Off-the-Grid and On the Road: Touring Alaska’s by Geoff Kirsch photos by Libby Sterling Prince of Wales Island When I first proposed taking a 10-day my saddle to the seat post — several times. you consider what road bicycle touring the island. Although much of that remains bike trip to Prince of Wales Island — a I’ve flipped canoes, kayaks, snowmobiles, entails in Southeast Alaska, an area noted unmapped, unnamed, and/or impassable, 2,600-square-mile hunk of wilderness in and somehow managed to fall overboard for its natural beauty and abundant wild- the system also serves the handful of towns Nuts & Bolts: Prince of Wales the Alaska Panhandle — my wife gave me tying a friend’s skiff to the pier. I once life — not to mention its near absence of that are home to island’s approximately one condition: as long as I promised not destroyed a ski boot in a way that made roads. Even in Juneau, our state capital, the 6,000 residents. When to go: Mid-May to mid-September. information at www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/ to die. the rental shop guy remark, “Wow, never road ends less than 40 miles out of town. In fact, as of 2010, the U.S. Department June and July tend to be driest, but weather recreation/recreation.shtml. Oh, and don’t If this sounds overly dramatic, let me of Transportation designated every road can be nasty — or great — at any time. let the bear talk scare you. Hunting has explain. between settlements on the island a National That’s part of the fun. ravaged the island’s ursine population. Just For one, I’m a novice cyclist. I only picked Morning broke cold and gray with Scenic Byway. As such, the “busiest” of these don’t keep food in your tent. up the hobby five years ago after moving — not counting logging trucks and construc- What to bring: Rain gear and non-cotton to Alaska from New York City. Before that, mist lifting off the trees as though the tion equipment, I saw maybe five passenger layers that retain warmth when wet. I wore Water: Despite the rain, water can be an everyone I knew who rode a bike told a vehicles a day — have been freshly graded neoprene kayaking gloves and booties, issue. Bring a filter that works in smaller, story about getting clipped by a taxicab, mountains were on fire. and paved. Eventually, they’re all slated to be. although Libby’s SealSkinz nylon gloves shallower streams — these tend to have creamed by a car door, or, in one particularly Anticipating this, recently retired state and socks proved far more watertight. Even fewer spawning/rotting salmon. gruesome incident, knocked comatose by a worker Karla Hart, as a volunteer in service to if you don’t bike in them, consider bringing delivery van’s side mirror. Call me crazy, but seen that before.” Until I did it again, two And yet, by cobbling together ferry America for local trail organization SEAtrails, a pair of rubber boots for glopping around Sag options: Hollis Adventure Rentals muskeg, forest, beaches, caves, etc. (www.harentals.com) rents vehicles, kayaks, that didn’t sound appealing. weeks later. routes, as well as sections of municipal set about compiling the first comprehensive motorized boats, and incredible array of Second, I wouldn’t characterize my Of course, in Alaska, any outdoor activ- roads, logging roads, and U.S. Forest guide to bicycle touring in Southeast Alaska. Route and maps: We used the map in the gear. Proprietor Darren Lamps has been physical condition as being “peak.” I’m ity involves significant potential for dan- Service routes, Southeast Alaska possesses In addition to maps, elevation profiles, attrac- Prince of Wales visitors’ guide (www.prince known to set, break, and move camp for a 2XL to begin with, even during the gym ger. Things here can go very wrong, very some incredible, unique, and nearly undis- tions, accommodations, and ferry schedules, ofwalescoc.org; you’ll find hard copies on clients. rat period of my early 20s. Add 10 years fast, especially when you’re talking about covered opportunities for touring. she also created several multi-day itineraries. the Inter-island Ferry). As of press time, Karla and I won’t say how many pounds, cour- bears and hypothermia. Preparedness goes Of these, Prince of Wales (POW), the The POW tour was her first. Not only hasn’t published her Southeast bicycle tour- Getting there: Take the inter-island ferry tesy of Alaska’s long, dark winters — a a long way, but luck plays a big part, too. fourth largest island in the U.S. (after would I have the fruit of Karla’s labors, I’d ing guide; track her progress at seatrails.org. to Hollis (www.interislandferry.com). Alaska seven-month period I call “nacho season.” So does stupidity — that’s why my wife Hawaii, Kodiak Island, and Puerto Rico), have her in person biking right alongside Airlines runs direct flights to Ketchikan from Plus, for the past few years, it’s also entailed was worried. represents the best. Most of Southeast (or often far ahead of) me. Born and raised Services: All available options are listed Seattle and Juneau. The Alaska Marine toting our toddler, an excellent excuse for I should probably also mention that I’d Alaska is vertical, with glacier-carved sum- in Juneau, she also proved adept at rig- in the visitors’ guide. Craig has the most Highway operates ferries to Ketchikan from slower paces, shortened distances, and fre- never been bicycle touring before. Sure, I’d mits rising straight out of the ocean. By ging campsite tarps. Without this expertise, restaurants, but Klawock boasts the color- most points in southeast Alaska, as well ful Klawock Diner (housed in an old school as Bellingham, Washington. Find schedule quent juice/pee-pee breaks. logged miles and trained daily (well, semi- contrast, POW boasts varied topography our third companion, photographer Libby bus) and the largest grocery store. Find and fare info at www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/ Then there’s my contentious relation- daily) in preparation, making sure to go — gentle slopes and alpine meadows, in Sterling, and I would have been sunk — lit- US Forest Service cabin and campground index.shtml. ship with gear. During the past half- out in particularly nasty weather. But as I’d addition to the usual steep, dense forests erally. decade, I’ve lost oars, splintered trekking soon learn, there’s a big difference between and narrow, crannied shorelines. Moreover, poles, and snapped the bolt that affixes practice and the real thing, especially when nearly 2,800 miles of roadway crisscross

