A Strange Little Town
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11/22/2007
Lived in Whittier about thirty years ago; it hasn't changed much since. It was originally developed by the military on a fiord of Prince William Sound with only a few massive concrete buildings with tunnels connecting the buildings. Idea was to allow the troops (and their dependents) to avoid exposure to the elements: 400 inches of snow, as well as frequent rain, with howling, constant winds the norm. Most of the buildings have been abandoned, almost everyone lives in the 15 story Begich Towers; most of the rest in a ramshackle wooden building on the dock. Only about 60 miles fom Anchorage but might as well have been on the moon: until a road was finally punched through about 5 years ago. Still not readily accessible to Anchorage, however, as the road is one way (pilot cars will lead staged automobiles out, and pick up the traffic on the other end and bring them back the other way: the toll is $15. The road is closed at night and also shares two tunnels with the Alaska Railroad. Town is pretty sorry but is in a spectacular setting. Town has promise with the opening of the road and rumors of developing the town into a real town...which it is not now.
Patrick | Springfield, OR