8:00am Alaska Time (GMT – 9:00) – We wake up and begin getting ready for the day already at port in Skagway, Alaska. The view from the front of the ship on our TV show that it is already shaping up to be another beautiful day which helps put a bounce in our step as we plan for the day. Again we map out the select locations to pick up or free items from some of the shops and make a list of other items we would like to take home with us. Once our shopping itinerary is complete, we head to the Windjammer for breakfast which for us consists of yesterday’s lineup, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. They must be pretty good because we didn’t hesitate at all to choose those items again this morning. After breakfast we stop by the room to grab our coupons, port shopping guide book, cash and head out to Skagway! We both wear hoodies over our t-shirts because there is a little chill in the air, but we could easily go without them, better safe than sorry though, we have been told the weather in Alaska can change in a heartbeat.
9:30am – We head down to where the gangway was setup the previous day in Juneau to find that we have somehow missed the information that the gangway is now going to be on deck 4. Finally we find the exit and head out to the quaint town of Skagway. The year round population is only 800, but several thousand come here to live during the summer months. Instead of taking a bus, we decide to hoof it which turns out to be an easy walk; about 10 minutes. As we enter the town, we start down the main strip, Broadway. This is really the only street with any useful businesses or shops and the shopping district is only six or seven blocks long. With our trusty shopping guide map and coupons for more free “jewelry” in hand, we set our feet in motion down Broadway. The shopping selection is not as diverse as in Juneau, but we are able to find some fun souvenirs along the way. We also find the Post Office where we pay for stamps and mail a few postcards out. They probably won’t make it back before we do, but I suppose it is the thought that counts. Once we have finished our shopping for the day, we decide to drop our bags off at the ship and eat lunch before our excursion today, a visit to a Mush and Sled Dog camp, which we are very excited about. Boarding the ship goes very quickly as does eating lunch. It is amazing how easy it is to go through the buffet line at the Windjammer when most everyone is in the town. After lunch we still have an hour or so to wait before the bus will arrive to take us to the dog camp, so we decide to head up to the top deck for a game or two of shuffleboard!
Again Colleen beats me easily playing by our made up rules, but then we spot a poster on the wall of the ship which explains the rules of the game. We decide to play one more game following the official rules and I barely squeeze out a victory which feels good after watching Colleen do a victory dance after smoking me in the first game! 1:00pm – We disembark the ship once again and head to the end of the pier where we are met by our bus driver, Tim, at 1:15. We load up on the bus and wait for everyone else to check in and then set out for a 25-30 minute drive through some narrow, winding, gravel roads until we reach the camp. The ride is very scenic and Tim does an excellent job describing the history of Skagway while pointing out points of interest. As we enter the camp, we can hear the dogs barking in excitement! The Alaskan Husky is the breed of all the dogs and they love to pull sleds or land carts in our case. The barking and yelping is deafening as the dogs try to leap forward to begin pulling the six person carts we will be riding. Each cart has 16 dogs in pairs of two strapped to the back of the cart where two mushers will ride and give direction. We are quickly loaded into the six seat carts and we’re the second group to head down the trail. The trail is only a half mile long, but the terrain is very hilly and the weight the dogs are pulling is right around 2000 pounds while the average weight of a normal sled used in races like the Iditarod is only 50 pounds.
As we make it to the crest of the hill, we stop to allow the dogs to drink some water and rest. It is 60 degrees or so and the ideal running temperature for these dogs is -10 degrees Fahrenheit so there are a lot of factors working against them, but they still run hard and the mushers are actually slowing them down.The Alaskan Husky is much smaller than the Siberian Husky breed most people associate with sled dogs. The Alaskans are cousins of the Siberian, but have other breeds mixed which makes for a smaller, but much faster animal.
According to the information given to us after the run up and back down the ½ mile trail, the Alaskan breed can average 12-13 mph during the long races while Siberian only average 8-10 mph. Siberian Huskies are primarily used for pulling heavy loads over very short distances. The presentation runs around 15-20 minutes which gives us a look at what the Iditarod race is like and we learn about the Yukon Quest race which is even more difficult than the famed Iditarod.
