The approach towards Sitka has to be one of the prettiest we experience.  Towering, tree-clad peaks, snow clad valleys and islands, scores of them, dotted around Sitka Sound.

We pass islands and rocks, all with unfamiliar Russian names, for it was the Russian fur traders who influenced Sitka, although they named it New Archangel.  The Tlingits were there long before the Russians, however , after several (protracted, over several years), battles, the Russians succeeded. Sitka actually is a derivation of the Tlingit Indian name Shee At’ika’.

It is now a thriving community, reknown for its Sports Fishing and there are several lodges dotted around the nearby islands, which cope with the influx of tourists and sportsmen.  Fishing is big business, both commercial and sport and it is not uncommon to see executive jets coming and going from the nearby airport, the passengers able to afford the luxury of such travel.  Back in early 2000, one could have purchased one of these island properties for a ‘song’; figuratively speaking of course, now, the same properties are worth millions of $$.

We anchor here; there is a dock, however HAL have chosen not to use it, instead we use our tenders into Crescent Harbour, while our Allen Marine ‘Wildlife’ tours come alongside on the other platform and take guests out to look for Humbacks, Sea otters and any other wildlife they can see.

A tour boat, waiting to embark guests

Islands next to our anchorage; Sports lodges and luxury yachts abound.

Sitka, with Crescent Harbour in the foreground

Sitka itself

To the north and west, Mount Edgecombe is clearly visible, an extinct volcano.  Several years ago, some of the local boys climbed to the peak and ignited a pile of car tyres, (tires).  The date happened to be April 1st.  The inhabitants of Sitka believed that Edgecombe had started to erupt, as is expected, consternation and panic followed.  A wonderful April fool’s prank which had legal repurcussions for the youths involved……

Mount Edgecombe

As I write, we are paralleling the west coast of Vancouver Island, making for a waypoint at the western end of the Juan de Fuca Strait, bound for Victoria, British Columbia, a lovely city and very ‘English’ 🙂