Tenakee Inlet
The nameTenakee comes from a Tlinget word “tinaghu” meaning “Coppery Shield Bay” referring to the Tlinget’s highly prized copper shields, three of which were thrown into the bay in a show of power or lost into the bay, depending on the story.
The day after leaving Sitka, we tied Greywolf up at the boat basin in Tenakee Springs. Located on Tenakee Inlet, the community takes its name a from natural hot springs that drew the native population to this area long before the Russians and Europeans arrived. The Tingit people considered the steaming fissure, barely above high tide, to be a place of spiritual connection and physical healing.
In the 1800’s prospectors learned of the springs and set about making “improvements”: the pool of the largest spring was blasted to increase its size and a log building was erected.
Tenakee Springs’ history, until the middle of the last century, reflects Southeast’s history. With no law enforcement and infrequent mail service, people who wanted to hide for the winter found it a welcoming place. In the summer, visitors from Juneau came to enjoy the hot springs; commerce followed. You might enjoy checking out the history at:
http://www.tenakeehistoricalcollection.org
The community was incorporated into a city in 1971. Looking at it today, the word “city” does not come to mind, but no matter what its designation is, Tenakee Springs is filled with flower gardens, inquisitive dogs, and friendly people.
Many residents grow flowers. Some grow flowers and vegetable. Others grow puppies.
The gentleman working on this boat on the tidal grid told me the boat
(that he designed and built himself)
was named Fred, after his father. Nice, eh?
The old building that housed the store is being entirely renovated.
The building’s owner is recycling the clear grain fir for the new interior that will be heated by hot water in-floor heating with water supplied from the 103 degree hot springs.
The fally-down front half of the building will be removed.
The amazingly well-supplied store is temporarily housed in this building; Allie is headed for the entrance. The liquor store is on the left. If someone wants to buy alcohol, the store proprietor closes that emporium and goes next door to complete the transaction.
Bath house, hours, and rules
We didn’t use the bath house. Since men and women bathe au naturel at separate times, we weren't enticed to sit naked in warm water with a group of people we didn’t know. I’m thinking that the next time we visit, I’ll step out of my clothes and my comfort zone and experience what Rae Munoz loved to paint. The famous Alaska artist ( at 90+ years) still owns a cabin here; she had been in town the week before.
The only two vehicles in town. Wagons, carts, trikes, bikes, golf carts, and 4-wheelers line the single lane and the fill yards.
 |
| Fuel truck |
Civic pride. Clean up after your dog!
Allie has filed complaints with the APCA and PAWS and PETA. The entire ramp to the dock was metal with uneven edges to ensure that those of us wearing footwear did not slide to the bottom on Southeast’s twenty foot tides. HOWEVER, for those with four unshod feet, it was a labor. A man walking up the ramp behind us commented on her stoicism. I told him that it hadn’t occurred to either Allie or I that there was any other way for her to get to shore i.e. SOMEONE COULD CARRY THE DOG. When Allie encounters a new ramp, she stops to scope it out and then proceeds. If she looked around for help, we’d scoop up her twenty-one pounds.
The school is perched on a small mountain and accessed by 146 stairs or a steep
4-wheeler trail. Many of the locals use the stair case as part of their daily exercise routine....from Tenakee Spring’s webpage.
In Alaska, a community has to have ten children to keep the school open. Tenakee Spring’s school was built in the 1980’s but looks much newer. It cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and won an architectural award but that didn’t keep it from closing last year when the school population dropped to four. I talked to one fisherman who said it was re-opening this fall. The community had advertised for families to move here, offering affordable housing. Two families with children (five in one family and six in the other) had committed to relocate. However, they had never visited Tenakee Springs. My school-information-person was concerned that when they arrived and experienced how isolated it is (Internet if you have the right antenna, but no cell or land line phone coverage), they might not want to stay through the long dark winter. We hope that is not the case.
Short evening walk in the forest. Allie was her usual happy-go-lucky-dog self.
I was my usual alert-so-as-to-not-be-surprised-by-a-forest-critter self.
Doug had asked a little girl in town about bears:
"Oh, yes. We do see bears, but not as many as we used to."
Pretty cute for a nine year old. I could almost hear her add,
"…back in the old days, when I was little."
We stayed in Tenakee Springs two nights.
On both nights, the town (city) was back-lit by a rosy glow.
We loved Tenakee Springs. Of course, the sun was shining!
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