A Pause For Reflection - Coincidences and Serendipity

We have a lot more stuff from our Kodiak visit to talk about, gang, but while we were thinking about things we kept reflecting back on experiences we had that seem so remarkable in their "connectedness" to SCTravelersX3.  From the very beginning of the trip we have continued to meet people and see things that seem almost destined to come into our lives.  The folks we met on our journey to Alaska, those we met in Juneau, others from the ferry and some we only read about but who left an indelible mark on our thoughts.  Now, bear with me just a bit - this might seem a bit of a stretch but, hang on, we'll get to the point!  Glaciers!.  We knew when we first set foot in Juneau that the Mendenhal Glacier was going to be one of our first stops - and it was.  We couldn't get enough of the serene, frosty beauty of the glacier and of the beautiful National Monument of which it is a part.  But, we had a journey to get started on and so the next day we boarded the AMHS ferry the "MV Kennicott."  Of course, this inquisitive bunch has to get the details so we asked about the name.  It turns out that, by Alaska State Law, all AMHS Ferries must be named for Alaskan glaciers!  Our home for four days was named after the Kennicott Glacier, one of the largest and most famous in the state.  In the early days of the state there were several real "characters" whose intrepid business activities, frontier spirit and downright brilliance established them as forces to be reckoned with in the settlement of the Alaska Territory. One of those was Robert Kennicott, an explorer, pioneer and director of the scientific corps of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition from 1865 to 1867.  Kennicott's contributions were so significant that a river, a copper mine and even a town were named in his honor.  In 1899 the glacier was named for Kennicott by the director of the U. S. Geological Survey.  When the AMHS decided to add a large, new and modern ferry to its fleet in the late 1990s it conducted an essay contest among Alaskan school children.  The winner of that contest was 12 year old Leah Jarvis from Copper Center, Alaska who compellingly demonstrated the impact of the Kennicott on the life of the state.  Other AMHS vessels like the one in the video to the right have also been named by Alaskan students.  So what does this have to do with anything?  First - we've been talking about really cool young people for the last few days and I find it wonderfully refreshing to know that a young lady 12 years old whose research showed both her knowledge of and love for her state had the honor of naming this wonderful vessel.  Second - Kennicott!!  Here's the deal - I'm not going through the long and convoluted story but in 1906 the Kennicott Mine Company was formed in Alaska and eventually gave it's name to a huge mining conglomerate. (You will find the spelling jumping between Kennecott with an "e" and our version with an "i".)  Then, in 1988, the company extended it's exploration to the eastern states and began mining operations in South Carolina.  From 1988 until 1999 their mine was tremendously successful.  That shouldn't be a surprise because their home was in "... ta da ..." beautiful, suburban Ridgeway, S. C. - about four miles from where we now live!!!  Coincidence?  But to get back to the point of our visit today; the stuff we found on the MV Kennicott was educational, appealing and impressive.  A copy of Leah's essay is permanently displayed in the observation lounge and is excellent.  In the movie lounge, the walls were lined with ... drum roll .... quilts!!!  Most of you know that Linda is a fabric artist and it blew us away to see the beautiful work on the ship.  And the native art on display is very cool.  We have included some photos in earlier posts but I want to go back to one.  It is an Alutiiq hunting hat that was thought to have mystical powers and was believed to attract sea otters.  The hat

1884 Alutiiq Hunting Hat

on the Kennicott is a replica of one collected in 1884 by Andrew Kashevaroff, a Russian Orthodox priest of Russian and Alutiiq ancestory.  The original was woven of spruce fibers and decorated with glass beads, dentallium shells and sea lion whiskers.  The value of dentallium shells and the

Replica of Alutiiq Hunting Hat

number present on this hat demonstrated that it belonged to an individual of immense wealth.  The color on the replica on the Kennicott is what the hat was thought to look like when new.  As we talked about in the last post, much more about the hat and the community from which it came can be found at the Alutiiq museum - or - during a beautiful ride aboard the MV Kennicott.  Although the differences between the two hats are noticeable, the artist who created the version that is on the Kennicott was absolutely superb.  What an amazing and wonderful world!  We'll be back soon with more graduation stuff so hang around.  We won't be long.  See ya.