KHNS - Haines

With the upper Lynn Canal facing an extended gap in winter ferry service, the state has contracted with private operators to run passenger-only catamarans until a state vessel is in operation.

Sailings to upper Lynn Canal will be on Monday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 29. On both days, the ships are scheduled to leave Juneau at 8 a.m. bound for Haines and then call on Skagway before returning to Juneau by 3:30 p.m.

The catamarans will be operated by Goldbelt, Inc., Juneau’s urban Native corporation.

Haines Ferry Terminal Manager Ryan Ackerman says Goldbelt’s vessels have a limit of 100 passengers.

“There are no vehicles — it’s passengers only, and the luggage limit is 100 pounds of luggage per customer,” Ackerman said.

Ticket sales will be done through the terminals as usual, but only up until 4:30 p.m. the day before sailing. Walk-ons will be allowed if there is space.

The ships will not dock at the state’s ferry terminals. In Haines and Skagway, they’ll dock at the small boat harbors. In Juneau, they’ll dock at the Statter Dock, south of the Auke Bay ferry terminal.

Walk-on passengers can pay with cash or check at the dock. The schedules are available on the sailing calendar at the Alaska Marine Highway System’s reservations site.

The Department of Transportation had said it would activate the idled Tazlina to supplement service while its main ferries are undergoing annual overhauls. But an agency spokesperson said Monday that it didn’t have a return-to-service date yet.

Reuben Cash says blue mussels are best served steamed with melted butter. But this year, he doubts you could find enough for a meal.

Cash is the environmental coordinator at the Skagway Traditional Council. He says that last summer, 70-90% of the population died in what he calls a massive mortality event.

“You can see all the shells from what happened this summer. And for a while, I mean, it was thick,” he said. “Where the high tide comes in was just probably four inches deep, and empty mussel shells and dying mussels with meat still on it — it was widespread.”

The Skagway Traditional Council samples local mussels to test for paralytic shellfish poisoning because they work well as an indicator species for the toxin. In late June, they realized something was wrong.

“We noticed that there was kind of a funky smell about a week earlier,” Cash said. “They kind of had a sweet, slightly putrid smell. And in the weeks leading up to that, temperatures were in the 60s, maybe the 70s.”

He says there was a heatwave in the Pacific Northwest further south that caused many blue mussels to die, but the upper Lynn Canal stayed relatively cool.

“I kind of discounted the temperature theory right off the bat because it just didn’t get hot enough,” Cash said. “Blue mussels are pretty tolerant of high temperatures — they can tolerate up to about 85 degrees.”

Cash also considered that it could have been some sort of pathogen, like a virus or bacteria affecting the shellfish, but blue mussels are highly resistant to them.

He says it was probably a combination of things that caused the mussels to die.

One thing is the salt. Typically sea water levels are 35 parts per 1,000.

“Starting in June, in 2021, it was down below one part per 1,000 — like, as fresh as river water,” Cash said.

And Cash says when the salt levels drop, blue mussels aren’t as tolerant of temperature shifts.

Another issue is sediment.

“Not only does the freshwater dilute the amount of salt that’s in the water, it also introduces a lot of sediment,” Cash said. “Sediment covers up the muscles. Now, they’re filter feeders, they’re not going to be able to function as well as they would if the water was clear.”

Last winter there was record snowfall in the mountains above Skagway and Dyea. Then the area went through a cool spring, which kept the snowpack in place later than usual. As temperatures warmed up, the snow melted and brought fresh water and heavy amounts of silt into areas like Nahku Bay.

Then around the summer solstice, an extreme low tide occurred.

“So they were exposed at the low tide for longer and with a little bit higher temperatures, probably being smothered by sediment with low salinity,” Cash said.

Normally, the mussels can handle any one of these things — but all of them combined? It may have been too much.

Cash says the blue mussels that are left will be the strongest of the population and the most resilient. But he’s asking harvesters to avoid collecting mussels until the population rebounds.

“If you want blue mussels next year, hold off this year,” advised Cash.

