Chenega Bay and Prince William Sound

We'll gang, we've met some interesting people on our trips and this one wascertainly no exception. We've talked about the international travelers and the crusty old-timers but some of the most fascinating stories come from the young folks we met. One couple really exemplified the spirit of this place. Originally from North Carolina and Utah respectively a young man who is a

Mental Health worker and his girlfriend who is a Registered Nurse had both come to Alaska to earn money for college never expecting to remain. After graduation back in the lower 48 they both decided to return for a final visit before embarking on their respective careers. They quickly decided to


postpone their departure when thy found jobs in their respective fields in Anchorage. Now, it appears that they have become members of the newest generation of Alaskans. Since he earned college money as a "Sea Kayak adventure guide" they had decided to kick off their new life with a ten-day sea kayak tour of Prince William Sound. Wow! And - getting to know them led us
to meet another petite, attractive young "surfer" lady from California. She had gotten a call from a friend in Kodiak who said, "surf's up dude!" What can you say? She dropped everything, packed a bag and headed for Alaska. Upon arrival by plane in Anchorage she found that flights to Kodiak would be delayed by fog. No problem - she simply hitched a ride to Whittier, boarded the ferry and - here she was. Ya can't miss a chance for the big surf, dude!   Very interesting people. But I have to tell you, seeing places like Prince William Sound - or even the terrain in the landward portions of the 6,908,540 acre Chugach National Forest which surrounds the sound - I would be out there with those intrepid kids in a heartbeat if I could. This is a stupendously glorious world and those who cannot - or won't - respect, love and honor it are profoundly foolish. We cruised by countless ice fields, waterfalls, meadows bursting with new spring life and .. Glaciers!! One very cool (pun intended) one was the mighty Chilikof Glacier - 22 miles long and growing! I was really excited about this chance to visit the fabled Prince William Sound and Chenega Bay. I had been baffled when trying to do some research on the village because it did not seem to be where it was supposed to be.
As we neared the village site I learned why. Originally settled in the early 1700s at the South end of Chenega Island in Prince William Sound, the village of Chenega Bay was wiped out on May 27, 1964 during a 9.9 earthquake and nearly 75% of the villagers killed. The tiny group of survivors, led by Fr. Steve Vlasoff, valiantly struggled to re-establish their village and after an exhaustive
search to find an environment comparable to their old home, they selected a spot on Evans Island in Crab Bay in 1977.  But the bureaucratic struggle continued and it was not until 1984 that Fr. Vlasoff and his flock finally came home to their village. Unfortunately, twenty-five years to the day after the devastating earthquake another disaster - in many ways just as terrible - confronted the people of Chenega Bay and Prince William Sound; the horrible Exxon Valdez oil spill.


The ecological devastation caused by the spill will likely never be fully understood but for people who depended on these waters for their very existence it was a catastrophe of the highest order. I urge you to take time to find out more about Fr. Vlasoff. He is one of those rare people whose impact on the world, on his Alutiiq brothers and sisters he loved so much and on the new village of Chenega Bay is so vast as to seem impossible. As we approached the dock we could see that Fr. Steve and his colleagues had chosen wisely.
While the dock and surrounding loading area were excellently suited to the tides and the needs of visiting vessels, the village sits high atop a beautiful hill, safe from the malevolent tsunami. We trudged up the hill on a smooth, but unpaved, road and marveled at the reminders of the community's past.  Rounding the final curve, the ultimate monument to Fr. Steve came into view St michael's Orthodox Church.


Newly renovated from the ground up, the building is beautiful inside and out and we were blown away by the exquisite and intricate icons, carvings, tapestries and glassware.  But most remarkable was the palpable presence here of the spirits of Fr. Steve and his beautiful Alutiiq brothers and sisters who built the legacy that is so vibrantly alive today.  We strolled back to the ship taking time along the way to savor the beauty of this place and to offer our prayers for those lost in the tsunami and for the remarkable Fr. Steve Vlasoff.   But we would now be starting the final leg of our trip to Kodiak and our thoughts began to turn to our family there.  Almost as if saying "you guys need to take a break", the skies - which had been beautiful the entire time - began to close down as an enormous fog bank engulfed the MV Kennicott. So we cruised along through the ethereal mist and reflected on another fantastic day traveling on the AMHS. Reveille will be at 5:00 am again tomorrow so get some sleep so you'll be ready. See ya.


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