Alaska Stories

In the photo above is an explorer’s 1916 camp in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

For five days in 1912, the Alaska Peninsula experienced violent earthquakes.

Then the Mount Katmai volcano erupted in southern Alaska, 265 miles southwest of Anchorage.

The explosion of the eruption was so strong that it destroyed the top of Mount Katmai and a new crater was formed.

In addition, an entirely new volcano was formed that was later named Novarupta.

An Eyewitness Account

There were four villages in the Katmai area. Savonoski, Kaguyak, Katmai and Kukak.

The following is from an interview with one of the villagers:

“Sometime in afternoon - it was just like this, bright sunshine, hot, no wind, that’s when the volcano started. Started snowing like that fine pumice coming down. Make lot of noise.

Kaflia Bay started to get white. Flat calm, no wind. Pretty soon dark came. Pretty soon pitch black. The Katmai mountain blew up with lots of fire.

**No one in the villages lost their lives in either the eruption or the aftermath.

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What the Blast Caused

The massive blast sent over 7 cubic miles of volcanic debris into both the atmosphere and the stratosphere in just 60 hours.

To give you a reference, the island of Kodiak, Alaska was covered by a foot of ash.

Fumes from the blast produced acid rain as far as 370 miles away.

How the Area Got Its Name

In 1916, Robert F. Griggs came to the area for the National Geographic Society.

Because of what he saw, Griggs stated the following:

“The whole valley as far as the eye could reach was full of hundreds, no thousands – literally, tens of thousands – of smokes curling up from the floor.”

What Griggs said, later became the name of “The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes”.

In the photo above, on your right, Robert F. Griggs is frying bacon over an open fissure.

What Griggs Saw

Jets of steam and gas spewed from vents in the earth. In places, the steam was as hot as 1,200 degrees F.

In the valley’s 56 square miles, 40 square miles were covered in up to 700 feet of volcanic ash.

All plant and animal life had been destroyed.

NASA Astronauts Trained There

Many years later, in 1965 and 1966, The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes was used as a training ground for NASA astronauts.

It was thought that the area resembled the Lunar landscape.

BONUS

Take a look at these pictures of The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and discover.

Alaska Volcano Facts

There are more than 130 volcanoes and volcanic fields in Alaska.

Around 90 of these might erupt again.

About 50 have been active since 1760. Those include Mount Spurr, Redoubt, Illiamna and Mount Saint Augustine. All are near Anchorage.

In the photo above is Mount Spurr

Mike of Alaska Stories was six years old when Spurr erupted.

“Our family was living in a log home on Fairbanks street near downtownAnchorage, Alaska in 1953. When I woke up one summer morning I noticed that something was wrong.”

BONUS

You can read Mike’s memories of the volcanic eruption.

Take a look at “Midnight at High Noon” and remember.

From our North Stars (that’s you)

We received these comments about our look back at The Coke Show, Anchorage’s favorite teen call-in radio show, hosted by Ron Moore.

The show was broadcast from a small radio booth on the roof of the Bun Drive-In.

Karen had this memory:

“The Coke Show was a great part of my high school years! I graduated in ‘68, and still smile when I drive past The Bun!”

And Jeanne had this to say:

“Such fun memories…I was too young but remember listening as my sister had it playing. Of course, I wanted to do everything my big sister would do, so I could feel cool.”

Michael added this:

“I was the drummer in A Burgundy Rose, and a few other bands including Tyme, Albatross, Heavenly Blue, Proof, The Entire Turkish Army, and Special Delivery,Susan Rhodes, as I remember this it was Great Times.”

Connect with Us

The story of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is a fascinating and incredible part of Alaska history.

Do you have a comment? You can reply to this email. Or you can Contact Us to say, “I’ve been to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.”

Until Next Time

Mike and Mary

Alaska Stories