Skagway, Alaska

Saturday, 25 Aug 2018 – While eating breakfast at the Horizon Court, we talked a little with a nearby couple.  They love Alaska so much that this is their 11th Alaskan cruise!  Hmmm.

Our “Musher’s Camp & Sled Dog Experience” excursion wasn’t scheduled to meet until 12:15 PM.  Val and Ed taken the same excursion early this morning. 

As we left the ship at Skagway, we soon wished we had left earlier because we were meeting at the end of the pier – and it was a long way from where our ship was docked.  By the time we found our tour bus, we were almost the last ones to board. 

It was a small bus, with 14 passengers.  Our driver, Ben, was a joker, who entertained us with “Ben’s bad jokes,” which he said could be another name for our tour.  The bus passed through Skagway and then over a fiord, which was white-colored from glacier melt.  Ben said that the water was 600 feet deep there, and over 3,000 feet deep at its deepest point.

Dog Sled Ride

Finally, Ben stopped our bus at the entrance to the Musher’s Camp and our group boarded a 4x4 Unimog all-terrain vehicle, which took us up the hill to the dog park.  Ben told us that these vehicles had originally been built as military personnel carriers.  Upon arriving at the dog park, we were led to three vehicles (wagons, with wheels, in lieu of sleds) with a team of powerful Alaskan Huskies attached.  The wagons could each seat 6 people: 3 rows of 2 people in each row, with the driver in back.  The dogs were so eager to go that they were rearing up on their hind legs and barking.  We soon settled into one of the wagons, sitting in the middle row.  As the dogs pulled us, they often seemed to be running sideways as they put their strength into the reins, which is apparently normal.  What fun!  Sled dogs are smaller than people normally think.  We were told that size is less important than speed, intelligence, and good joints.  We stopped to give the dogs a break and the guides and Ben took photos of us with the dogs.  After finishing our “sled ride,” we were given the opportunity to pet the dogs.  Sally petted a few of them; Jesse did not.  Since it was raining lightly on and off, Sally ended up with wet dog hair on her hands!  (Jesse found it difficult not to say, “I told you so!”)

Scenic Overlook

Partway back down the hill, the all-terrain vehicle stopped at a dramatic look-out point over the Dyea tidal flats for photos, where we could see the valley many miles below us.  After a few minutes there, we rode the rest of the way down the hill.

Puppy Cuddling

After unloading, we were led to a small outdoor theater where we listened to an informative “Kennel Talk” given by one of the staff, and were given a tour of the training area where puppies would begin their sled dog training.  Next, we visited the area where litters of newborn puppies were kept in separate small pens with their mothers.  The smallest were only a few weeks old.  When Sally held one of those, he was obviously frightened and was shaking.  She felt so sorry for him, but others wanted to hold him, too, before he was put back down in the pen with his mother.  We enjoyed the whole experience!

          When we got back to the port, we took a closer look at the pier.  A Holland America cruise ship was taking up space at the end of the pier, closest to the city.  Therefore, we had to walk the length of that ship and then some to reach our ship, which took 10 or 15 minutes.  After boarding, we went directly to the buffet, where we enjoyed a little hot soup.  A little later, Jesse called Val and Ed and the four of us soon went to dinner.  They had taken a plane trip over glaciers this afternoon, which they also enjoyed.  Instead of dancing, they chose to see a movie in the theater.  Although Jesse wanted to dance, Sally was dead tired.  Before going to sleep, we watched some the news about Senator John McCain’s death on our stateroom TV.