Blue mussels tend to spawn mid-summer, so it may be late summer before the area sees an increase in their numbers.

Unemployed Skagway residents are getting a financial boost this winter, with up to $2,400 a month in municipal unemployment benefits. The money for the program comes from a gift made last year by Norwegian Cruise Lines.

The deadline to file for the first round of payments is on Monday afternoon.

Last fall, Skagway’s assembly decided that about a quarter of the $2 million gift from the cruise company should be made available to the community as unemployment benefits, in addition to any state or federal benefits.

Assembly member Reba Hylton says the money will help seasonal workers who’ve been struggling to weather the downturn in cruise ship traffic.

“That group of folks got really hit hard by the pandemic, obviously,” Hylton said. “So I’m really happy that this program is being implemented to hopefully help some of the people that have been hit hardest financially.”

Municipal Treasurer Heather Rodig says anyone can qualify if they are currently collecting state or federal unemployment benefits, if their benefits ran out by Sept. 1, or if they’ve lost work due to COVID-19.

“If you’re sick due to COVID and unable to work, or the business that you work for was closed due to COVID closures, you can collect based on that,” Rodig said.

That benefit wasn’t in the original plan, but as Hylton tells it, it’s an addition with timely impacts.

“I rode the ferry coming back, and there was an active case on the ferry, and that person probably isn’t going to be going to work,” Hylton said. “And it’s great that they don’t have to worry about that.”

The program allocates a little over $100,000 a month. There is a limit of $2,400 per month for anyone claiming the additional unemployment benefits. The COVID relief benefit is capped at $1,680, which works out to $120 a day for up to 14 days.

Municipal staff are expecting anywhere from 50 to 100 applicants. If fewer people apply and all the money isn’t spent, the assembly will determine another way to get the leftover funds into the hands of residents who need it.

Rodig says applications are available just inside the front door of Skagway’s City Hall and on the municipal website. She says applicants will need to provide some documentation.

“If you’re applying based on your unemployment status, then we need something from the federal or state agency stating your eligibility for unemployment. If you’re applying for closure or sickness, due to COVID, we need a letter from your employer stating the dates that you were sick or unable to work due to a closure. And then all applications must provide some sort of residency proof which we’re considering your Alaska ID with a Skagway address or your voter registration,” Rodig said.

Eligible months are December through March. The filing deadline for the December benefit is 4:59 p.m. on Jan. 10.

One of the forgotten dangers of living in Alaska is a roof full of snow. It might make for a cozy cabin photo, but the chance of a roof collapse — or being caught in an avalanche of roof snow — is real.

Haines is reporting nearly four feet of snow at multiple locations. And with high winds expected throughout the week, drifting snow can cause greater depths.

Erik Stevens from the Haines Avalanche Center says addressing your snowy roof while it’s cold can prevent problems later on when it warms up.

“I definitely recommend people be cautious. But it’s also a good idea to get that snow off your roof,” he said. “If it’s piling up, then it’s not shedding naturally. I’d hate for the next storm to come in real heavy and wet it could double the load pretty easily.”

Stevens says the Haines Avalanche Center measured the ground snow load over the weekend and found the snow weighs 57 pounds per square foot.

“I’ve heard of yurts collapsing pretty frequently here in Haines. I’ve seen garages and boat sheds collapse pretty frequently. I don’t think I’ve heard so much about residential homes collapsing. But every now and then, there’s a flat-roofed business that might collapse,” he said.

In Skagway, fire department officials warn that heat from inside the house can cause the snow closest to the roof to melt, which can later freeze. That can be a problem for firefighters when there’s a chimney fire.

Firefighter Engineer Zak Overmyer says they don’t wear cleats on their boots to get a good grip on icy roofs because that’s dangerous when climbing ladders. He also says that time spent shoveling snow instead of fighting the fire can lead to more damage, and heavy snow loads can cause collapses.

“If the house itself does get involved in a fire, having that extra load on the roof and extra weight will make those trusses and ceilings and stuff fail a lot quicker,” Overmyer said.

