My mind is simply too exhausted to go into any interesting and/or eccentric details about this past busy week. But maybe I'll give it a shot anyway.
We believed and trusted we could make the journey to Upper Dewey, but with part of the trail choked in mud and still buried in foot-deep snow, we had to turn back. Of course, what would be a story of hiking be if it doesn't include me falling on my buttox? I indulged in an icy slip-n-slide nine times on our descent, and not a single life lost. King Koopa may have hidden the Princess in another castle, but I live to rescue her another day.
And what Alaskan story is authentic without a tale of a fuel pump that crapped out? Thanks, fuel pump. My car is a 2-ton pollen collector now thanks to you. I shall have my revenge soon.
But the sun shone, and the clouds broke, and I was blessed with a seven-hour tour. I dredged their minds, they struck it rich, they drank their beer and we rode our train. And we had a blast. In fact, all three of my train tours have been superb in their own right. Beautiful scenery, a diverse mix of people, a champagne cork in my eye, what else can you ask for?
The first couple of 4-ship days have gone smoothly. My stomach caught a bad case of the grumpies last night and into today. Indulgence on homemade chocolate chip cookies and doughnuts courtesy of gift ship leftovers. Tales of bears told with none in sight.
Zip lining? Not a problem! I controlled my fear of heights to enjoy a fabulous morning of zip lining with my co-workers. High above, racing from tree to tree, we were Ewoks if only for a moment in time. The finale was a football-length zip line, allowing us to approach speeds of up to 50 mph on the way down to an adrenaline-fueled finish. Some of my zip lining tricks? Doing Liu Kang's bicycle kick and shouting Die Hard quotes as a I raced down.
And most importantly, for the first time in my life, I can proudly say I love my job. It's been a wild wild week, and I look forward to many more.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
An Alaska of Imagination.
One of the best pieces of advice when giving tours is to feature the weather, never fear it. A cold, rainy Alaska day could very well have ruined the day for many passengers. But as that train steadily ascended beyond the heavens, the rain switched to snow, and a winter wonderland enveloped the train. Sure, the purty views of all of the mountains aren't in their full sunlight behemoth wonder.
That's typical. That's postcard. That's mundane.
Show the guests the mountains shrouded in mist with a gentle snow falling all around. Let them experience an Alaska of the imagination, not an Alaska of a postcard. Let them feel a sense of wonder and adventure, as that train followed the footsteps of many before it, the same people who looked at those same mountains and cursed every grain of gravel from their bases to their summits. The passengers may not have seen the sheer vicious tops of the Sawtooth Mountains or a sun-soaked view from Inspiration Point, but their imaginations contemplated a world of mystery. They were the lucky ones today, because the Alaska of imagination became their reality. They saw the pictures of the Days of '98, and with those images burned into their minds, they rode that same path, sharing a journey in a different time but with the same sense of adventure and awe.
White Pass...what was a corpse-tainted trail of frostbitten hell a century ago became a gentle trail of romanticized wonder. This is truly an Alaska of imagination. Cherish it. Embrace it. Become inspired by it.
That's typical. That's postcard. That's mundane.
Show the guests the mountains shrouded in mist with a gentle snow falling all around. Let them experience an Alaska of the imagination, not an Alaska of a postcard. Let them feel a sense of wonder and adventure, as that train followed the footsteps of many before it, the same people who looked at those same mountains and cursed every grain of gravel from their bases to their summits. The passengers may not have seen the sheer vicious tops of the Sawtooth Mountains or a sun-soaked view from Inspiration Point, but their imaginations contemplated a world of mystery. They were the lucky ones today, because the Alaska of imagination became their reality. They saw the pictures of the Days of '98, and with those images burned into their minds, they rode that same path, sharing a journey in a different time but with the same sense of adventure and awe.
White Pass...what was a corpse-tainted trail of frostbitten hell a century ago became a gentle trail of romanticized wonder. This is truly an Alaska of imagination. Cherish it. Embrace it. Become inspired by it.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Moosejaw Dave is the Name, Punching Moose and Tour Guiding Are My Games
Moosejaw Dave is my character name. I am going to be "playing" a Mountie who, one early October evening, fended off a raging moose via a punch to its jaw in my kitchen and subsequently kept it as a pet and main means of transportation. My character will exhibit an eccentric mix of authoritative, corrupt and effervescent aspects all rolled into one (mainly during the gold panning demonstrations).
We also have Tall Tale Tuwanda, a magician; Delila Doright, a reformed prostitute; Slim Pickins, a derelict guitar-playing prospector; Sourdough Sam, a soft-spoken large man who is Slim's rival; Dawson Dave, a swindler; Gus Chiggins, a shady and sharply-dressed business man; Skagway Sonny, the drunken gold panning expert.
This is the main group of guides thus far. We're expecting another one sometime later this month.
I'll be leading the first dredge tour of the season tomorrow morning at 9:15 a.m. Providing I can fix this current lint disaster on my Mountie uniform, I'll be dressed as such leading six people through the dredge. Sonny and Slim will then take the group for the first gold panning show of the season. I'm all sorts of emotions rolled into one, but I have faith things will go just fine. We only have one cruise ship in port tomorrow, and should have no more than 100 people visiting the grounds the entire day (contrast that to when the season really ramps up where a 700-person day isn't out of the question).
Flexibility, patience, a positive attitude, and most importantly, enthusiasm, will be exceptionally important. May 5, 9:15 a.m. will be the sunrise of my travel career.
We also have Tall Tale Tuwanda, a magician; Delila Doright, a reformed prostitute; Slim Pickins, a derelict guitar-playing prospector; Sourdough Sam, a soft-spoken large man who is Slim's rival; Dawson Dave, a swindler; Gus Chiggins, a shady and sharply-dressed business man; Skagway Sonny, the drunken gold panning expert.
This is the main group of guides thus far. We're expecting another one sometime later this month.
I'll be leading the first dredge tour of the season tomorrow morning at 9:15 a.m. Providing I can fix this current lint disaster on my Mountie uniform, I'll be dressed as such leading six people through the dredge. Sonny and Slim will then take the group for the first gold panning show of the season. I'm all sorts of emotions rolled into one, but I have faith things will go just fine. We only have one cruise ship in port tomorrow, and should have no more than 100 people visiting the grounds the entire day (contrast that to when the season really ramps up where a 700-person day isn't out of the question).
Flexibility, patience, a positive attitude, and most importantly, enthusiasm, will be exceptionally important. May 5, 9:15 a.m. will be the sunrise of my travel career.
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