around the world to Alaska. A few found riches, but many, many more would have ended their days in poverty had not the Territory established the Alaska Pioneers' Home in Sitka in 1913 and provided them with a secure home to spend their golden years.

Pastels

2008-06-25T22:04:00.002-08:00

On a serene morning in March, downtown Sitka welcomes quiet reflection from across the bridge on Alice Island.

The exchange on Castle Hill

2008-06-25T21:59:00.003-08:00

On October 18, 1867, on the site now called Castle Hill, representatives of the United States and Russian governments met to complete the transfer ceremonies that resulted in Alaska becoming a property of the United States. The ceremony is re-enacted every year on what is now called Alaska Day.

Mendenhall River and the Chilkats

2008-06-25T21:56:00.002-08:00

From Mendenhall Glacier and Lake the river of the same name meanders a short distance to the Gastineau Channel near Juneau. The mountains in the distance are part of the Chilkat Range.

Waterfront

2008-06-25T21:53:00.002-08:00

The dock at the end of Lincoln Street has been the site of several wharves since the first days of Russian Sitka.

Sunrise

2008-06-25T21:41:00.002-08:00

Sometimes the sunrise will spotlight the slopes of Mt. Edgecumbe through the morning clouds.

Fishermen's Pride

2007-08-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

The many shapes and sizes of commercial and recreational boats in Sitka's harbors supply an endless feast for the eye.

Net Income

2007-08-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

Seiners working their gear near Katlian Bay a couple of years ago. If you have the Sitka phone book this year, you can see a larger image of this shot.

King on board!

2007-08-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

Salisbury Sound yields an abundance of King Salmon from May through July. Alan Andersen brings another nice one on board.

Hooked on fishing

2007-08-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

The humpies are running at Starrigavin Bay. Some of the diehard fishermen are still out there after sunset.

Raindrops keep falling on my head

2007-08-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

We never tire of seeing the majestic bald eagles that frequent our area. This poor guy (gal?) was sitting under a tree to get out of the heavy drizzle that filled the sky this day.

Brownie

2007-08-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

You never know what you might run into walking the beaches around Sitka. While cruising with a group of elderly residents of the Sitka Pioneer Home, we spotted this hungry bruin.

Crescent

2007-08-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

This beach follows the banks of Totem Park out to the site of the Tlingit fort that figured prominently in the Battle of 1804.

Runway, driveway....what's the difference?

2007-08-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

First-time visitors to Sitka are often unnerved when they first see the runway at our airport. From a couple of miles up it looks like a small driveway, but is in fact about six thousand feet long and 737's can stop in about a third of the runway in a pinch.

Harbor View

2007-08-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Another view from the top of Harbor Mountain showing downtown Sitka, the Rockwell Lighthouse and the O'Connell Bridge.

Awestruck

2007-08-22T05:26:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite places to go in Sitka is up a short, but steep trail at the top of the Harbor Mountain Road. From the overlook there, you have a 270 degree view of majestic Sitka Sound and Sitka-by-the-sea.