River Highwaymen: the marine transporters to Bush Alaska: those who transport goods to the Bush hustle all summer to provide a lifeline to rural residents.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 October 2003
• Author: Campbell, Melissa

There's no rest for those in the marine transportation industry during the summer months--no vacations and few days off. It's tiresome, difficult and dangerous work.

But without them, tens of thousands of rural Alaskans wouldn't have the goods and fuel they need to get them through the tough winter ahead.

There's no road access to the western half of Alaska. There are few villages in the Interior you can drive to. Only one highway goes to the North. But rural Alaskans and the companies that provide for them have access to thousands of miles of waterways. The rivers and seas that border the coast serve as the highways for the boats and barges that carry life's staples to Bush Alaskans.

The job has its drawbacks. Alaska is not an easy place to sail. The Bering Sea is reputed to be among the most dangerous, unpredictable waters in the world. It's cold and hard to navigate. The rivers aren't much easier ... silt and sand under the water constantly moves.

But perhaps the most challenging part of the job is the short season. There are more than 250 villages in Alaska, many of which rely on summertime barge service to bring them food, house hold goods and fuel enough to last until the next barge is due, sometimes nine months later.

For many parts of Alaska, the barge season lasts about 120 days, starting in May. Some villages only see a barge once, maybe twice, a year. Around mid-September, the...