Alaska Short Stories

Do you love colorful, true-life Alaska Short Stories?

In these stories, you'll become swept up in Alaska adventures and meet some interesting Alaskans.

Imagine being on the road in the picture above.

It will take you to all kinds of adventures in the Great Land known as Alaska.

The stories you are about to enjoy are short reads, perfect for your lunchtime or a nice break at any time.

Alaska Short Stories

Adventure on Wendigo Island

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to hear this story:

Ice the Savior

From the “Ice the Savior” story:

“I wedged myself into my bunk and tried to stay in it. My bunk is located fore and aft on the passage way from the galley to the wheelhouse.

Sleep is out of the question.

As the boat climbs a large swell, my feet hit the bottom end of the bunk and then when we cascade from the top of the wave to the bottom, my head hits the top end of the bunk.

The Captain may be sleeping, but I doubt it.

Skip is on watch and hanging on to the wood steering wheel, Johnny is in the galley hanging on to the table.

The marine radio is on and the U.S. Naval Air Station in Kodiak has just stated that the wind speed has reached 128 miles per hour.

This is going to be a very long night.”

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to read the story:

Cordova and the
Great Alaskan Earthquake

Alaska Short Stories brings you this gripping account:

“Two of the wall hanging clocks were banging against the wall.

So, I made my two kids promise not to move, and I ran into the living room and put both of the clocks on the floor.

In returning to my doorway, I looked out the front window and saw the school across the street going up and down with the ground waves. It was not only amazing but scary, for the ground under our house was also doing the same thing.”

When the 1964 earthquake struck Cordova, Alaska, the harbor dropped 7 feet.

Richard Hohnbaum was a school teacher and this is his amazing story.

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to read the story:

Ghost Town of Ukivok

Have you ever heard of the Ghost Town of Ukivok?

You'll be astonished by the pictures and the story.

This is King Island, located in the middle of the Bering Sea.

The small island is only about a mile wide and a mile long and as you can see, it features steep, craggy slopes and cliffs.

An Inupiate tribe that lived on the island, called themselves “Aseuluk”, or “People of the Sea”. And their village on the island was unique.

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to read the story:

Alaska Short Stories

The Daring Alaska Adventure

You'll laugh with the fun story that follows.

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Kodiak Reservoir

From the “Reservoir” story:

“My hands were numb, my head ached, my suit was a sheet of ice. I checked everything twice and walked over to the hole, made sure the knot was secure, asked Skeezix to repeat what I told him then jumped back into the icy depths of the reservoir.”

“My phone rang, and I had hoped it wasn’t for a request to dive because it was too cold for anyone to be swimming even in a wetsuit. I knew the water temperature was warmer than the air, but that initial moment as I submerged is a shock equal to 220 volts only, they are not warm volts.”

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to read the story:

Ship Creek Adventure

From the “Ship Creek Adventure” story:

“Halfway across, my booted foot slipped off the wet log and suddenly, my body lost its balance. I then fell off the log and made a big splash as I sank into the cold, fast-moving water of Ship Creek, where my world instantly changed.”

I didn't know how to swim at all, but there I was in a deep and fast-moving pool of water.

Not only that, but I was churning around, completely submerged. Not knowing which way was up, I couldn't find the surface.

Underwater and frantically looking around, bits of wood and bark churned all around me. I had suddenly been swept up into a cold and dangerous slow motion ballet”.

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to read the story:

The Big Alaska Earthquake

From the “Big Alaska Earthquake” story:

“Gary tried to get through the door into the porch adjoining the kitchen. Through the kitchen windows, we could see him hanging desperately onto the doorknob.

The door would swing inward, but as soon as he would try to let go and get over to us, the door would swing outward, which it was NOT designed to do! I remember screaming, “Get inside, Gary!”

At first, we could see those snowbanks and our car outside the windows, but just as Gary got inside, suddenly we were plunged into blackness.

Then we could see outside again. Daddy yelled that we had been underground”.

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to read the story:

Old Alaska Highway Diary

A Real Diary

from a Trip down
the old Alaska Highway

Towing a Trailer

from Anchorage, Alaska
to Spokane, Washington

Alaska Short Stories include this personal diary of a remarkable road trip.

June 25, 1947

“Roads are so muddy that we'll be stuck if we hit much of a hill. Boys are at their solitaire again. Just had a blow out in one of our new tires. When off, found the wheel was broken. Gas at Fort Nelson and wheel welded at garage, so fixed lunch while waiting.

Hope we never have another muddy hill like we just came over – skidded so – I'm still shaking”.

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to read the diary:

Alaska Short Stories

Tsunami

From the “Tsunami” story:

“We were near the nonexistent entrance of the boat harbor trying to lasso another boat when the northeastern wave hit us and drove us sideways into the southwestern wave, and the combination of the two forces generated a giant whirlpool.

We were now going backwards with the main engine in full forward position in this swirling vortex with about a ten-degree list. The skipper told me to go down and drive that wedge back into the throttle, which I did in record time. The skipper had the wheel hard over to no avail.

There was a red house on the hill just north of the city dock that had been washed from its foundation and was floating along with all the other flotsam, only this house had somehow managed to enter the swirling vortex inside the Fortress.

It started to break up and disappeared right before our eyes. We could look right down into this black hole.”

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to read the story:

Alaska Short Stories

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The Great Land, is a vast place with many people, places and looks.

The beauty of nature is everywhere, and so is adventure, the hardship of living off the land, and the challenge of building a life in the last frontier.

The Alaska Short Stories, featured on this page of Anchorage Memories, reflect all that this Great Land has to offer. From those who drove the “ALCAN” to come to the 49th state, to people who sought adventure, or imagined building a new business, a new life or making a dream come true.

These stories will take your imagination to new places, where you'll experience the Alaska that the authors lived. From the deck of a commercial fishing boat, to riding out the 1964 earthquake and everything in between.

When you read these stories, you'll see what being an Alaskan really means to the people of this special place.

These stories are short and excellent lunchtime reads.

So take a few minutes or more and read these Alaska short stories and let the words of the authors transport you to a new adventure in a far off land called Alaska.