Ziplining

So many excursions, so little time! All summer I have wanted to go zip-lining, but I could never make it work. I was either too late signing up (only one crew member per excursion, plus there has to be an empty slot), or I haven't been able to work my schedule around it, etc. This week, I finally got to go! We have four different zip-lining tours - two in Juneau and two in Ketchikan - so I asked our Shore Excursions manager which one was his favorite and he recommended Bear Creek in Ketchikan. I am not sure how the other ones are, but Bear Creek is amazing!

The tour was six different lines, an extension bridge, repelling (they called it repelling but it was like fifteen feet), and an alpine slide. We were divided into groups on nine, so I got put with a family of eight. They were a big, loud, New York Italian family, but they were really nice and a lot of fun and they took all the pictures of me. I was a little worried when I first got put with them, but I never felt like an outcast. I kinda felt like one of the family by the end!

Ready to go with all my gear! You can't tell from this angle, but we were tethered to the platform the entire time.

This is my first run, and I think I look pretty good. My left elbow is locked, my right hand is where it should be, and I'm smiling!

This was the third or fourth line, so by this time I felt like a pro. I would like to say that I never stopped short of the platform, nor did I ever stop my self using the tree - I feel like that was a success!

This is what I saw. Beautiful, isn't it? One of the guides, Gen, took this for me.
The extension bridge crossed this creek and the pictures cannot due it justice! The bridge was a little shaky, and not that coordinated, so I was not brave enough to walk across with my eyes closed and my hands at my side. I wasn't afraid of falling, we were tethered to a line above the bridge, I just new that I would end up with my foot caught between slats!

The slide was a highlight! I could not believe short two hundred feet was!

Our awesome guides, Rhett and Gen.
We all got medals at the end (this is the best picture of it I have).

I have never considered myself a dare-devil, but I do like to experience new things and I am so glad I got the chance to zip line in Alaska (I would like to do it again somewhere else in the world). If you have never been, I highly recommend it!

Dog Sledding

As crew, I have the opportunity to participate in shore excursions as an"escort." Basically, I am there as a representative of HAL, I socialize with the guests on the excursion, and report any issues back to the shore excursions manager.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to escort a group to on a "Sled Dog Training Camp Adventure." We visited a camp where several professional mushers train with their dogs during the summer. It was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to anyone look for a fun, low-key excursion.

We started with a tour of the camp's extension bridge. It wasn't at all relevant to mushing, but it was really pretty.

After the bridge, one of the guides talked to us about the dogs and their training. I was really interested to learn that they start training the dogs when they are just a few months old and start racing them after a year or two. I also learned that the dogs they use now, the Alaskan Husky, is a fairly new breed. They used to use Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes, but the size caused some problems. Alaskan Huskies are a little bit smaller with shorter, but denser, hair. Their diets are very high in fat because they are outdoors all winter and high in protein to keep their energy levels up. She also introduced us to a dog who is nine years old and still racing. She said that once a dog retires, the musher either keeps them as a pet or tries to find someone to adopt them. If I was a musher I would probably have 150 Alaskan Huskies as pets because I don't think I would be able to set rid of a dog to whom I had grown attached.

Next, we all loaded into what looked like a golf cart without an engine. A team of sixteen dogs pulled us around the camp for about 15 minutes. It was amazing how fast they went and fascinating to watch them make the turns and work as a team. We met the dogs afterwards and they were all attention hogs!



After being pulled around camp, we learned a little more about the Iditarod. The highlight of the excursion was getting to see the new puppies! The camp had a litter that was ten days old and they were SO CUTE! I want a puppy!

Again, I really love my job! It's not every job that you get the opportunity to do things like this!