Well, we have been onboard and cruising for almost five weeks. We have traveled 1,189 miles since leaving Olympia. Things are just fantastic but why are the refrigerator and freezer still full???? Our flotilla completed its mission to Juneau. We will miss the fantastic people we have been traveling with but know we have made some new lifelong friends. The final night we were together, we all piled onto Somewhere In Time and celebrated Jani’s birthday with song, laughter, joyful tears and great treats. I can’ really express how much we have enjoyed the last month.
We departed Juneau with Tim and Sue of the Justine Marie. There were several exciting whale sightings and great cruising conditions. We both have new guest onboard and have been enjoying great meals and fun games together. We stopped in Haines and while visiting the Haines Visitor Center we met a woman with an inside connection to the White Pass Railroad.
White Pass was a route to the Yukon during the 1898 Gold Rush. Trey’s father had made the trip in 1939 and floated solo 500 miles down the Yukon River. Trey and his brother had repeated the trip in a canoe in 1994, and had spread his father’s ashes. Yesterday was Treys Birthday and getting tickets for the railroad was very fortuitous. Unfortunately, we had to make a snap decision that caused a commitment to a 0500 departure from Haines. Becky jumped out of bed to help Paul with fenders and lines while in her pajamas, with wild hair and barefoot but we made it the 16 miles to Skagway for the 0900 check in.
We had a beautiful Day, the weather was terrific, our emotions were filled with gratitude and we enjoyed the story of the Sourdoughs trekking over the chilkoot trail up to the Yukon. 100,000 people started the trek in the three years of the Gold Rush, only a few thousand ever found any gold and only around 300 found enough to be considered rich.
We returned to our boat around 1800, in time for a wonderful chicken cachatory dinner onboard Justine Marie, along with a game of Farkle Dice and Birthday Cake. It was a great day yesterday and Trey was really happy that we were able to do the train trip. This morning with a soft rain coming down, a warm bed and fresh coffee; as I write this; I am very grateful and happy. It’s nice to have a day off, as we await the weather and wind in Lynn Cannel to abate. So back into Skagway today for shopping, laundry and sightseeing.
