Location: Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Summary: A “gentle walk” that turned into a forest sprint, a guide who moved like lightning, and scenery worth slowing down for, my unforgettable day in Ketchikan.
When the NCL Spirit docked in Ketchikan, I joined an escorted tour of the Tongass National Forest. I’d imagined a gentle stroll through peaceful woodland. What I got was something else entirely.
Tongass National Forest
After leaving the ship, I waited in a large hangar that doubled as a shopping area until six or seven others arrived. Our guide then led us to a battered old minibus, not exactly the serene nature‑walk transport I’d pictured.
The guide herself was ex‑armed forces, incredibly fit, and at least twenty years younger than the rest of us. She probably weighed about 70 lbs, and she moved like someone who could run up a mountain before breakfast. She also brought a friend along, though none of us ever figured out why.
We drove a short distance to a gravel car park, where we were each handed a chocolate ration bar and a bottle of water. Not quite the “packed lunch” we’d been promised.
She set off at a pace that would have impressed Olympic speed‑walkers. I managed to keep up until the first stop, but thereafter, I fell behind quickly. Whenever she reached a point of interest, she immediately launched into her explanation without waiting for the rest of us. By the time I arrived, I caught only the last sentence before she shot off again.
The terrain grew steeper and more uneven, far from the “gentle walk” described in the excursion details. Two kind fellow passengers, a woman from New Zealand and a man from Canada, eventually dropped back to keep an eye on me. Without them, I’d probably still be somewhere in the forest, gasping for breath and muttering about misleading tour descriptions.
I took a few photos, but I missed most of the guide’s commentary. I asked others to share their pictures with me later, though none have arrived yet.
Return to the NCL Spirit
We returned to the ship earlier than scheduled, which made me suspect our guide and her mysterious friend had somewhere else they wanted to be. I’d love to see the Tongass National Forest again one day, but at my pace, with time to enjoy the scenery rather than sprint through it.
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