Back to Hoonah, Zip Rider - Longest zip-line in the world - We did it!!

Day 47 & 48 July 7 & 8, 2008


Lots of whale activity along our way from Elfin Cove to Hoonah. We are truly blessed to see so many whales, which is one of Daleen’s reasons for traveling to Alaska. Now both John and Daleen have many more reasons why they traveled to Alaska. (Beautiful scenery, wildlife, Cliff & Lori and other people along the way, glaciers, just the vast amount of water to cross, just to name a few)

Unlike our last visit to Hoonah, before we traveled into Glacier Bay, a big cruise ship was anchored in Port Frederick outside Hoonah and they were busy ferrying passengers to and from the ship. What a sight. I’m not sure how I missed it, but the Zip Rider cables were near Point Sophia near the Cannery Point and Hoonah (Icy Strait Point). Diane asked if I saw the cables with the people riding down and I ask her “what cables”. I was so busy taking pictures toward the cruise ship and tenders heading to shore with passengers and many kayaks, I missed them. Darn….

We moored to the transient dock in Hoonah and John found out that the cruise ships were in the harbor Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through this summer and you had to go to the cannery to get tickets for the Zip Line. (Lori my friend from Juneau, had sent me the ZipRider website earlier in the year telling me about this zip line and that it was a must do while cruising Alaskan waters.) I wish we could have organized our schedules to have Lori & Cliff with us but it takes us so long to get from place to place we will have to schedule another time.

The six of us loaded in a taxi and were at the cannery in a few minutes with a small tour by our taxi driver which was very interesting.

When we arrived at the Zip Rider desk, around 2pm, we found out the last bus to leave was at 1:15. Darn, yet again, so we walked on the nice boardwalk to where the landing area was and watched the riders soaring down the cable. We also enjoyed movies, history of the area and gift shops at the cannery.

The Zip Rider in Hoonah is advertised as being the longest Zip line in the world, where the ride runs 5,330 feet, drops 1,330 feet above sea level and riders soar at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. This provides breathtaking views of Icy Strait Point, Port Frederick and surrounding mountains of Southeast Alaska all in just 90 seconds. Six individual cables allow up to six riders to launch at the same time or independently.

After talking with a couple people, we organized our pickup from the dock at 7:30am for an 8am schedule departure to the ZipRider the next morning. John, Daleen and Judy began mental preparation for riding while Steve joined us as our official photographer at the landing site.

In the morning July 9th , excitement and tension levels could be cut with a knife, as we boarded our bus for a 40 minute trip, receiving a brief history of the area and its people, hoping to see the Alaska coastal brown bear, we started up the mountain to the launch pad of the zip line. The zip-line launch pad is tucked inconspicuously amongst the dense forest 1,330 feet above sea level. John, Daleen and Judy were securely buckled in and what a ride we had. With the most spectacular views. The fog which had been socked in at the top of the mountain lifted just before our launch.

We loved it and we were ready to go again. What an breathtaking and amazing 90 second adventure….. Since Steve was taking landing photo's, we will have those when we return from our adventure, since Code Blue headed on to Skagway and we were headed back to Juneau.

In the meantime, this is a short movie at the launchpad, it is the first time we all saw the

zipline launched. I have to say, it was a tension releaser. There was the nicest 85 year old woman going down on this first run. She is the far left in the blue coat. You go girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is really a bad short movie content as far as speedy camera movement but worth watching... so bare with me...

We want to thank Julie from Icy Point Management for her hospitality and kind consideration in helping to arrange this unforgettable and exciting experience.

After composing ourselves and arriving back at the pier, we bid Julie a fond farewell and boarded our boat to make ready to get underway.

We also said fond farewells and goodbye over a delicious crab dinner the night before to Steve and Judy aboard Code Blue as they will be traveling to Skagway.

Our destination for Omega and Saoirse will be Funter Bay and then on to Juneau for a few days..