30 ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2011 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2011 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 31 Which brings me to the harshest real- like taking a cruise operated by New Jersey butchering Red Hot Chili Peppers songs; a hard to do. In addition to regular rainfall, ity of cycling in Southeast Alaska — rain. Transit. Accommodations exist, but they’re kid and his grandfather on a “bucket list” summer temperatures on POW range from The entire region comprises Earth’s largest hardly luxurious. On our ship, the M/V trip; a group of middle-aged Harley riders the mid-40s to the mid-80s, which means remaining temperate rain forest. Prince of Matanuska, we could have reserved a three- who couldn’t believe we had fun without toting many layers and second set of every- Wales receives 120 inches of rainfall annu- berth cabin with private bath for about $100 “burning dinosaurs;” and a British cyclist thing I couldn’t get on Prince of Wales. ally. That’s 100 inches more than the state (in addition to the passenger fare). Like duti- in the midst of riding solo from Fairbanks Like bike seat bolts, for instance. average and almost twice that of Astoria, to Argentina, who claimed to be afraid It was day three of my POW bicycle tour Oregon, the third wettest city in the U.S. of camping in undeveloped campgrounds and I hadn’t even made it to the island. In Essentially, I was outfitted as a kayaker because of bears. We hadn’t the heart to fact, I’d barely even bicycled at all. With with neoprene booties, neoprene gloves, tell him that bears lurk around developed 150 miles of pedaling ahead of me, includ- and dry bags. So inclement was the weather campgrounds, too. ing a mountain pass Karla said her Honda at certain points, I had to wear ski goggles. While you’ve got to love a bike tour struggled to summit, I seriously considered As for bicycle equipment, Karla took a whose first leg includes beer, fries, and bagging the whole thing. road bike with thin tires, front and rear halibut burgers — be careful. Eventually, But just as the clouds settled over my panniers; Libby opted for a mountain bike you arrive in Ketchikan, where it will mood, the sun came out briefly, and I with mid-width tires and rear panniers probably be raining, and getting dark. found myself before a public street map of only; and I rocked my usual rig — moun- The eight-mile ride to Ward Lake Three C’s Bambi? If Sitka deer are all you see on POW, you might consider yourself lucky. Ketchikan with the inscription: “There’s no tain bike, fat tires, and, to tote the gear, my Campground would have provided a rude such thing as can’t.” daughter’s trailer. awakening even if I hadn’t been groggy took two days and three people to fix it. heart attack. I said no, but wasn’t entirely So I sucked it up and repacked the In retrospect, I chose poorly. Chalk the with food and drink. This time, thankfully, I disentangled without convinced. trailer. I stashed every ounce of luxury case y g ree n e trailer up to thriftiness; panniers and racks Encumbered with panniers for the first having to disassemble. However, my gear- By sheer grit — and cursing — I willed I could jettison in a utility room at the are expensive. But you get what you pay for. time, Libby and Karla wobbled a bit but ing wouldn’t be the same for the remainder myself to the campground just as darkness hotel: my travel guitar, a bag of homemade Reaching POW necessitates going quickly got the hang of it. My disembarka- of the trip. Neither would my right knee, fell, drifting off to the steady pounding of brownies, anything made of cotton (includ- through Ketchikan. We took the scenic ful Alaskans, we opted for sleeping bags in tion didn’t go nearly as smoothly. True to which had also jammed in the melee. rain on our tent and salmon splashing in ing underwear), even the cardboard boxes route, loading our bikes onto an Alaska the solarium for free. form, less than 100 yards off the ferry, my Another problem: While I’d trained the creek. At least I hoped it was salmon. my instant Indian food came in. By the Marine Highway System (AMHS) ferry from The bar opens from 11 AM to 11 PM, trailer slipped from the hitch, immediately pulling a 30-pound toddler, I hadn’t rid- Morning broke cold and gray with mist time I’d reconfigured, my spirits had lifted Juneau. Overnighting aboard an AMHS and is great for chatting up strangers. gumming itself in the rear tire, derailleur, den fully loaded down with all my stuff. lifting off the trees as though the moun- substantially. The ride back to the ferry felt ferry is an experience in and of itself, sort of On our trip there were Austrian tourists and chain. The last time this happened, it The ride to Ward Lake proved absolutely tains were on fire. The ride back to town comparatively effortless. Mind over matter, grueling. At the crest of one hill, Karla proved no easier. Now I faced a sobering I boarded the boat to Hollis, POW. No turn- stopped and asked if I was going to have a dilemma — I’d over-packed. This isn’t ing back now.

