"Today I plummeted...and no...I did not sky dive."

First, my apologies for alarming everyone with the title of this blog which was my Facebook status yesterday. I tell Mike all the time when the subject comes up that I am not interested in sky diving because it involves plummeting...and I don't like to plummet. So thank you all for your concern and love, but it was a plummet of choice and I am mostly fine. More on that later.

You may remember my blog about Safety Week and that Mike's team won. Their grand prize was a pizza party in a private train car on a trip up to the White Pass Summit. It was excellent pizza and a pretty good day for the train. Sadly, only about half of his team either wanted or could go on the trip that day. Happily, I got to go as Mike's "date." Nathan went as a member of the social events committee. And we brought Liz a giant mocha as a thank you for manning the desk so we could clock out and take off.

It was a rowdy group and most had no interest in the narration...which I actually like but have heard a few times. Instead we got an Ipod with music....though music not necessarily of my taste. But fun people and good conversations from time to time. You've seen the train and the mountains before, but perhaps none of it going over a very high wooden trestle and heading into a tunnel. On this trip the tunnels were an important part of our entertainment. On the way up, one of the young 'uns got the idea that while in the tunnel, people should exchange shirts. (It really is pitch black in the middle of the tunnel.) And some of the results were pretty darned funny:Tom, Laila, Liz, Megan and Dallin

We also traveled past the steel cantilever bridge built in 1901. At that time, it was the tallest steel cantilever bridge in the world. It's no longer in use, but is still pointed out as an architectural wonder. In its current decrepit state, we are all very happy that we did not have to traverse it. We traveled on up to the summit where they then moved the engines from one end of the cars to the other end for the descent back into Skagway. Oh yeah, and we had to go back down through the tunnels again for more shirt changing....
...which of course the Guida's had to participate much to the delighted surprise of our young friends!

It was quite a fun afternoon. What hasn't been so fun are the rolling good-byes as more and more people head back to the lower 48 to school, fiancees, work and families. Jesse and Chad, among others, left. Tonight is Nathan's last night and he leaves at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon. Sarah leaves our department on Friday. They attend the same school in Florida and it's time for classes to begin. It's just weird and ucky. Everyone is anxious to get back home as their departure dates approach. At the same time, it's hard for them to say good-bye to the people remaining here for the rest of the season and hard for us all to say good-bye to them. It certainly changes the dynamic.

A few nights later was an impromptu gathering of Keegan, Chelsea, Brian, Jeannine, Mike and me at the Skagway Brew Company (the Brewco)...one of the two microbreweries in Skagway. I first had their IPA which I'm generally not too fond of and it was ok. Next I moved on to their Spruce Tip Ale. This ale is actually made with spruce tree tips which carry a lot of rather fruity. They make a good red beer there, but it wasn't on tap that evening.

And the fun continues. I clocked out an hour early to join Mike for only the second time of the season on one of his tours. Mike, 24 guests and I went up to the Suspension Bridge and to Liarsville for a salmon bake. (A great opportunity to have dinner and neither of us had to cook or clean.) And that dinner is always delicious. I had great fun with the people on his tour and it makes me look forward to possibly being a driver-guide in 2011. A sunny day, genial people, good food and the bugs weren't too bad. In general, the bugs...especially black flies...have been pretty nasty. I look forward to the time when my perfume isn't Eau du Off. We finally got a photo of the two of us at the Welcome to Alaska sign. He is in full uniform and I've removed my name badge, scarf and vest....so am technically in "business casual."


Yesterday morning I saw that Liz had posted a message of having gone cliff jumping up at Lower Dewey Lake. So, of course, I had to pout and say "dislike" because I wasn't there. Immediately after that post, I received the reply that they were returning to jump again at 2:30.

As many know, I am NOT one for group hikes...being short, corpulent, slow and a general couch potato. Now add to that the fact that I'm 30+ years older than any of them, I had reason to be the last person up there from our little group. I was just grateful that they still hadn't jumped by the time I arrived. From previous photos of others jumping, it just didn't seem all that high or all that difficult...and since so many do it without incident, it surely seemed safe.

That was until I looked straight down. There were trees immediately below. There were visible rocks below the water immediately below. If I'm going to jump from a high spot into a lake, then please...I do not want to see rocks below me. The land beneath the water drops off steeply about 6 feet away from the cliff, but still that's 6 feet...out...there! That describes the obstacles.

