Sailing to the Last Frontier Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tongass

Our northward route took us along the coast of Vancouver Island, then past the Haida Gwaii - formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands - reaching Juneau on a cool, cloudy afternoon. The capital of Alaska since 1906, Juneau lies in the Alaska Panhandle - a remote, breathtakingly beautiful area sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Home to around 31,000 people - though occupying a land area larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined - the city is part of the Tongass National Forest, the largest of the few temperate rainforests left in the world.

Established in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt, the forest covers a sizable portion of southeast Alaska: with an area of 16.7 million acres (26,100 sq mi/68,000 km²), it is almost as large as the Eurasian country of Georgia. The US's second-largest national forest, Humboldt-Toyabe (California and Nevada), is less than half the size of Tongass. Inhabited by many unique and protected animal species, Tongass National Forest mainly consists of tall conifers (Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and western hemlock); it includes 19 designated wilderness areas, meant to be preserved in their natural state.

The three national forests listed as incorrect answers are located in Washington (Olympic), California (Tahoe), and Oregon (Klamath).

Answer: the city is surrounded by mountains and ice fields

Juneau's dramatic landscape of steep, densely forested mountains and numerous bodies of water comes at a price. Because of the extensive ice fields that lie north and east of the city, on the border with British Columbia, building road connections with the rest of North America is problematic to say the least. This means that the city, though mostly located on the mainland, can only be reached by air or sea - as if it were an island. A segment of Alaska Route 7 (which consists of four unconnected pieces of road serving various communities in the Panhandle), known as Glacier Highway, runs north from Juneau's ferry terminal at Auke Bay to a dead end after about 45 mi (72 km).

About 30 glaciers have their source in the Juneau Icefield, including the Mendenhall Glacier (about 12 mi/19 km from downtown Juneau) and the Taku Glacier, the largest in the ice field, located southeast of the city. Sadly, both glaciers - and the whole of the icefield - have been in retreat for at least two centuries. The photo was taken on our excursion to Mendenhall Glacier in the afternoon of 1 August. We did not have enough time to reach Nugget Falls, which lies almost next to the glacier, but even from a distance the view of the majestic, blue-tinged river of ice was breathtaking.

Although the whole of Alaska is earthquake-prone, that is definitely not the main reason for not building roads in Juneau. While there are financial and environmental concerns about any road construction projects in a region with large, protected areas of wilderness, the area's unique geography is the primary reason for Juneau's isolation.

Answer: Alpine forget-me-not

With its cool and wet climate, southeast Alaska is home to a rich and diverse flora, particularly abundant in its vast wilderness areas, but also nearer to human habitation. The Tongass National Forest is an ideal environment for observing the myriad plant species that grow in the region. Thought the eye of the visitor will first be attracted to the towering trunks and spreading canopy of the conifers, beneath those massive trees a wealth of smaller trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants - as well as mosses, lichens, and fungi - are thriving.

One such plant is Alaska's official state flower, the Alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris), a perennial that - as its name implies - grows well in moist, mountainous areas. Native to Alaska and other cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere, it grows abundantly throughout the state from June to September - its tiny, sky-blue flowers, arranged in small clumps, blooming in the shadow of the majestic old-growth trees. The Alpine forget-me-not was designated as Alaska's official flower in 1949, ten years before Alaska became the 49th state of the Union: it was thought to represent the perseverance of the pioneers that settled in the beautiful, rugged territory. The photo was taken in the woods around Mendenhall Glacier.

The three flowering plants listed as wrong choices are also found in Alaska's meadows and forests.

Answer: tidewater glacier

Located west of Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve was established in December 1980 by President Jimmy Carter as an expansion of the national monument proclaimed in 1925 by President Calvin Coolidge. The Park was also designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve (1986) and a World Heritage Site (1992).

Though called a bay, Glacier Bay is a long fjord with deeply indented coasts surrounded by high mountain ranges - notably the Saint Elias Mountains on the US-Canada border. As its name suggests, the Park contains a total of 1,045 glaciers. Eight of them are tidewater glaciers, which carve their way through mountains to reach the ocean, where their front fractures into icebergs - a process called calving. Named after French geologist Emmanuel de Margerie, the Margerie Glacier flows for 21 mi (34 km) from the slopes of Mount Root, a mountain in the Fairweather Range of the Saint Elias Mountains. While most of the other glaciers in the Park are receding at a dramatic rate, the Margerie Glacier is considered stable.