32 ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2011 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2011 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 33 The inter-island ferry is smaller than its rubber clothes was a spectacle. For the rest bustling business center, the town features spiky devil’s club, cauliflower-sized lobes state-run counterpart, and full of regulars. of the week, we kept hearing “You’re the a supermarket, two gas stations, two liquor of cow parsnip and skunk cabbage heads A word to the wise — stake out your terri- ones on the bicycles; we heard you were stores, and, inside an old converted school large enough to sit inside. Suddenly, we tory as spaces fill quickly, especially in the headed our way.” For a big island, POW is bus, the Klawock Diner. heard loud honking in the forest canopy. coffee shop, which again serves surpris- pretty small. Overpacked, undertrained, and drown- “Pterodactyl!” Libby shouted as we ingly excellent halibut burgers. “You got an electric motor on that ing my sorrows in coffee, I slumped at our spied two immense winged creatures burst Soon, POW loomed in all its verdant thing?” some guys yelled from a passing table, weighing my choices. I wasn’t about into the sky. glory. Evidence of clear-cut logging truck. to spend the next six days at the Klawock These turned out to be sandhill cranes, exposed various scars, folds, and gashes in “No,” Karla called back. “We’re powered Diner, though its gregarious owner, Rod but still, I understood what she meant. the mountains, like a person who suddenly by halibut burgers.” Heppe, himself an avid cyclist — “I ride an Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised shaves his head. Karla likened us to bicycle ambassadors, old Peugeot carbon-fiber, you know, to get to see a brontosaurus in the bog. In fact, a We landed in Hollis, which isn’t a town and she had a point. Most people who slowed my frustrations out” — probably would few days before, a Discovery Channel film as much as a ferry dock and a few houses. at the sight of two women and an oversized have let me. But the thought of riding crew had been out that way searching for Aside from a vending machine in the IFA man pulling a trailer festooned with Dora the another 20 miles to that evening’s destina- Sasquatch. office, no services exist. The closest accom- Explorer stickers stopped to chat. tion was enough to make me want to lose Down a gravel trail sits placid, lily modations, a few summer rental cabins, are After a wet night and soggy morning at my lunch, which was a shame, because it pad-glutted Control Lake. Thus began the nearly six miles away. We were headed Harris River, we lubed up and rode 11 wind- was a particularly delicious lunch (halibut “paddling” portion of our tour. The cabin to Harris River Campground, a looping swept miles toward Klawock. On one side of burgers yet again). lies across the lake. The Forest Service pro- complex of gravel laid down atop muskeg, the “highway,” spruce-covered mountains And, as my wife made abundantly clear, vides an aluminum rowboat, into which about six miles farther away. dropped into swampy muskeg, chockablock death was not an option. we loaded Libby, Karla, and their gear — Now, we were touring. At Maybeso with stands of gnarly, stunted trees. The The way I saw things that rain-spattered the boat had a 500-pound weight capacity. Creek — POW is a crazy, wild place with other side opened every so often to ocean afternoon, there was only one solution: a On the move An Alaskan black bear. I watched them row into the mist, the crazy, wild names, like LAGNAF Creek (as views. Sitka deer bounded through irides- support vehicle. In retrospect, I could have wheels of their upside-down