In Southeast Alaska, the ferry system is a lifeline

First Mate Aaron Isenhour steers the MV LeConte, a ferry heading from Haines, Alaska, to the state capital, Juneau. (Photo by Elissa Nadworny/NPR)
Southeast Alaska is known as the Panhandle:
It’s a long, narrow strip of mainland coastline, plus 1,000 islands and the braided waterways that surround them.
In most places, there are no roads connecting the communities there, so Alaskans depend heavily on ferries: the Alaska Marine Highway System.
The ferries connect 35 communities in all, and