The photo was taken in the early afternoon of 2 August, when the ship stopped for some time in front of the glacier to allow passengers to view it from relatively close up. Only a limited number of cruise ships are granted access to Glacier Bay. The slow progress of our ship through the eerily calm, deep green waters - littered with growlers (small icebergs), added to the almost otherworldly feel of the experience.The weather was cloudy, drizzly and chilly as you would expect in such a place: we took photos from the deck, wrapped in warm woolen blankets. When we were close to the glacier, we heard the thunderous noise of the calving ice - an unforgettable moment.

A cirque glacier, as its name suggests, is formed in a bowl-shaped depression, usually on the side of a mountain.

Answer: Alexander Archipelago

Named for Tsar Alexander II of Russia, the Alexander Archipelago is a 300-mile (480-km) long chain of islands that is part of the Alaska Panhandle. There are about 1,000 islands in the archipelago, some of which are quite large. Prince of Wales Island and Chichagof Island, the chain's southernmost and northernmost islands, are respectively the fourth and fifth largest islands in the US. All the islands in the Alexander Archipelago are the tops of submerged mountains, separated from each other by deep channels and fjords. With their rugged terrain and dense forest cover, these islands harbour a wide variety of wildlife species, some of them endemic.

Chichagof Island, named for a Russian explorer, is separated from the mainland by the Icy Strait; Glacier Bay lies directly to the north. Icy Strait Point, located at the northern tip of the island, is a destination for cruise ships owned by a group of Alaskan Natives, most of which reside in the community of Hoonah. The area is a prime spot for whale-watching and other wildlife sightings. We arrived there in the early evening. The photo was taken during our excursion to the Spasski River Valley - one of the most magical places I have ever visited, especially so close to the twilight hour.

The three island groups listed as wrong answers are all located in the North Pacific Ocean. The Pribilof Islands and most of the Aleutian Islands are also part of Alaska, while the Eugénie Archipelago belongs to Russia.

Answer: coastal brown bear

Chichagof Island boasts the world's highest concentration of bears: they outnumber the rather sparse local population by four to one. While southeast Alaska is also home to the American black bear (polar bears are found in the far north of the state), the so-called ABC (Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof) Islands of the Alexander Archipelago are brown bear country. About 70% of the brown bear population of the US live in Alaska. Spectacled bears, on the other hand, are the only bears found in South America.

There is some confusion as to the naming of the Alaskan brown bear populations. Though brown bears in North America are often called grizzlies (a name first used by Lewis and Clark with the spelling "grisley"), the name generally denotes those that live inland - such as the brown bears found in Yellowstone National Park. The brown bears of the Alaska Panhandle, which feed primarily on salmon, are often referred to as coastal brown bears, and are larger than those that live further east - though not as large as Kodiak bears. Interestingly, it has been discovered that the brown bears of the ABC Islands are genetically related to polar bears.

As the sign in the photo (taken on Baranof Island) indicates, anyone hiking in the Alaskan woods has to take the presence of bears - which are unpredictable, and can react aggressively if they feel threatened - into account. During our excursion on Chichagof Island, one of our two guides was a young woman carrying a firearm, while the other had a can of bear spray at hand.

Answer: it can be reached by highway

The city-borough of Sitka (from Tlingit "Sheet'ká") encompasses an area of 2,870.06 sq mi (7,433.42 km2) split between the west side of Baranof Island and the south half of Chichagof Island. In spite of its sparse population of about 8,400, it is the largest incorporated city in the US - about four times the size of Rhode Island, the Union's smallest state. Located at a latitude of 57º03'N, it has a cool, wet oceanic climate, with relatively mild, snowy winters and moderate, generally pleasant summers.

Being situated on two islands in the Pacific Ocean, Sitka is only accessible by boat or aircraft. Cars are almost redundant there, as there are only 14 miles (23 km) of road that go from one end of the island to the other. Everything is within walking distance in the city's compact centre, and bicycles and public transportation are also frequently used. A busy seaport during Russian rule, Sitka is now a popular tourist destination; a sizable part of the city's population also works in fishing and seafood processing.

Sitka boasts 22 buildings and sites featured in the National Register of Historic Places - including St Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral (on whose steeple a bald eagle was perching when we were in town), the Sitka Pioneer Home (now an assisted living facility), and the Russian Bishop's House. The majestic Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), one of the world's tallest trees, was named after the city, in whose area it grows abundantly; it was adopted as Alaska's state tree in 1962.

