Today we were docked in Skagway from 7:00am to 9:00pm. This gave us ample time for 2 excursions. So far, the weather this week has been fantastic. It was another mostly sunny day, in the mid-50's.
We had to be out on the dock at 7:20am for our first adventure. Again with Eileen, Dave, Kevin, & Sarah - Alex and I piled into a van so they could drive us a gargatuan 1 1/2 blocks to get on a ferry. Now safely deposited (and without strain) onto the ferry, we headed to Haines. Here we climbed onto mules - the vehicle, not the animal - and drove up the mountainside.
The views were breathtaking, and the kids really enjoyed the ride. It frazzled me a bit, because we had 19 switchback turns and I was convinced Alex was trying to dump me over the edge. We were instructed to take the turns as wide as possible, and Alex seemed to think that meant we only needed to leave 2 of the tires on solid ground. Regardless, we arrived at our destination for lunch, and without injury.
Lunch - wow, it was good. Smoked chicken, beer battered halibut, smoked potatoes, fruit salad, and an interesting (and yummy) take on cole slaw. The halibut however, stole the show. I am not a seafood lover, but even I went back for seconds. Alex was able to snag the recipe and we hope to try it at home soon.
Just before boarding our mules to head back down, a black bear meandered up to the small lodge where we had been eating. It was very, very exciting to see. But both Alex and I think the tour operators had baited the area to encourage it's arrival. I had left the camera equipment on the mule, and was told I couldn't leave the lodge to get it. A few minutes later however, Alex managed to sneak out and grab the bag, so he did get a few shots.
After the bear show, we drove back down the mountain and climbed aboard the ferry (and yes, the bus) to return to Skagway. We had about 90 minutes to grab lunch on the ship and drop off our backpacks, which we were not able to take with us on our next tour.
We left the ship and boarded another bus, this time for a 1 1/2 block ride to the helicopter pads on the other side of the pier. After a short safety video and a visit to a scale (that should be illegal when on a cruise!), we suited up in glacier boots and orange vests. They lined us up and before we knew it, we were loaded into a helicopter and on our way to land on Meade glacier.
I have to take a moment to mention our pilot. Eileen's family really enjoys a survivor type TV show called Man vs. Wild with a guy named Bear Grylls. I believe he is English, and for several weeks prior to this trip we've kidded about how he pronounces glacier and crevice (gla-see-yer and (kre-vass). If I had not seen our pilot's face, I would have sworn we were riding with Bear Grylls. It took all Alex and I had not to bust out laughing, so we shared a lot of elbow jabs.
The flight to the glacier was quick, about 15 minutes, and was breathtaking. Once on the glacier, you truly realize just how small and insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. It was massive. We were able to walk about (with guides) and saw a lot of "kre-vass" (cracks) and moulins (holes). The holes scared the beejebus out of me. Some were as much as 200 feet deep, and many were walking around the edges like you would a curb at the street. I passed. Alex did get some video, which to watch also scares the bejeebus out of me.
Our time on the glacier was too short, only about 20 minutes, and before we knew it we were back on the helicopter with "Bear". If you ever make it to Alaska, I HIGHLY recommend a glacier landing. It was spectacular, to say the least.
Back with our feet on solid ground, we opted to walk around Skagway a bit. There is nothing here but souvenir shops, most of which are jewelry stores. Who goes to Alaska to buy gems? It was ridiculous to see hordes of cruise ship passengers scurrying from one store to the next to claim their "free gemstone" and "free ship pendant", etc. Alex and I picked up two cookbooks and ulu knife, and headed back to the ship.
Having missed dinner again, we ate in the Lido. There we met up with my brother Tom, and my sisters and their spouses. We headed to the mothership (the crow's nest bar at the top/front of the ship, which happens to be vaguely shaped like a spaceship). We participated in trivia... URANUS! BEAVER!...and several of us stayed a few drinks longer than we probably should have.
Moe
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