Hanging with the Enemy and My New Handler

Life here at camp is still wonderful. We are still a little slow on the number of tours we are doing. But as a start up operation it is to be expected. I guess they had a similar experience on the Mendenhall Glacier Camp last year, which was their first season. I also have been warned that when they got busy last year on the glacier they got hit hard. So I am not complaining, but I sure would like to get these tours going in full swing.
The dogs are doing well. They are getting stronger and stronger pulling a 1000 pound cart full of people around. Especially the last little bit which is up hill. The other day we made it up the hill with 7 people and me with no help. A couple of the passengers were very large too. So I was pretty proud of the dogs. As far as my share of the work, I am getting better at this tour thing. Trying to keep it not only informative, but also funny and entertaining. I have to admit my writing skills exceed my oral.
My yard grew a little since last email. Brian MacDougal brought his dogs to stay here for the summer to help us out. We split them up between all of the mushers. I got 4 of them. One of the dogs names is Leo and I already have a Leo, so he is Leo 2. Another of the dogs is named Bruno, and \I already have a Bruno, so he is Bruno 2. The ironic thing is that the first day I ran those dogs, there was a little girl who was named Abbye West on one of my tours! I kept calling her Abbye West 2. She is supposed to keep in touch with me through emails.
When we aren’t doing tours we have been starting to do trail work. As a act of good will when AIE got the permit for this operation, they offered to pay $3000 toward maintenance of the Sheep Creek Trail that runs right here by camp. So we are paying some in man hours. We are cutting back the brush that is growing into the trail, which helps us too because we probably use the trail more than anyone else. We hike it all the time. And everyone has taken up running also we mix it up and run partially on the trail and partially on the mine road that comes into camp. It was getting pretty gnarly with all of the Devils Club, Stinging Nettles, Hellebore, and Salmon berries that were taking over the trail.
Speaking of running. Most everyone has been inspired to start running. We are going to try to run a race next weekend called Only Fools Run at Midnight. They have a centipede category, which mean the runners on the team have to be tied together in some way, and need to be in costume. We are going to try to dress up like dogs and pull the dog cart on the course. It should be interesting.
Matt, Sean and I all ran a trail race last Saturday. It was the Perseverance Trail Run. It had a 2, 4, and 7 mile runs. We all ran the 4 mile. It was 2 miles of uphill and then you turn around and come back down. It was a beautiful run. It didn’t do quite as well as I would’ve liked but I had fun. I feel like I should have pushed myself a little more. I came in 3rd in my age group. Matt came in 2nd overall. Sean won his age class.
Lets see. 2 weeks ago Caellyn, the photographer and I hiked to the top of the mountain here. We took Telesto, Zenith, Cosmos, and Vega with us. It was beautiful. Its amazing how we climb out of our green Valley here and look over the other side and see winter. Its is white and stark on the other side. You can see mountain ridge after jagged mountain ridge for ever. There are rivers in the valleys that are still covered in blue ice. There is a cabin almost at the top. Was imagining what it would be like to wake up in the morning grab a cup of coffee and step out onto the front porch with a view like that. Heaven! There is a weather station on the top. What a view!
After my last email I went out to Douglas Island to camp on the beach near Outer Point. It was near sunset when I got out there. There was some people having a bonfire on the beach so I went out to a sandy point. The sunset was spectacular. Pastel and orange colors accented the silhouetted islands scattered out on the Passage. When I got out to the furthest point I hear a SSSSHHHHHHHTSTS. I looked around to see what it was, then I hear the noise again and there in the water right in front of me a whale breeches! It stayed around for awhile. How amazing! I am pretty sure it was a humpback whale. The tide was coming in pretty fast and I was going to be stranded out on the point so I walked back to see if there would be a better place to camp over on the other side of the bonfire. As I was walking by one of the people called over to ask if I would like a beer. As I get closer I could see the signature “raccoon eyes” that all the mushers on the glacier have. Turns out that that they all work for Alaska Heli-mush, the other glacier tour down here in Juneau. They were all pretty nice so I joined their bonfire party. What are the chances of mushers and whales meeting like this in the middle of no where? I slept a little farther up the beach in the beach peas and sedges. Eagles calling and circling over my head woke me in the morning. The smell of the ocean and the heat of the day to come was delightful. When sat up I looked across the little inlet, where a creek empties into the ocean and I could see two deer eating seaweed on the beach. What a glorious morning, how lucky am I to be living like this.
I gave the other mushers a ride to their companies in town apartment. They were very grateful It would have cost them a $75 cab ride to get them back there. I met up with Johnnie later who had just come down from the glacier. He has a drift boat which is just a nice row boat, made for guided fishing trips on a river. He used to guide on the Snake River in Wyoming. So we took it up to Tee Harbor and went out and around a little island in the Passage called Cohen Island. He rowed most of the way while Cosmos and I sat on the blow of the boat basking in the sun, drinking a beer on the most perfect day. I felt like a queen. What a great day! On the way back I needed to pee really bad, so I had Johnnie pull up to the shore so I could go do my business behind a rock. The harbor parallels the road. Part way through, I looked up the hill behind me. There is a view point pull out up above and there is a group of Harley Bikers looking down. How embarrassing. I just waved at them, what else could I do? All I could think is someone up there with them saying ,“off to the left your see Tee Harbor, there’s a bald eagle, oh and down to your right you can see and Alaskan Girl Peeing .”
Last weekend on my day off I went up to the glacier camp for a day. Its so beautiful up there. Of corse we really have it made down here at Sheep Creek. They have to melt snow for water and don’t have many amenities. Because they are on snow they are always cold and wet. I still think I would like to work up there for a summer. Its beautiful in its own way. The starkness and they feeling that you are living in the sky give it its own charm. While I was up there I help out with Sebastian Schnuelle’s dogs (the ones that Johnnie is running). I cut all their nails and gave them all messages. I feel in love with 2 of his dogs Finn and Rat who are up and coming in his kennel.
My handler Emily left last weekend what a bummer to see her go. She was a really good handler. My new handler’s name is Matt. He is a photography major from Ohio. I really like him. He has a lot of energy and a great attitude. And he loves the dogs, he especially all about “team Cosmic.” All of which makes up for his lack of experience. I have to do a little more work then I did when Emily was around. But we have enough fun that it is totally worth it.