The Yukon Quest is 100 miles shorter than its more famous counterpart, but it only allows nine checkpoints throughout the race meaning the mushers and dogs are not able to reach checkpoints for restocking of supplies, resting in heated cabins or dropping off injured dogs. Conversely, the Iditarod has 22 checkpoints making it much easier to make a checkpoint each day. Before each race, the mushers are allowed to send a standard bag with whatever equipment, food, etc. they would like to have to each checkpoint. If a dog is injured during the race, which happens to every team every time they run these two events, that dog is put onto the sled until a checkpoint is reached where it can be dropped off and will be driven to the end of the race. The record for most dogs reaching the end of the Iditarod is 15 which has apparently only happened once. On average a team will end with 11 dogs at the finish line. The strategy of running the race is much different than I had assumed too. The winner of the race is the first person to cross the finish line, but unlike bicycle races, the teams are not clocked in at a certain time, then a cumulative time is put together at the end of the race to determine the winner. Instead, the mushers are left to run their dogs however they want. The typical pattern for racing is six hours of straight running followed by six hours of rest, six more hours of running, etc. Lance Mackey, the man who has won the last two Iditarod and Yukon Quest races in the same year, which had never happened before he did it, has his dogs trained to do the six on, six off routine a few times through, and then 100 miles straight before going back to the standard pattern. According to our presenter, he has easily won those two races in consecutive years using this method because his dogs are trained better than everyone else. I am very captivated by his short talk which is followed by everyone’s favorite moment of the day, puppy time!
There are seven puppies, all from one liter, which are three months old. As we get to their pens, Tim pulls them out of the doghouses even though they are sleeping and begins handing them out to the children in the group. The puppies are so adorable as most of the just want to rest their heads on the shoulder of whoever is holding them. A few minutes later, Colleen and are handed one of the smaller pups who is a little more alert now than when he was so rudely pulled out of his bed. We are able to get a few cute pictures with a couple of the puppies before it is time to head back to Skagway and board the ship.
6:30pm – We arrive safely back at the ship and decide it is time for yet another nap. We lie down and turn the TV on to find the movie Ratatouille has just begun. I quickly fall asleep, but Colleen thoroughly enjoys the movie although she isn’t able to finish it before we leave for dinner. Again we enjoy the dinner table conversation as everyone shares their excursion stories from the day. Everyone seems to have had a wonderful time again today. Tonight’s menu features lamb shank which is our choice and we are so happy we decided to try it! The meat is so tender and practically falling off of the bone. Everyone who orders it picks the bone clean; absolutely wonderful! After dinner and further conversation about our days, lives back home, and just about any and every thing, Colleen and I decide to leave and walk toward the theater for tonight’ Love and Marriage Game Show which is supposed to be pretty entertaining. As we walk out of the dining room though, a beautiful sunset/twilight sky above gorgeous scenery captures our attention.
We walk outside to take a few photos, but it is very chilly out. I do my best to capture the moment with my little camera and as I begin snapping pictures, Graham and Shasta walk out to join us. All four of us are in awe of the fantastic view we are witnessing, and this is at 10:30pm no less, when all the sudden a few porpoises or baby Orca (killer whales) begin jumping through the wake created by the ship. The markings look like that of a small, dolphin size orca, but I overhear another gentleman say that porpoises are marked similarly to orcas and after a little research via Google I believe he is correct in stating we saw porpoises. Either way, this was the closest we have ever seen a wild dolphin, killer whale, or porpoise so all four of us are thrilled to have seen them. I was able to quickly flip my camera over to video mode and capture a few seconds of them jumping out of the water before they left the side of the ship. Check the Honeymoon, day 6 picture posting which will include the video.After such excitement and realizing we have missed the beginning of the show, the four of us decide to head back to our respective rooms, change into warmer clothing, and meet near the Windjammer to sit and visit. When we arrive at the top deck and meet Graham and Shasta, we are amazed to find that the mountains bordering the sea are still visible and still picturesque. Colleen and I also brought a bottle of wine with us, which was included in the Romance Package on day 1, to share with our new friends. We are also able to acquire four wine glasses and a Royal Caribbean pocket sized cork screw from our waiter Jessie. We all walk down to Deck 6 and to the back of the ship where we find many open seats with everyone attending the show in the theater. We pull up right beside the window at the back, open the wine and continue in lively conversation about our weddings, pets, families, etc. Shortly after, we are pleasantly surprised by Sean and Dawn as they have ventured to the same lounge in search of a relaxing place to sit. They quickly pull up a seat next to us and add to the festive, enjoyable conversation.
12:30am – As the night wears on, all six of us agree that it is probably best to get some sleep. We have an early morning tomorrow as we are scheduled to visit Tracy Arm Fjord. In cruise reviews I read before this trip, I read many posts stating that the fjord and glacier viewing was one of the most beautiful experiences of their lives and favorite part of their cruise so I am really looking forward to seeing it for myself!
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