Carl E. Moses boat harbor in Unalaska.
After nine days exploring Kenai Fjords, Kodiak Island, Katmai National Park, and the wild Alaskan Peninsula, we have made it to our final destination of Dutch Harbor, out in the Aleutian Island chain. These islands stretch from the Alaskan peninsula all the way to Kamchatka, Russia. We had a few rough nights early on, but then the weather turned beautiful and we found some amazing spots. Wide Bay and Kukak Bay provided some incredible bear encounters, Unga Island was perhaps the biggest surprise with kayaking through sea arches and exploring the ghost village. And finding a hidden cove after driving the small boat through a sea arch in Akutan was very memorable.
But now it was time to explore this bustling city, out on the edge of the world. This is where the North Pacific Ocean meets the cold Bering Sea. People call it the "Cradle of Storms", and it came to fame recently with the popular reality TV series called 'The Deadliest Catch.' Dutch Harbor is one of the biggest fishing harbors in the world, thanks to its massive haul of crabs and pollock. It also has one of the busiest airports in terms of cargo. But we were here to explore the incredible history and rugged beauty of the area.
In the morning we took a tour of town with some local experts. We stopped at the WWII visitor center, where we dove into the Aleutian Campaign of the war. The buildup of bunkers, underground hospitals, and military infrastructure started in 1941. But the war came quickly to this part of the world when the Japanese invaded Attu and Kiska islands, and bombed Dutch Harbor. It was fascinating reading the stories of the young men that were sent to this far outpost, totally unprepared for the harsh conditions. The islands are well known for their fog, which was the biggest enemy of the young pilots. Many would take off in fair weather, only to have everything disappear into a thick, low layer of fog beneath them. It made finding the enemy impossible, and then finding home impossible as well.
Next we sped past the underground hospital and radio building on our way to the wonderful Museum of the Aleutians. The exhibits here were very well done. I highly recommend a stop here to get a grasp on the native culture of the Aleutians. The Unangan (Aleut) people have been living in this area for 9000 years. They had incredible kayak designs and used the gut of seals to create waterproof parkas. Underground homes, with a ladder in the middle were the norm. All of these things were shown quite well at the museum. There was also a big display of native arts.
Finally we stopped at the old Russian Orthodox Church in town. This was such an important spot in Russia America, that the cathedral has a painting of St John the Babtist, at least his head, which was gifted from Catherine the Great of Russia. Many of the local residents are still members of the Russian orthodox church.
After a hearty lunch back onboard, we jumped in the vans again for a more adventurous exploration in the afternoon. A group of us drove to the base of Bunker Hill, near the Carl E. Moses docks where the 'Deadliest Catch" crabbing boats dock. We then set off on foot to climb to the top of Bunker Hill. This was all fortified during WWII, with giant Panama guns on top, as well as tons of bunkers for ammunition and personnel. We gained about three hundred and fifty feet during our two and a half mile trail up and down. The view from the top of the hill was absolutely stunning. Luckily we had nice weather without the usual fog. Not bad for our first day in Dutch Harbor.
Our first stop on our Dutch Harbor tour was at the WWII Visitor Center. I could have spent more time here. Some of the war stories of pilots, sent to the Aleutian Island campaign, were astonishing.
Our guests, checking out the radio station, which is set up just as it was when Dutch Harbor was bombed on June 3rd and 4th, 1942.
The radio operator.
Fishing boats in the harbor. The white boat in the first slip became pretty famous after filming the Deadliest Catch TV show. It is named the Northwestern.
This is the Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It was completed in 1896, on a site where Russian Orthodox Chapels have been since 1808.
View from inside the command bunker ontop of the Bunker Hill hike in Dutch Harbor.
I climbed down into the bunker, which was not easy. My group watched from outside.
There were some great exhibits at the Museum of the Aleutians in Dutch harbor. Here is the wooden frame of a traditional kayak and paddle, with the paddler wearing a seal gut parka.
I thought this was a very picturesque cathedral.
During WWII, they built an underground hospital. This is what's left of it.
Looking in to one of the crew quarters or storage sheds along the Bunker Hill hike.
Feeling proud after climbing up the Bunker Hill hike here in Unalaska.
Storage sheds, built into the hills at Bunker Hill.
Thomas, a our local guide, is also a docent at the Museum of the Aleutians. He was a wealth of knowledge on the history of Dutch Harbor.
Inside the Russian orthodox church.
The propeller of the Northwestern. This was a large ship that was bombed during the Japanese air raid in 1942.
Posing in front of the old wartime radio station.
Church of the Hole Ascension.
This was the trickiest part of the Bunker Hill Hike. It was about 2.4 miles with an elevation gain of 377ft according to my alltrails app.
Thomas, telling us about the giant Panama gun mount on top of Bunker Hill.
Giant stacks of crab pots are all over Dutch Harbor. The crabbing season is mostly in the winter, so the traps are all in storage at the moment.
All the old water pipes of Dutch Harbor at made of wood, with metal wrapped tightly around it. It reminded me of old oak barrels used for wine.
As always, keep traveling and keep posting! The world is at your fingertips.
- Dai Mar