Glacier Cruise Through Prince William Sound Part 1Jul 29, 2011
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Entrance to one lane tunnel
Waiting to enter tunnel
Roland was opposed to stopping in the tunnel, so this was shot...
| Whittier is often referred to as the Gateway to Prince William Sound. Prince William Sound is located on the northern edge of the Gulf of Alaska. It is surrounded by the Chugach National Forest, the second largest National Forest in the United States, and three of North America's major ice fields. Whittier was created by the U.S. Army during WWII as a port and petroleum delivery center. After the war, the Army built the 14-story Begich Towers (formerly housed military families) which now houses more than half of Whittier's residents and the Buckner Building which is now condemned. It was not until June 2000 that Whittier was connected to the road system. Prior to that time, Whittier was accessible overland only by train. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, 2.5 miles long, was built in 1942-43 to safeguard the flow of military supplies from the port of Whittier. The modification allows it to be shared by train and vehicles. The trains and vehicles take turns. It only allows traffic in one direction at a time. Vehicles must wait in a staging area on either end of the tunnel. It is the longest highway tunnel and longest combined highway/tunnel in North America at 13,000 feet. There is a toll charge. It was a beautiful day! It was suppose to have rained. The cruise with Major Marine Tours lasted 5.5 hours. A National Forest ranger was on board to narrate along the way. Again, we spent most of the time on the bow and did not partake of the meal. We cruised to Blackstone Bay. Along the way, we saw Learnard, Billings, Tebenkof, Ripon, Lawrence, Marquette, Beloit, Blackstone, and Northland Glaciers. Blackstone and Beloit are the only ones I can identify in the photographs. Blackstone and Beloit, tide water glaciers, tower 1,700 feet above the water. |
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