Our trip to Skagway

Because it took me so long to post on my blog, I wasn’t able to tell you about some of my adventures I had while I was still in Juneau. Occasionally I will post these stories so that you can see what I was up to for so long.

It seemed every day off I had was another adventure. Halfway through the summer Matt arranged the schedule so that once a month we could have two days off instead of one. I had been debating whether or not to take up our company discount in which we get ½ off flights on SkagAir. I had wanted to go to Skagway all summer but I still hadn’t decided whether or not to spend the money and head up. I got off after tours on Friday and wouldn’t need to be back to camp until Monday at 11:30am. Johnnie also had off on Saturday and asked if I would like to go take the boat out to Echo Cove which is located 42 miles North of Juneau, at the end of the road. I decided to go with the flow; it was the most beautiful day. It had been raining (imagine that in Juneau) for days, but Saturday the sun had chased every cloud out of the sky. So I agreed.

Cosmos, Johnnie, and I jumped in the boat and headed off to sea. We went out in the boat and all the way to the head of the bay. It couldn’t have been a better boating trip! On the way back we even pulled the boat close to shore and went swimming. I couldn’t believe I was swimming in the ocean in Alaska! It wasn’t too bad either; Echo Cove is pretty shallow so it gets warmed up by the sun.

We headed back in after spending the afternoon on the water, and of course had dinner at Johnnie’s favorite eatery, Chan’s Thai House. He was leaving for Wyoming that night and I had agreed to take him to the airport. So after dropping him off I went to the waterfowl refuge which is at the end of the airport runway to camp. That way in the morning I could wake up and take a jog on the 5 mile trail that winds around the wetlands. I had a half marathon to train for so I wanted to keep in shape.

I woke up and strapped on my running shoes, the trail runs right at the end of the runway. I still was debating whether or not I might head up to Skagway. The plane didn’t leave until 11:00 so I thought I could take a run, clear my head, and make my decision. As I ran at the end of the runway, it was if I had planned it, I was directly under an Alaska Airlines 737 as it took off. To those of you that have never experienced being about 30 feet under a plane taking off, it is quite overwhelming.

It stopped, and jumped up and down with excitement. “That was AWESOME!” I yelled. There was a walker coming from the other way, they looked at me as if I had just escaped the asylum.

I started to run again, now, perhaps I am silly, but I took it as a sign. After my jog I was going go take a shower at the company duplex, and then jump on a plane for Skagway. It also was the second perfect day as far as weather goes, so I thought I’d better take the opportunity as it arose.

I had a nice run, took my shower, and headed to the airport. The SkagAir planes are small, 4 person planes, which to some people are scary. I am the opposite, I feel quite nervous a jet, if there are problems on a jet there is no second chance usually, you just careen to the earth. I guess the physics of a multi-ton vehicle thousands of feet in the air doesn’t compute to me. That doesn’t mean I won’t get on a jet, it just means I am one of those that have to have a cocktail or two for some liquid courage and a window seat, because if I don’t look out the window at all time the plane might go down. Now on little Cessnas and the sort, if there are problems you can possibly glide to an emergency landing. I know my logic is skewed, but remember I am the girl who makes travel plans because I had a “sign”.

Flying with me that day was a jewelry dealer making his business rounds from his Juneau to Skagway stores. (You would be surprised how many jewelry stores there are in both towns catering to the cruise ship travelers. They deal all kinds of jewelry, of coarse specializing in gold nuggets, Russian Diamonds, and my favorite amolite. Amolite, is a semi-precious stone that changes colors as you turn it back and forth, reminding the holder of the aurora. On one of my first trips by the stores in downtown Juneau I had to make an oath to myself not to come by the jewelry stores after getting paid, in fear I might buy one of the gorgeous pieces they display in their windows instead of saving my money for more practical things like, dog food. I thought of my Aunt Karen who would have a field day picking out something to add to her amazing collection.

The other passenger was a teenage girl who had come up from the lower 48 for a mission trip through her youth group. It was her first trip in a small plane and she was very nervous. I tried to give her my philosophy of flying in small planes but I might have been making things worse so I stopped.

As we were taxing, the pilot asked. “Would you like to go straight to Skagway or would you like to take advantage of the beautiful day and take the scenic route?”

The jewelry dealer said, “Whatever.” He had taken this flight to many times to be impressed.

The teenage girl didn’t say anything, she was too busy praying and making sure her seatbelt was tightened.

Cosmos couldn’t see out of his kennel in the back anyways so he didn’t care.

I said, “Definitely! The scenic route!”

So off we went. The pilot took us over the mountains and glaciers, tilting the plane so we could get a nice view. It was incredible!

After an hour of stunning landscapes we arrived over Skagway. The plane had to do a sharp 180 to get situated properly for landing on the airstrip between the mountains that tower above the tiny town.

After we landed, Cosmos and I asked for directions to the Temsco Headquarters, which is the helicopter company that flies for our tour company. From there I called my friends who were working at the other “dirt dog” camp in Skagway. They are our competition so I wanted to check out their operation. They didn’t get off until late afternoon so I decided to also check out our own company’s glacier operation in Skagway.

