The season has started!!! That means that from when a ship comes in until it leave "cruise cows" meander down Broadway in Skagway like a drunken herd ignoring traffic and common sense in search of tacky souvenirs, numerous pictures and at times actually drinking in the surrounding snow covered mountains and glaciers = = when visible, of course.
Our job is to avoid running over any of those wandering while imparting out knowledge of the rigors of catching 'goldrush fever' and the hardship of those who ran the 70 saloons, were purveyers of 'negotiable affection' and the rest of those who worked hard to put Skagway on the map.
First day (Wednesday) jitters?? Nope. My first-ever tour was a group of 14 individuals from Taiwan who spoke little english and their tour guide who had some command of the language. He must have been paid by the word as he kept up a rapid-fire commentary for most of the trip. He could have been discussing anything as far as i knew.
Once we got to the top of the White Pass and into the deep snow country the folks showed their true colors...snowball fights, lots of picture taking and excited chatter.
You always hope to see some animals, but we didn't. So I had Harry (my marmot buddy) make an appearance. This brought about a lot of conversation which probably meant they were wondering what the guy with the grey beard was doing with that cute marmot. In any event, they clapped loudly when i stopped back at the dock (FIRST RULE FOR TOUR GUIDES: if they clap your tips are in the crapper). Luckily, the interpreter made a slick hand off - - ca-ching - - and day one was in the books.
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