Another potential danger from excessive snow on roofs is a roof-snow avalanche. Last January, a Haines man was buried while collecting firewood out by Mosquito Lake. As the Chilkat Valley News reported, a former heli-ski guide was grabbing a couple of logs for his wood stove at night when the roof-snow gave way and buried him.

He managed to use his cell phone to alert neighbors, who helped rescue him after about 45 minutes.

But Stevens says shoveling a roof can also cause a slide — slides can happen anytime if the roof has a steep pitch.

“Metal roofs are particularly slick underneath. And they tend to slide when it warms up. When it’s cold they’re not likely to slide, but they could,” he said. “If your roof is around 30 degrees or steeper, I do not recommend getting on top of it or under it at all, because it could shed really at any time.”

He says snow drifts piling up on one section of the roof can also create problems and suggests having a structural engineer inspect your roof if you are unsure if it can handle the winter’s snow load.

In addition to the nearly four feet of snow in Haines, Dyea is reporting two feet and the William Moore Bridge on the Klondike Highway is reporting three feet. In town, Skagway is reporting 16 inches.

Skagway officials suggest hiring a local contractor to help with snow removal if necessary.

The Alaska Marine Highway System has announced further delays for the lone ferry scheduled to serve the upper Lynn Canal this winter. This latest delay could mean nearly a monthlong service gap for Skagway.

On Tuesday the Alaska Marine Highway System announced that the Matanuska will need more time in the shipyard to repair steelwork. Their new target date to get it up and running again is Jan. 31. This will leave Skagway without service from Jan. 8 until Feb. 5. Haines will be served by the Kennicott on Jan. 12, but that ship won’t call on Skagway.

On Dec. 9, the mayors of both Skagway and Haines wrote a letter to the general manager of the Alaska Marine Highway System, Capt. John Falvey. After two weeks with no response, on Dec. 22, they sent another.

“All residents in the upper Lynn Canal could see this coming. And I have no idea why we’re being ignored,” said Haines Mayor Douglas Olerud. “It’s kind of crickets coming from the marine highway system. So we’ll keep pounding on that door, we’ll keep asking questions. But I don’t know when they’re going to actually start listening to us.”

Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata echoed those frustrations.

“This is what we need to be able to function as a community during the winter months. And if the goal here is to disintegrate our entire community during the winter months, after we’ve survived the pandemic, well then, doing a great job,” Cremata said.

Both mayors agreed that residents of the upper Lynn Canal cannot count on flights to Juneau during the winter months due to weather. Both pointed out that the ferry system is supposed to be the reliable alternative. However, over the last half a decade, it has become increasingly unreliable.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees the Alaska Marine Highway System, and spokesperson Shannon McCarthy said they are considering multiple options to shorten service gaps this winter. That includes bringing the three-year-old, $60 million Tazlina back into service sometime near the end of January or extending the LeConte’s service for a little while.

“But they have to be mindful about when they extend then that pushes the LeConte’s return to the shipyard, the overhaul, that pushes that back. And what we don’t want is to be in a situation where if we did find, you know, something that had to be fixed, we don’t want to push that into the spring or heaven forbid the summer schedule,” McCarthy said.

She went on to say that the marine highway system does schedule its ships to be overhauled and repaired during the winter months on purpose.

“We do try to schedule the overhauls when it’s least impactful to the communities. And, you know, that does tend to be more impactful to communities when we get into, you know, spring or summer schedules,” McCarthy said.

Olerud says it’s the lack of reliable wintertime ferry service that’s impacting upper Lynn Canal communities the hardest, and it’s forcing people to move away permanently.

“It’s already happened. And I’m sure it’s gonna continue to happen until that aspect gets fixed. Anybody that has medical issues trying to get out in those months, [it’s] not an option, with no ferry system trying to get to treatments and checkups in Juneau, Anchorage, Seattle. The extra cost and that is huge to our communities,” Olerud said.

He also said that his community is trying to bolster wintertime tourism, but with no reliable ferry system to get people to Haines in the winter, he sees the more viable option is to fly in and out of Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Though he believes that could hurt businesses in Juneau that cater to wintertime travelers.

