There are also numerous companies on the dock providing ways to spend your time. We opted to go through Collette as we booked our cruise through them. It made it easier to be at the right place at the right time for our stop in Juneau, we scheduled a dog sled adventure, others went whale watching, or up to Mendenhall Glacier, for example.
We arrived in the port of Juneau to severe clear skies and a warm 55 degrees. We hit the weather lotto all through our trip. This day was starting out great.
We met our Collette Cruise Director Kathleen on the Promenade Deck at 8 am, along with Jim and Murnia, who also were scheduled for this event. Kathleen made sure we made it to the proper helicopter service shuttle on time and said goodbye so she could get others to where they belonged.
The kid driving the shuttle was born and raised in Juneau, so he was knowledgeable of the area. He kept his banter up for the entire ride to the airport. The problem was he had no mic and talked too low. The airport was north of the city, which of course meant we docked south of the city. But at least we were docked. Several ships were anchored in the port and had to used their Tenders get to and from the dock.
Still, Juneau is not that big. The drive was not more than 20 minutes and we saw several Bald Eagles perched on street lights along the main road watching the cars go by.
The airport is not like any we are used to. Most of the aircraft are Bush or Sea Planes, and range from two seaters on up. They also range from engineless to well maintained.
The speed limit on the flight line is just as Alaskan as anything else; 19 and ½ miles and hour. No, I didn’t get a picture of the sign, we went by it too fast. Shut up and stop laughing.
We arrived at the helicopter terminal, okay the building they use as a terminal to check in and get weighed. The helicopter must be in balance or things could get too eventful. The weighing was discreet, so everyone’s secret was kept.
Weighed and fitted with Glacier Boots over our shoes, we sat down for a safety briefing for helicopters. Things like don’t check out the tail rotor, or stand under the main rotor and pump your fists in the air. Based on our individual weight, we were seated and strapped in individually by the ground crew for the flight. It reminded me my youth watching the Astronauts being strapped in for launch. It would make finding our bodies easier of we hit the glacier or mountain.
With seatbelts and headsets in place we started our flight to Herbert Glacier. Leveling off four thousand feet we headed northeast passing the Mendenhall Glacier on our right.
The view got better the further we traveled east into the mountains. More snow and more ice. It was easy to know where the glaciers are, the surface sticking out of the snow cover showed blue ice, and snow-covered ripples, where there are crevasses.
A view, of a perfect rectangle of dots showing the camp merged out of the snow-covered glacier, followed a few minutes later by the dogsled trails in the snow.
The helicopter settled on the snow and disembarked in reverse order of our loading. The helicopter was resting on the snow with ease. It belied how soft and deep the snow cover was. Glacier Boots were nice, but snow shoes were what was called for. Take a step, put your weight on your foot and sink to your knees.
The next helicopter arrived. One individual had to be off loaded on to a sled and dragged over to the actual sled we were going to use. I’ll call him SNHBT, Should Not Have Been There. He was far too immobile to be there. Jim and Mernia were taken to another sled with another couple. With the engine noise and the thump of the rotors it was a waste of time objecting. Now, I wish we had.
There are two sleds attached to a dog team. One right behind the other. Sandi was placed in the first sled, in the front seat, SNHBT was behind her. I was in the seat on the rear sled and SNHBT’s daughter was standing on the rails were a Musher would be. I understand her wanting to be on the sled rails as Musher because I wanted to be there myself.
The dogs were going nuts, they live to run and being attached to the sled excites them even more. The sleds were staked down, our Musher pulled the knot loose, yelled, “Hike,” the dogs stopped jumping up and down and dug into the snow and we’re were off.
Not a hundred yards later the dogs slowed for a turn, then sped up for the straightaway, the sleds jerked and SNHBT’s daughter came off the sled and rolled. She decided standing in as Musher was not something she wanted to continue doing. So, we switched places. All I had to do was do exactly what I saw the Musher do. Mostly lean to the high side of the sled and break to keep from hitting the front sled when the dogs stopped.
It was easy and fun. Then toward the end of our trail the sleds go high in the turn, Musher put both feet in the high runner as did I. It didn’t help, we both leaned out like someone on a sailboat, I saw Sandi leaning with us. The sleds continued too high in the turn and leaned even more. SNHBT then rolled off the sled, spilling the sled on its side and dumping Sandi and the Musher. SNHBT’s daughter leaped off our sled to check her dad and the front sled ran Sandi and SNHBT over, braking one of the runners on the lead sled.
Then it hits me. Oh my God, I’m the Musher. I step on the brake and yell the only command I am sure of “Whoa.” The lead dog stops dead, while the others follow suit. We come to a stop fast, but I keep my feet on the sled. The Musher rolls to his feet, and I check Sandi. She smiles and sings “Sandi got runover by a dogsled.”
Help is there in seconds via a snowmobile. His first question? “Are the dogs alright?” Seriously? But they were, so we right the sled and get Sandi seated. It takes four of us to get SNHBT on his feet and on the snow machine.
We were supposed to see the puppies there, but that didn’t happen.
Sandi loved the entire experience. It was her favorite activity of the trip.