bicycles spin- in “Let’s All Get Naked and … well, you cent purple fireweed. An eagle swooped made it — two days later, the sun came for,” the man said, even though I would ning lazily, reflected in the glassy water. get the picture”) — we stopped to view down almost to eye level, checking us out. out and I found my legs, too — but I can’t have taken a Yugo. “It’s a 4x4 crew-cab The Control Lake cabin is the nicest thousands of salmon, some eviscerated by Cycling in the rain is really dramat- remember being so happy to get someone with a canopy cover — that be okay?” Forest Service cabin I’ve ever stayed in, and bears, the luckier ones spawning. ic. Although my gears ground and my on the telephone. Hollis Adventure Rentals I told him I’d make due. I’m not just saying that because I’d been Considering most POW tourism involves knee throbbed, I persevered. Still, I can’t was the fourth number I’d called, the only After a protracted attempt at hitch- out in the rain for three days. We almost hunting and fishing, the sight of three peo- describe my relief at the following words: one to answer. hiking back to Hollis — tricky if you’re didn’t leave. ple on bikes wearing fluorescent-colored “Now Entering Klawock.” Far from being a “But it may not be what you’re looking a big, bearded, bedraggled dude with But there remained too much undis- gear — I made it to the Hollis Adventure covered country for us to succumb to Rentals compound, at the end of Peninsula laziness. Here, “Kicking Bird” gave us a Boulevard (the sign’s spelled “Penisula,” I well-deserved rest day as we checked out kid you not). There, I engaged the services the island. It also enabled us to take spur- of “Kicking Bird,” a Dodge Ram pickup. of-the-moment side trips that were too far Apparently, proprietor Darren Lamp names for bicycles. Without motorized wheels, all his vehicles (there is Birdy the Outback, for instance, we wouldn’t have taken the Edward the Conversion Van, and my per- 31-mile road to Hydaburg, and we would sonal favorite, Gladice the Toyota Titan). have missed the group of kids snagging With a swipe of my credit card — funny silver salmon from a bridge and the harbor how money sometimes can buy happiness seals that kept stealing them. — the bike tour switched from misery to The trip to El Capitan Cave — Alaska’s delight. Unencumbered by the trailer and only public access cave — took us past mixing in driving intervals, brutality gave a set of 10,000-year-old Kootznoowoo way to enjoyment. And isn’t that the point petroglyphs; the seriously Tolkienesque of travel? My real life is difficult enough, Beaver Falls Karst Area and Cavern Lake balancing career, marriage, fatherhood, Cave, replete with sinkholes and waterfalls and, when I can, personal growth. I can that disappear into the ground. There we experience adventure without descending watched a bear fish alongside an attractive into an abject struggle to survive. blonde woman carrying a .44 pistol and a The 18 miles up Big Salt Lake Road can of Rainier. Now that’s Alaska. between Klawock and our cabin at Control Accessing El Capitan requires a ranger- Lake was the only stretch I didn’t double- led tour, which leaves three times a day. back to complete under my own power. After 370 wild huckleberry-lined steps A mile or so to the cabin, I stopped to leading to the cave entrance, we passed shoot photos of Libby and Karla steadily through a heavy steel gate. curving into view. Clouds lifted, expos- “Sasquatch fuzz,” our guide said, ing higher peaks and patches of snow. motioning to some white fluff. Then she Primeval would be a good word to describe laughed. “The Discovery people were con- the scene. Along the roadside stood giant vinced they’d find him in here.”

