Days 14-17: Juneau & Skagway

Drew on Mule - eh aw !
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Next port of call was Juneau – couldn’t really be bothered with the early start that morning so with now excursions planned or booked we had a lie in and got up later for a wander around for 2 hours. It just took 1! However the day was rescued by a very welcome improvement in the weather and visibility which meant the ship could sail right up the Tracy Arm fjord in the late afternoon and evening. Spectacular scenery (again) and lots of icebergs, not really that big in comparison to the ship but exciting all the same. Should also mention that we spotted whales on 3 consecutive days on the cruise, with the area just entering Tracy Arm being one of the best spots for it (although my photography of the bear was somewhat better as you’ll see).

Jane on Mule
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Our third, final and most northern stop was Skagway where we make a last minute decision on an excursion to drive Kawasaki Mules up the side of a mountain. These mules are best described as tweaked and oversized petrol golf buggies with 4WD and high/low gear sets. The trail was a lot steeper (and littered with switchbacks) than we’d expected, but it was all the better fun for it. Our tour guide, an ex Arkansas and then local cop, was brilliant and told no end of hunting stories and tales of local life in Haines (where we were, a 40min ferry ride from Skagway). The only downsides were the fog and rain which spoilt visibility a bit – albeit did give the mountain trail an interesting feel.

Mist on the trail
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Another couple of restful days at sea, somewhat more choppy on the way back, then back to Vancouver.