I booked a trip, which wouldn’t leave for an hour or two, and Cosmos and I headed down town to check out the historical Gold Rush Town of Skagway. It is a cute town like Juneau, geared for tourists, but Skagway is more rustic or frontier. I also noticed that the gardens were so much nicer than Juneau. It is one of the more “sunny” places of the notoriously wet Southeast, and it is apparent in the beautiful gardens that are scattered about the town. We had lunch at a little café with a patio. Cosmos sat on the chair next to me, attracting all kinds of people. He is such a popular dog. Then we headed back to Temsco to catch a heli to the glacier.

Cosmos had to stay behind unfortunately. I boarded a copter with 5 other tourists, who had no idea that I was a musher myself. I wanted to get the full experience of what it was like to go on a heli tour.

I had been to our other camp before, but I took a crew flight, which b-lines right for the camp. On the actual tour the pilot took us on a scenic trip over ice falls and high mountain lakes, giving us information about glacier formation and such. When we landed we walked out we were given an orientation speech by Ken, who I had met before. He smiled at me knowingly. Afterwards he pulled me aside and asked if would like to go on a tour or just walk around camp and check it out. I told him I wanted the full tour effect. We were split into groups and assigned a musher.

Glacier rides are done with 2 sleds with seats in the basket of each one. The musher drives the front sled, and one person sits in their sled, then one tourist drives the “tag” or “tandem” sled tied behind the mushers sled with another passenger inside of their sled.

Being by myself I rode in the front sled with the musher, who was Tim. Tim has a reputation of being one of the most entertaining of all of the tour guides in our company, a title which he deservedly earned. Though he was a little “cheesy” from my standpoint, being in the business, his demeanor was perfect for the tourists. I found myself thinking I wish I was funny like him on my tours. Partway through the run we stopped so that the tourists could take pictures. Tim asked if I would like to drive the sled. I needed a sled fix, so I jumped at the opportunity. I finished the tour on the runners.

At the end of the tour while we were waiting for the helicopter, many of the “glacier people” came over to ask how our camp was and introduce themselves. We loaded back on the helicopter. The tourists were incredibly impressed with the tour. They all agreed it was one of the most amazing things they had ever done.

When we landed, I still had a couple of hours before my friends met me, so I went the botanical gardens and the museum, then finally to the bar.

Matt and Becca came from their dog camp and picked me up. We went out to dinner then headed out to their camp which is located outside of Skagway in an old settlement called Dyea. We drove their truck the 9 miles around the winding dirt road that skirts the end of the inlet. We had to park near the river and pile, all three of us, onto their 4 wheeler.

Now if you are paying attention, in a 48 hour period I had traveled nearly everyway possible. By foot, by swimming, by boat, truck, plane, helicopter, dog sled, and ATV. I though I should find a horse or tank or something to round everything off.

Before we headed up the hill to their camp we stopped at the creek that we had to cross to see if we could catch a salmon. The river was full of spawning salmon. Matt and Becca tried with the net along the shore. I asked for a chance. They handed me the net, I rolled up my pant legs and waded out into the freezing river. After many attempts we gave up, those salmon are fast, and we were full from dinner anyways.

They gave me the grand tour. Their operation is much different than ours. First of all they are on a treed hillside so the dogs are not as organized as our camps. It was nice but they it made me appreciate our company’s strife for ultimate professionalism. Plus they didn’t have half the amenities we have at our camp. Like showers and a cook, and wifi. One thing I did like better was their carts. They were lower to the ground and lighter.

We hung out and exchanged stories of our summer. They are housed in small cabins at their camp, and invited me to crash on their floor. But I looked at the soft cushy moss that covered the floor of the surrounding forest and opted to sleep there.

“But it’s going to rain Abbie.”

Clouds were forming in the sky, and it is Southeast, but the moss looked so inviting. I decided to take my chance. I rolled out the sleeping bag in the trees up on the hillside above their cabin and crossed my fingers and Cosmos crawled inside with me.

About 5 in the morning I awoke to the sound of drops on the forest floor and my sleeping bag. I poked my head out of the bag and looked up to the sky. It was sprinkling. But oh what a heavenly sleep! I didn’t want to go to the cabin.

“Please,” I pleaded, “Let me sleep out here the last few hours!”

As if the clouds heard, it stopped instantly. (I have tried this pleading repeatedly lately, asking for snow, but it has yet to work.)

We woke and went down the hill to begin Matt and Becca’s dog chores. I met Sebastian Schnuelle who I had been emailing for quite sometime. He had some harness for me to replace the ones that had been chewed over the summer. It was a brief encounter, as that he seemed very busy, I would find out later he was having a very bad day.

They finished their chores and took me back to town. It was raining now. So the flight back to Juneau wasn’t as spectacular as coming up.

It was a wonderful weekend. I as I remember it I long to go back to the Southeast. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not anxious for the end of winter (probably because we have hardly had one yet!) but how wonderful that I am actually looking forward to summer!