In July 2025, Debra and I embarked on a grand voyage along the coast of Alaska, a two-week cruise aboard Crystal Serenity. We sailed from Vancouver to Seward and back, with port stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Icy Strait Point, with a transit through the wild landscape of Hubbard Glacier. We had the time of our lives!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our voyage.
This story, part of a series, is about my rafting adventure on the Taiya River.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our voyage.
This story, part of a series, is about my rafting adventure on the Taiya River.
Me and to oof my fellow rafters
Skagway, Alaska (July 12, 2024) There were three bright-yellow inflatables waiting for our adventurous group when we reached the rocky shore of the Taiya River—a river that flows 17 miles south through Alaska before it empties into Dyea Inlet. This inlet is just north of the Dyea (hence the name of the inlet). Dyea was once a boom town—for all intents and purposes, it is now a ghost town—as in the late 1890s it was one of two port towns (the other was Skagway) where prospectors who sought their fortune began their arduous journey to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush.
The Taiya, which received its name from the Tlingit people, is fed by glaciers and ice fields in the surrounding mountains. Our field guide, Bailey, told us the water temperature was about 40 degrees, which is considered “painfully cold.”
I stuck my hand in the water for just a moment—BRRRR!!!—and then blew and blew on my hand until it warmed up.
We met our river guide at the river’s edge...but for the life of me, I cannot remember her name. No matter, I guess, as she is merely a footnote to this story. She reviewed a few rules we must abide by as passengers aboard her rafts, and then we donned the requisite gear—a lifejacket and tall rubber boots—before she split our group in two, with Bailey in charge of one raft and she in charge of the other. We left the third raft on shore, as two was all we needed for our small group.
I stuck my hand in the water for just a moment—BRRRR!!!—and then blew and blew on my hand until it warmed up.
We met our river guide at the river’s edge...but for the life of me, I cannot remember her name. No matter, I guess, as she is merely a footnote to this story. She reviewed a few rules we must abide by as passengers aboard her rafts, and then we donned the requisite gear—a lifejacket and tall rubber boots—before she split our group in two, with Bailey in charge of one raft and she in charge of the other. We left the third raft on shore, as two was all we needed for our small group.
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After we climbed into the rafts, Bailey (he’s the fellow in the right-hand photo above) said, “Keep your eyes opened and your camera ready, because there’s an abundance of wildlife in this area. You’ll especially want to watch the tops of trees, where you might spot an eagle’s nest or an eagle roosting on a branch.”
I shot a short video soon after we pushed away from shore. I’d love to share it with you, but I can’t, as my website subscription doesn’t support videos. (Maybe I will upgrade one day.) So, I’ll describe to you what I heard and saw in a moment in time—30 seconds of pure bliss.
The first thing I noticed was a gentle, soothing sound—the murmur (or soft gurgle, if you will) of the water as it slowly passed over smooth rocks on the river’s bed and lapped at the shoreline on either side of our raft. I also heard the distant chirping of birds, and the occasional rustling of leaves. And there was a bit of respectful chatter—questions softly asked and answered— amongst those on my raft.
I saw a variety of shrubs and bushes, including (Bailey told us) buttonbush and black willow, that lined the shore, and hills to either side covered with western hemlock, Sitka spruces, cottonwood, and other native trees. The sky was overcast—not a bit of blue anywhere—with low-hanging clouds that obscured the tops of the hills.
(The sights I saw are captured in these photos. The sounds? Well, you’ll have to trust me on that.)
I shot a short video soon after we pushed away from shore. I’d love to share it with you, but I can’t, as my website subscription doesn’t support videos. (Maybe I will upgrade one day.) So, I’ll describe to you what I heard and saw in a moment in time—30 seconds of pure bliss.
The first thing I noticed was a gentle, soothing sound—the murmur (or soft gurgle, if you will) of the water as it slowly passed over smooth rocks on the river’s bed and lapped at the shoreline on either side of our raft. I also heard the distant chirping of birds, and the occasional rustling of leaves. And there was a bit of respectful chatter—questions softly asked and answered— amongst those on my raft.
I saw a variety of shrubs and bushes, including (Bailey told us) buttonbush and black willow, that lined the shore, and hills to either side covered with western hemlock, Sitka spruces, cottonwood, and other native trees. The sky was overcast—not a bit of blue anywhere—with low-hanging clouds that obscured the tops of the hills.
(The sights I saw are captured in these photos. The sounds? Well, you’ll have to trust me on that.)
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And I remember thinking, I wish Debra was with me to experience this moment—the calm, the peace, and the serenely quiet. She would have loved it, I knew, as I did.
“How far will we raft?” someone asked.
“About three miles,” Bailey replied, “which will take about 45 minutes from start to finish.”
“How far will we raft?” someone asked.
“About three miles,” Bailey replied, “which will take about 45 minutes from start to finish.”
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We had navigated about half this distance when Bailey called our attention to a tree along the left-hand bank.
“Look into the bare branches above the leaves,” he said. “Do you see it?” It was a bird…and not just any bird. The feathers that covered its body were blackish-brown, while those that covered its head were pure white, and its sharp, hooked beak was yellow. Yep…it was a bald eagle. “There’s probably a nest nearby,” Bailey added. |
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“Well, that made my day,” I said to the couple sitting next to me, who smiled and nodded in agreement.
We passed beneath an old steel bridge that spanned the Taiya River, and a short while later we reached a bend that marked the end of our rafting adventure.
All in all, I had an awesome time, and I left the river with wonderful memories that I’ve enjoyed sharing with you.
All in all, I had an awesome time, and I left the river with wonderful memories that I’ve enjoyed sharing with you.
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I was back aboard the Serenity at half past noon, and after I cleaned up, Debra and I had a sit-down lunch in Waterside Restaurant. There I regaled her with facts and stories from my tour. And a few hours later, we enjoyed ‘afternoon tea’ in Palm Court, where we were served bite-sized sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, and other pastries on a three-tier stand…and of course, cups of our favorite teas.
At half past five, the Serenity set sail from Skagway. We were bound for Sitka, where we were due to arrive at 9AM the next morning. Debra and I had booked an interesting excursion that I look forward to sharing with you in my next story. |
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