M/V Tustumena Navigates Through High Seas and Gale Force Winds on a Return from Dutch Harbor “We are proud of our good ship Tustumena” Captain Bill Hopkins, AMHS retired Westward, one sees a land largely untouched by people, a wild landscape devoid of timber presenting itself in sharp relief to the exploring eye. There are […]
Flying to Iliamna to Fish for Silvers
Never Let Your Guard Down A group of friends are stranded near Lake Iliamna when the weather makes a turn for the worse. by Kurt Mackenzie If I were allowed to catch only one type of salmon, let it be silvers every day. Of course, that level of infatuation can lead to letting your guard […]
The M/V Matanuska Crew Spots A Vessel In Distress
Precipice of the Deep – The M/V Matanuska – Part 2 Article and Photographs by Captain Bill Hopkins, AMHS Retired The following is a continuation of “Precipice of the Deep – Part 1.” I pulled back the curtains to my stateroom window. Although it was just turning dark, I could see the myriad of stars […]
A Couple Slowly Sinks Into The Icy Depths of Milbanke Sound
Precipice of the Deep – A Sinking Skiff in Milbanke Sound A couple slowly sinks into the icy depths of Milbanke Sound. Story and Photographs by Captain Bill Hopkins, AMHS Retired One prolonged blast of the ship’s whistle every two minutes resounded throughout the night, and the day. Rule 35 of the Navigation Rules […]
A Summer Job at Site Summit in 1972
Site Summit: Summer Job in 1972 Washing dishes, scrubbing floors and racing cars at a Cold War missile defense site in 1972 by Michael Hankins It’s not often a person is able to take the mundane job of washing dishes and write about it. My 6-month dish washing stint was much different than scrubbing pots […]
World-Class Brown Bear Viewing In Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park
Up Close & Personal in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska By: Courtney Dowd-Stanley Bear viewing in Cook Inlet and panoramic vistas in Lake Clark National Park—this is what experiencing the rugged Last Frontier is all about. If you do anything this summer, be sure to reward yourself with active volcanoes, brilliant coastal brown bears, snow-covered […]
This Day In Alaska History: The First Ascent of Denali
The First Ascent of Denali By Anne Sanders This year, 2017, marks the 104th anniversary of the first successful ascent to the top of Denali. To be exact, on June 7th, 1913 at 1:30 p.m. Walter Harper, an Athabaskan Alaska Native, became the first man to stand upon the summit of North America’s tallest mountain. […]
Growing Up In An Alaskan Village
Alaskan Village in the City by Michael Hankins The serenity of living in a rural Alaskan village is something I’d love to experience. It seems a subsistence lifestyle has distinct advantages. Hunting and fishing to stay alive makes a person stronger both physically and mentally. Clean water and air untainted by pesticides and smog can […]
Surviving In Alaska’s Bush With A Husqvarna 640
The Husqvarna 640 Mystery All one man needed to survive in the bush was a Husqvarna 640 By Mike Rogers I’ll admit from the onset of this piece that I’m a rifle nut. I genuinely like messing around with hunting rifles in all their various forms and permutations and have for all of my adult […]
Hope, Alaska – Memories of Mining, Camping and Reviving One’s Spirit
Hope On A Rope – Memories of Hope, Alaska by Michael Hankins The first time I visited Hope, Alaska, was the summer of 1966. My father transferred to Elmendorf Air Force Base (A.F.B.) that year from Reese A.F.B. in Lubbock, Texas. We arrived in Anchorage on May 17th and headed straight to the Lucky Wishbone […]
An Average Alaskan Boy – Remembering The Fallen
An Average Alaskan Boy By Heinie Snider | from his book, “So Was Alaska” originally published in 1961 This story is about one such boy, just an average Alaskan youth. It was in the year 1917 and Anchorage was just starting to be a town—Fourth Avenue was the only street—Fifth, Sixth and Seventh were still […]
Captain Payne – The Greatest Shipmaster of the Alaska Marine Highway
Captain Payne – “What a ride! What a captain!” by Captain Bill Hopkins AMHS (retired) Captain Harold Payne (1921 – 2002) was, in my opinion, the greatest shipmaster the Alaska Marine Highway System has ever produced. Payne was a kind man, and some took advantage of his good nature, but very little ever escaped his […]