Answer: Tlingit

The name Tlingit means "people of the tides" in the language spoken by these indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Historically, the Tlingit occupied most of the Alaska Panhandle, from the border with British Columbia to the eastern coast of the Gulf of Alaska. Unlike the Native American peoples of the lower 48 states, they do not live in bounded reservations, but are spread throughout their original homeland, owning the houses and land they inhabit. According to genetic analyses, they share ancestors with the Ainu people of northern Japan.

While originally hunter-gatherers, now most Tlingit work in the fishing and canning industry, or practice their traditional crafts, such as weaving, wood carving, and basket-making. The Tlingit have a rich culture that emphasizes family and kinship - embodied by their elaborately carved and painted totem poles, which can be admired in various settlements in the Alaska Panhandle. Sitka, the old capital of Alaska, is one of the main hubs of Tlingit culture. The impressive Sheet'kà Kwaan Naa Kahídi, or Tribal Community House - a gorgeous wooden building that hosts dancing and singing performances based on Tlingit legends (one of which we were able to attend as part of our shore excursion) - is located in the city centre. The Sitka National Historical Park, located at the mouth of the Indian River (a favourite place for salmon to spawn), houses a remarkable collection of Tlingit and Haida totem poles. Most of those kept outside are replicas, while the originals are kept in protective storage.

The Inuit (also known as Eskimo) are a group of indigenous peoples that inhabit parts of northern Alaska, as well as Greenland and northern Canada, while the Seminole are found in Florida and Oklahoma, and the Mohawk in southeastern Canada and northern New York state.

Answer: lumber

Ketchikan is located close to the US-Canada border, at the southern tip of the Inside Passage - the maritime route that weaves through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast, connecting the Gulf of Alaska with Puget Sound. Named after the creek that flows through the town - a prime spot for salmon spawning - Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island, one of the southernmost islands of the Alexander Archipelago. The city is arranged along the waterfront as a long, narrow strip, surrounded by densely forested mountains. The offices of the US Forest Services that manage Tongass National Forest are headquartered there.

Incorporated in 1900, Ketchikan is also known as Alaska's first city. It is one of the wettest cities in the US, though its climate is rather mild, moderated by its maritime location even during the winter. For most of the 20th century, the city's economy revolved around logging and forestry. The picturesque Creek Street, a boardwalk mounted on stilts on the east side of Ketchikan Creek, was the city's red-light district in the first half of the 20th century. Most of the historic wooden houses that have been converted into museums, cafés and shops were once brothels patronized by the men who worked in fishing and logging.

Another popular tourist attraction is the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, where professional athletes perform amazing feats of strength and agility related to Alaska's logging history. After the demise of the timber industry in the late 1990s, tourism and fishing have become Ketchikan's main economic engines.

Answer: William H. Seward

Ketchikan boasts the world's largest collection of standing totem poles, found throughout the city and in four dedicated sites: Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight Historical Park, Potlatch Park, and the Totem Heritage Center. The latter houses a sizable collection of unrestored 19th-century totem poles recovered from abandoned Tlingit, Tsimshian and Haida settlements.

Located in the town of the same name, just southeast of Ketchikan, Saxman Totem Park is a fascinating place, where tall, brightly painted totem poles loom among the dense vegetation. Established in 1938, the site also includes the striking Beaver Clan House, which hosts song and dance performances. Probably the most famous of the 25 totems housed at Saxman Park is the Seward shame pole, carved as a caricature of Secretary of State William H. Seward, responsible for purchasing Alaska (then nicknamed "Seward's Folly") from Russia in 1867. Originally carved in 1885, the pole was meant to ridicule the controversial politician's stinginess in not reciprocating the hospitality received by the Tlingit, who in 1869 had organized a potlatch (gift-giving feast) in his honour. The pole that we saw (shown in the photo) was carved in 2017 by Tlingit artist Stephen Jackson.

Totem carving is still practiced today by Native Alaskans, and at Saxman we were able to see a totem that was being worked on. However, the heyday of totem pole carving in southeast Alaska coincided with the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries, when the fur trade brought prosperity to the inhabitants of the region, encouraging them to record their history through those stunning creations. Unfortunately, totems are short-lived, as the massive tree trunks into which they are carved - as well as the colours used by the carvers - are subjected to decay, especially in the region's wet climate.