The trip to Bennet Lake and Carcross

Castle, Miriam(me), Kacey, Jen, and our amazing conductor David

The end of the Chilkoot Trail -  what an amazing place to be.
  The lives that were changed while journeying this trail
during the gold rush -  the history made.  The people who
made it up the trail and on to Dawson City were nothing
short of remarkable.

Castle, me and Jen on the Chilkoot trail with Bennet lake behind us

Awesome church from the Gold Rush Era at the end of the Chilkoot trail -  just need to get it turn 90 degrees :)

Reflections

Monday, September 1st was a day of reflection for me.  It started out as most Monday's do -  checking in for a tour, and figuring out what my day would hold.  It ended differently though.

I was driving tour to the Summit, and on one of the stops I had the opportunity to quietly talk with one of my passengers.  During our conversation he revealed to me that he was facing another round of Chemotherapy, and that this was most likely the last trip he and his wife would be able to take together -  he has pancreatic cancer.

I was, of course, saddened to hear this, and honored that I had the opportunity to help he and his wife create memories together.  It started me thinking about how fortunate I have been to share in many of life's moments with people I meet here in Alaska.  Some are celebrating milestones such as a honeymoon, anniversary, or birthday -  other's are making memories together toward the end of what has been a blessed life.  I only get one chance to make it a good experience for them during our hours together, and it is a privilege to do so.

To those of you who shared your lives with me , even though it was for a short time -  Thank You -  from the bottom of my heart.

Thanks for the Memories

On Sunday night before Labor Day Jen and I pulled what we thought was a "college type" prank.  All summer long I've wanted to do something to end up in "The Blotter" of the Skagway News. There were a couple of considerations though -  it had to be something was fun, not destructive or disrespectful, and not against the law.  Brooke, our silent partner in crime came up with the idea of decorating the "Centennial Statue" -  Jen and I thought it was a great idea so we set about collecting some "Aloha" decorations.  Once we had the goods we went in the dark of night (rain too) and decorated the statues.  The sign said "Aloha Summer 2014 -  Thanks for the Memories"  The next morning we expected to find the decorations taken down, when instead we found people posing by the statues for photos, and enjoying the farewell to summer. For me it was bittersweet - it signals the end of my summer and the end of my time here in Skagway.  It has been a magical summer -  one shared with good friends in a place more beautiful than words.

Just another Day in the Yukon!

Today's adventure was amazing!  The sky was blue, the clouds were fluffy, and bears were out in abundance!  I had such a relaxing drive in the Yukon (up to Carcross) just taking photos, enjoying the scenery, and reflecting on how blessed I am to be here in the incredible part of North America.

View of falls at William Moore Bridge

3 adorable bear cubs scampering on the rocks

Cub scurrying down the rocks to catch up with Mama bear

Sow & 3 Cubs

Sow and her 3 cubs

Sow and her 3 Cubs

Mama bear crossing the road

Entrance to the Venus Silver Mines

Part of the Venus Silver Mines

Caribou Crossing - the Caribou Display is made of old railroad parts 

Hans and Pat take the Yukon by Storm!

On Friday 8/22 I got to Hans and Pat (two of our sales guys from Juneau) to the Yukon (their first time ever)  Had a great time showing them the sights and getting to know them a little better.

At Moore Bridge overlook

Checking out and building an Inukshuk

The Yukon Sign is always fun to pose by

Climbing the Chilkoot!

Emerald lake never disappoints

The world's smallest desert right in the Yukon!

At Tutshi Lake

Always fun when you see a bear on the trip!

Back to Alaska after 5 hour trip in the Yukon!

Flightseeing over Skagway, Haines and nearby glaciers

For Jimmy & Christine from Virginia

Today I had the pleasure of having Jimmy & Christine on my tour -  These pictures are for the two of you!   Thank you for sharing part of your adventure with me.  It was a privilege!  

A long "Slow Clap" to each of you :)

Today was a uniquely special day for me.  It started out the same as many days here, looking forward to a tour, and hoping I would have a good group of people to share my day with.  It ended up being so much more than I could ever have anticipated.

It is easy to take for granted the privilege of working and living in such a beautiful place -  to grow complacent with the beauty and to forget how spectacular it is.  Everyday I drive to the mountains, see the same sights, hear the same sounds, and enjoy the view.  I always think it's beautiful, but the repetition makes it easy to forget just HOW beautiful it is. Oft times I have folks on my bus who bring either a ho hum attitude, or fail to appreciate the opportunity they have been given.  Today, was NOT that day!

Today I had two separate groups on my bus.  The first was a group of 10 family members celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of their parents.  The second was a group of 4 lovely girls who work on one of the Princess Cruise Ships.  These 14 people combined were so enthusiastic for the opportunity they had -  with ooos and ahhhhs around every corner they reminded me just how lucky I am to share this beautiful place with people every day of the summer.  

To you who shared the day with me, Thank you again for sharing your most precious possession with me -  your time. For when you share your time with someone, you are sharing a portion of your life you will never get back.  My life was enriched by each of you.  

The 14 BEST passengers a tour guide could EVER hope to have!  

On the trip we saw a small unnamed lake near the summit -  my wonderful group of passengers decided to Name is "Lake Miriam" -  so of course we needed a picture of us all together at our newly named lake!  

Come a little closer --- not THAT close!

Video to follow -  but here are a few still shots.

Went to Dyea tonight to look for bears and got perhaps a little closer than what is safe with our young friend here.  He was definitely curious about us folks on the bridge.  One of the people there had a gun that he fired off to scare our little fellow off -  all it really did was startle him, but he remained in the area.  Since I was the closest to this fellow, I now have the nickname of "TastyCakes" ---  an all together very fun evening!