Copper River Fam Tour... And Eagles!!

It has been a week since my last post… and a busy week it has been.

We enjoyed Division Day… a day in which they brought all the drivers, maintenance, guest services, management… everyone for an intense orientation and training.  The day started with training and familiarization on the different equipment we will find around the yard.  We got the opportunity to get a closer look at the different models of coaches and to learn about some of their quirks.  This training continued for new drivers on Monday with even more in depth for the highway drivers on the following day. 

During the highway training we got the opportunity to change out one of the tires from the coach.

Changing the Dualies

Of course there were about 15 of us working on the same tire at the same time… not quite the same thing as finding ourselves out somewhere alone on the road in the driving rain.  The heavier tires, all nice and clean in the yard, weigh upwards of 270 lbs.  It was quite the show watching some of our smaller drivers (some of the ladies couldn’t have weighed more than a $1.25 with change to spare) get these tires moved from the horizontal to the vertical.  It is mostly about smarts when working with these monsters, though I gotta admit the brawn doesn’t hurt!

Under the Coach with Fairbank's Head Mechanic, Jon

After our morning training they fed us up on hamburgers and hot dogs.  We then jumped in the coaches and got to tour around Fairbanks.  And when I say “the coaches” I mean “ALL” the coaches.  I think there were about 50 coaches tooling around Fairbanks for a few hours.   Meanwhile, back at the yard, they were cleaning up all the gravel that accumulated over the winter.  Up here they do not use salt on the roads.  Gravel is the roughener of choice.  By the end of the winter the gravel is knee high to a moose!  Driving around Fairbanks you can see a plethora of stars, especially during the daylight hours!  There is nary a windshield without at least two chips to its name.   On the flip side, gravel is cheap and reusable.

Division Day led us into our first day off, which was Sunday, May 8^th, Mother’s Day!  I attended church this morning for the first time since arriving in Alaska.  I am currently attending the Fairbanks 2^nd Ward which is presided over by Bishop Cheney.  The ward seems friendly enough and I believe I will enjoy my time here.  In addition to myself, there are currently six other driver/guides that I work with attending the 2^nd ward… Bryan & Sarah Pulsipher, Brad & Nicole Spencer, and Matt & Erica Farmer.  I am really feeling my age as they are all young enough to be my children =P  The church is about 1.5 miles from our apartment, and as you may remember, I am without a vehicle.  I have been thrust back into a world without wheels, so I am relying upon my feet to get me around just about everywhere I go.  I am definitely getting my exercise!

Traditional Native Clothing

As I stated earlier, we passed most of the day Monday in more training for all drivers in the yard followed with more in depth training on Tuesday for the highway drivers.  Later Monday evening we entertained and fed at “Vendor Night”.  We headed to the Morris Thompson Center in downtown Fairbanks and we met some of the vendors in the area that sponsor tours to their establishments.  We learned about flights up to the Arctic Circle as well as rafting and fishing on some of the rivers and evenings on the Riverboat.  There was some great food from the Pagoda restaurant in North Pole as well as some smoked salmon from the Riverboat in Fairbanks (which I could not get enough of!). 

All the days seem to be running together… I may have gotten a few items out of sequence, but suffice it to say, they are keeping us hopping up here.  Sunday was a welcome relief, not only being able to attend church services, but also getting the opportunity to hear from Jake!  Mother’s Day is one of two days in the year that our missionary is allowed to call home.  I connected with the family via Skype and then listened to the call between Jake and Cheryl for about an hour.  Jake seems to be doing very well thus far on his mission.  He and his companion have gotten off to a great start, from what Jake reports, they have become best of friends.  There have been a few tough moments, but overall his mission has been an amazing growing experience.  I must admit… I love being a missionary parent!

Whew!  almost caught up…   Starting on Wednesday of this week we have enjoyed what is known as the “Copper River Fam Tour”.  This is a tour that allows new drivers to become familiar with the Copper River run that we will be doing this year.  The tour starts off in Fairbanks and heads in the direction of  Copper Center, AK.  We overnight at the Copper River Resort that overlooks the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Reserve… the view is breath taking!

Mt. Drum ~ Mt. Zanetti ~ Mt. Wrangell ~ Mt. Blackburn

The next morning we headed down to Valdez and were treated to an aerial display the likes of which I have never seen before.  There were easily a dozen Bald Eagles

Adult and Juvenile Bald Eagle

flying around the area and in the trees.  A resident of Valdez was “baiting” the eagles by throwing some herring out into the parking lot.  I was able to get some incredible pictures!

 

More Eagle Pics 
We returned to the Copper River Resort for our second night and then took the Glenn Alan Highway to the Kenai Peninsula.  We traveled the Seward Highway up the Cook Inlet to the cruise port in Whittier.  In order to reach Whittier you must travel through a 2.5 mile tunnel that was blasted through the mountain.  The tunnel was originally built in 1941 to allow for easier freight passage.  Originally there was only a rail that passed through the tunnel… if you wanted your vehicle to traverse the span you were required to drive up onto a railroad car and they would take you through for the minimal cost of $60.00.  Getting the coaches on the RR cars led to the introduction of one of our skills tests, the offset alley.  It is an art form to be sure!  In 2000 they opened up the tunnel to vehicular traffic, which has greatly enhanced the passage.  It is still a single lane, and it is very closely regulated.  I took a video of our journey which I hope to be able to post on the blog… if it lets me (but not tonight).

We did a quick turnaround at the port in Whittier and I got my first “Highway” experience.  I drove the coach to our current location at the Kenai Princess Lodge.  It is a beautiful resort overlooking the Kenai River.  I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to see so much of this beautiful state.  I miss the family terribly, but I am enjoying myself very much thus far.  I am beat, so I think I will call it a night… look for pictures to be posted sometime tomorrow.