Meanwhile, Cremata continues to press on management to improve service. But the AMHS responds by saying how difficult it is to find crew, produce certifications and how challenging it is to keep older ships in service.

“I think most people in Skagway, Alaska, and Haines Alaska, are tired of hearing why things can’t happen. These are people that get paid a good wage, good salaries to run the marine highway and to work within the marine highway. There have to be solutions,” Cremata said.

For now, the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities says it should have a decision made within a couple of weeks as to when marine highway service will return to Haines and Skagway in 2022.

There’s a Christmas tradition in Skagway that’s been happening every year since World War II. It’s a show put on by a local charity that showcases music, elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus and a present for every kid that wants one.

On Christmas Eve in 1941, the Eagles Club in Skagway put on its first Christmas Eve pageant. It was a way for the town’s kids to celebrate with Santa Claus and spread holiday cheer. The Eagles Club, an international fraternal order dedicated to charity, has kept the show going ever since, and this Christmas Eve will mark its 80th year.

Chair of the club’s Christmas committee Kaylynn Howard says this year’s show will start off with magician and musician Andrew Nadon.

“He’s going to do a little Christmas magic for the kids, lead us in one to two Christmas songs. And then Mrs. Claus will also read the story to the kids,” Howard said. “So they, all the kids are invited to sit around the stage around her and listen to a storytime. And then one of the biggest traditions that we’ve continued is — even though the music and the story will change every year — the one consistent is everybody then after storytime sings, ‘Here comes Santa Clause’ together as Santa arrives on stage.”

Santa will then hand out gifts that he, Mrs. Claus and the elves hand-wrapped for each child in attendance.

Howard says the show has changed a bit over the years. It used to be called the “Christmas Eve Pageant,” now it’s called the “Christmas Eve Show.” Organizers changed that a few years ago because there are no judges.

Then during the height of the pandemic in 2020, they had to get creative to find a way to spread joy and not COVID-19.

“Our first COVID Christmas it was drive-by only,” Howard said.

Santa and his elves were standing outside on Broadway as families drove up and got their presents through the car window. There was also a compilation of videos the club put together full of holiday songs from local artists.

Howard says the committee agreed that the steps the community has taken to reduce the risks of contracting the virus have allowed the club to do the show in person again this year.

In addition to magic and songs, there will be a couple of drawings at this year’s event. There’s a Shop In Skagway program that’s been running all month in town and people have put their names in for a grand prize that will be announced on stage. There will also be a drawing for the winner of the Nancy Schave Memorial Doll Raffle.

Howard says the raffle is a fundraiser for a scholarship award that’s given to a local student.

“For many years, the Nancy Schave Memorial Doll Raffle was a $500 scholarship awarded to a graduating senior. Now, two years ago, we were actually able to raise enough money through the doll ticket sales that we upped the scholarship to a $1,000 scholarship for a local graduating senior,” Howard said.

She says the $2 tickets go on sale between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve each year.

“We put all of those names into a bowl and we draw those and the winner gets this American Girl doll with three outfits, a keepsake box and a very beautiful dress that is modeled after a locals’ wedding dress. And that’s all sewn and donated by Jeanne Worley, and she picks the bride every year, a local, and she picks their dress to replicate,” Howard said.

Jeanne Worley is a local tailor who has been making the doll’s wedding dresses for over 40 years.

In Skagway, the unexpected is usually entertaining. A few years ago Santa Claus had his pants fall down at the beginning of the show, and now there are several sets of suspenders at the ready. And, as one of the show’s organizer’s Cat Stewart recalls, another year, one of the elves’ dogs got loose.

“Children got their faces licked. And it was adorable, even though it was very naughty,” said Stewart.

This year show organizers expect around 75 children to attend.

The doors to the Eagles Theatre on Broadway Street in Skagway will open at 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and the show starts at 7 p.m. Usually, it runs for about an hour.

The event is open to the public and geared towards local families with newborns through fourth graders.