The community of Atlin Lake faces Mount Atkin across the water with its gorgeous gravel glacier. It actually is not a true glacier but who cares? It is an incredible sight.
Up on pilings and centre front, is the reigning queen of Atlin Lake, the MV Tarahne. She was deliberately built in 1917 for a career in tourism. Europeans flocked to her for lake excursions while stewards in white jackets served tea and petits fours. In 1985 the Atlin Historical Society received a grant from the British Columbia Heritage Trust to save the Tarahne and today she serves as a romantic venure for weddings, small receptions, luncheons, dinner theatre and the annual Tarahne Tea hosted by the Atlin Historical Society.
Another view of the Queen of Atlin
Can we have too many?
To the left of Mount Atlin is a break between it and Teresa Island on the left. Through this pass we can see a glimpse of what lies to the west behind Mount Atlin…jagged peaks covered with the massive Juneau ice fields. Skagway Alaska, sitting at the head of a Pacific Ocean inlet is only 60 miles dead ahead. Skagway is the location where the hordes of goldseekers landed and then had to climb their way over snow and the ice covered White Pass, thousands and thousands of them like a trail of ants…many of whom expired along the way.
In the summer, winds coming from the west are cooled considerably by the ice sheets and keep the temperatures in Atlin comfortable while other communities swelter in the heat.
Little planes like this serve many duties in the north. They fly tourists into areas totally inaccessible by any other means, and they rescue lost hikers, and so forth.
Teresa Island, with its famous Birch Mountain rises to 6755 feet. This is the highest point of land on an island in a fresh water lake anywhere in the world. The area is filled with superlatives.
More to follow!
Barbara Rick and Flossie the spoiled golddigger
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