The next concern was that the land at the top was fine dirt on rocks...like teensy weensy ball bearings. The rock shelf, which is the "platform," is actually two rocks. The first one is about 2'x4' and relatively flat. But then there's a crack of about 2"-4" before the second rock which is about 2'x6' and angled slightly towards the water. Bothy rocks with that fine dirt. Suddenly, this didn't seem like such an easy thing. We posed for a cheesy photo on the outer rock with the slight downward slope:

Sarah, Rex, me, Erin and Liz

We all looked and looked. Rex came along for the hike and to be our official photographer/videographer. Sarah jumped first...and very uncharacteristically for her, she lied. She told us she didn't touch the bottom. Turns out as she told us later that night, as she pushed up to swim to the surface, her foot did touch the lake bottom. Butlying was the right thing to do. If she'd told the truth, none of us who jumped would have done so.

Erin and I, who had never jumped this before, went down to a rock lower down to watch the whole process. Liz was having a hard time with concentrating...looking...backing off...looking some more. It really is pretty daunting from the top. I couldn't watch Liz any longer so Erin and I climbed back up to the top.

In the meantime, a young man had come along who none of us knew. It turns out that he was a passenger on a cruise ship in port for the day...imagine....a cruise passenger who takes their own initiative to go do something like this!!!! Bravo! That probably sounds pretty snooty of me. Plenty of people actually do come off the ships and hike the Dewey trails...it's just that very few would know that this jump was available. The young man's name was Tony and he was from Nashville, training for a marathon and traveling with 29 other family members...none of whom were with him! Of course Rex agreed to photo/video him, too!

Tony jumped. Then it was my turn. I could feel roots of fear beginning to send tendrils up into my feet, freezing me to the spot. My stomach was in a major knot. Someone made the statement to reach out as if you're grabbing a tree 6 feet out from the edge of the rock. That made the most sense to me. Any more dithering and I would not have jumped. I remember stepping backwards and then taking a quick long step, then a second and then launching. I do NOT remember the drop. That was the least of my fears. My largest fear was that I wouldn't clear those trees or rocks. And I remember the landing...what I thought was just a major slap on the back of my thighs. Damn! Did it hurt! But the exhilaration!

Next went Liz who also felt some extreme buttock pain, but has not developed a bruise. After much thought, Erin chose a lower rock and that was an accomplishment. There is no calling ANYONE a wuss for not doing that jump. It's one scary item.

The water was cold, but not excruciatingly so. The water of the ocean in southern Maine is far colder than the spot where we jumped. It was VERY refreshing. We have finally been blessed with several days in a row of sunny, warm days...all topping off in the 70's. Bliss!

We hiked back down and I took a photo of a devil's club plant. These large leaves with a cone of seeds are gorgeous. But underneath those leaves stands a VERY spiky stem. Do not grab it when trying to get your balance...a problem I have not encountered although Mike did in the very early season before anything deciduous had sprouted its 2010 greenery.

Once back in our rooms, we didn't have much time because we needed to shower and get dressed. The company was celebrating the "back office staff." Basically, that meant everyone who isn't a driver/guide: sales and service, dock reps, mechanics, wash crew, luggage crew, payroll, and dispatch.

Sarah, me, Nathan, Kayce, Liz and Abby....in a photo where we all look pretty damned fine

It was a great evening with good food, good beer, trivia and good people. Our trivia team was named Sluggage...and then Slutty Sluggage since it comprised Sales and Service and Sean, from luggage crew. While we felt formidable, we did not win or come in second. However, we did get a point for knowing how much a room at the Westmark costs for guests ($135). And we won a mercy point when Nathan and I did a couple of dance steps to "Bye, Bye, Bye." Thank goodness for The Evolution of Dance and having been the coolest auntie...taking my niece Jess to an 'N Sync concert when they were here favorite band. Sorry to embarass you, Jess. Happily, there was no video in use at the party when we did the steps.

Of course, the saddest part of all this was that a) Mike was working and missed the cliff jump and b) drivers weren't invited to the back office party. It was a great time and I wish I could have shared it with him. He is comforted this evening by the fact that his beloved NY Jets are on Monday Night Football--the preseason....and not overly disturbed over this preseason loss.

Later on into last evening, it began to feel like my tail bone might have been slightly compromised. Sarah's tail bone also hurt and we both are sporting extraordinarily large bruises on buttock and thigh respectively. Could be a slight crack....certainly not the worst coccyx break I've ever had, but nonetheless uncomfortable. And the bruise is warm and swollen. Moving rather delicately today. A sports injury...as I like to say!

And finally tonight is another evening at the Brewco (as mentioned above). It's to say good-bye to Nathan. Boo. That's kind of how I feel when I hear of anyone leaving: Boo. So far I haven't heard of anyone staying right through September 29 besides a driver named Bruce...and he lives here year round. And still...I have no job for the winter. Anyone want to hire me?