34 ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2011 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2011 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 35 Although Sasquatch failed to materialize momentum. Finally, in the distance, I dis- see bicycle touring as another slice of a on the tour, we did see plenty of flowstone, cerned a sign. The top? Nope. Still a few more diversified economy. wet and glistening, hanging like tapestries miles up around a bend. My legs and lungs “Maybe even support a bike shop,” she from the ceiling, as well as other creatively burned. My eyes froze into slits. I pressed on said. “That’d be nice.” named formations such as “Dragon Scales,” until finally I reached another sign: “Warning: The remainder of our trip entailed back- “Dragon Snot,” and “Bacon.” Back outside, Narrow Road, Steep Descent.” tracking, another night each at Control our guide pointed to scratch marks high in My journal entry for the ensuing six-mile Lake and Harris River, with encores of a tree, possible evidence of a real-life elusive portion totals one word, in large capital let- Northern Lights at both. creature, the Prince of Wales flying squirrel, ters: AWESOME. That’s all I remember, and As Karla rousted us for our 5:00 am found nowhere else on Earth. all I need to. wake-up ride to the return ferry, one After another night at Control Lake, the Another nine miles along flat ground — final leg remained. I ticked off each mile morning began with an 18-mile mostly down- during which I caught a glimpse of a bear as I watched my early-morning shadow hill ride into Thorne Bay, a town of about 600. leaping into the woods, still-bloody bits of elongate across the pavement. Sore, sun- There’s a grocery store —fresh food arrives carcass scattered across the road — brought burned, and covered in salsa (tighten those on Tuesdays — a liquor store, one bar of cell us to Coffman Cove. We spent that night at jars before you slip them into your back- service way out on the float-plane dock, and a a private campground right on the ocean, pack’s water bottle holder), I rolled into coin-operated shower at the harbor. gazing up at the newly cleared sky, shoot- the ferry terminal feeling a heady mix of At the far end of town began the tour’s ing stars, and the faint glimmer of Northern elation and exhaustion. rugged section along Sandy Beach Road. Lights, a rare treat indeed. You don’t see In staying alive, I’d kept my promise to This meant far less traffic and a respite from aurora in Southeast Alaska very often, and my wife. I was thrilled to hook up again logging trucks. However, it also meant no almost never during summer. with the portion of the tour that included more hitchhiking. From here, I’d be riding By the time we woke up, the sun shined a nap — and halibut burgers. shuttles, driving ahead then biking back to full-bore. It was hot — in Alaska, 65 feels join my companions, driving ahead, biking like 85, especially as we turned off the dirt Geoff Kirsch (geoffkirsch.com) has written for The Huffington Post, Comedy Central, and The back, etc. In this way, “Kicking Bird” may road and back onto black asphalt. With con- Chicago Tribune. His first book, Run For Your Life have actually added mileage to my total. tinued gearing issues and a barking knee, I Apocalypse 2012!, is forthcoming from Workman Right outside Thorne Bay, the road decided to take it easier and enjoy some of Publishing. Photographer Libby Sterling is a visual climbed again, winding into dense second- the area’s ample salmon fishing. How ample? journalist for the Juneau Empire. View her photos at ary growth. Then, to the right, the trees In the words of the clerk at the grocery store libbyis.com. broke. In an instant, my vision filled with that morning, “All the cricks are holding.” shoreline, fjords, and islands. This was spec- Locals say you’ll find the most productive tacular dirt riding, no one in the world but spots at the inlets and outlets of lakes, specifi- me and the crunch of gravel. For the first cally Sweetwater Lake. However, not wish- time, I didn’t feel at a disadvantage for riding ing to hike an extra five miles and back, I on fat, knobby tires. decided to scout a different hole right off the At Sandy Beach Picnic Area, a cove road. About 13 miles out of Coffman Cove, I looking across to the mainland, we ate in reached an idyllic little pool beneath Log Jam silence, sitting on driftwood, watching the Bridge, with a beach and a trail wide enough sun peek through the clouds and a cruise to accommodate our bicycles. The place was ship sail across the horizon. Sandy Beach is perfect (up north, we call this “skookum.”) an inter-tidal dream, strewn with sea stars, By the time we returned, Log Jam’s tran- sand dollars, clams spurting water three feet quility had disappeared. In its place were into the air, and more than several crabs, chainsaws, machinery, and diesel engines um, “having it,” is the phrase Libby used as — a clear-cut in progress. Through the trees, she enthusiastically snapped photos of the in the midst of this beautiful green and blue copulating crustaceans. day, stood a denuded hill, all dirt, bramble, The following morning, Ratz Pass — the and sawdust. steepest, longest stretch — lay in wait. Our “I’m surprised we haven’t come across goal: up, over, and on to Coffman Cove this earlier,” Karla said, clearly upset. before the grocery store closed. My attempt Libby and I took a closer look at stacks of at adjusting both derailleurs managed to logs, dropped one onto another, then picked quiet the grinding. However, the chain no up and placed onto a flatbed. When that flat- longer wanted to shift off the front middle bed filled, another took its place, then anoth- sprocket. I tried not to let this ruin my fun er, then another, with eerie efficiency. It was along the initial 10 miles of twists, turns, sad but beautiful, like photographs of war. drops, and moguls. But this is reality on POW, and why peo- Then I reached the pass. This was the ple like Karla are trying to stimulate tourism steepest road I’ve ever ridden — and walked as a way to supplant logging. Specifically, a bicycle up — in my life. The more elevation, she hopes to accustom locals to the presence the harder the rain fell, but I feared losing of human-powered vehicles and help them

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