River Quest

I offer my apologies in advance if I don't return your calls or text messages this week. That's because for the next four days, I'll be in Canada covering one of the more insane sporting events I will have ever witnessed.

Solstice

There are two things that remind me how far away from home I am. One of them is the time difference, which I don't always realize until I want to call family or friends at night but remember they're probably asleep.

The other is the sunlight.

Tonight is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It probably doesn't mean much to most people, but in Alaska, it is unavoidable. The sun will set here in two hours, at 10:24 p.m., ending a day that will have lasted 18 hours and 41 minutes.

The good life

Like we always do it this time

I go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky

I g-go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky

I'mma write the Skagway News mama, I'mma, I'mma put this down

(Hey!) Hey (hey!) hey (hey!) hey (hey!)

I'm good

Welcome to the good life

Where homies that sail seas

Can't wait to go zip-lining in they new trees

The good life, let's go on a fishing spree

Shoot, they say the best meals in life are free

The good life, it feel like Vancouver,

It feel like Fairbanks, it feel like Haines Junction,

It feel like Skagway, summer in A.K., 'eyyy

(Now throw your hands up in the sky)

So I'm gettin' a tan

Y'all say betcha can't, I say Ketchikan, quarry

And she got them boots,

I just saw a bear, I got to look, sorry

Yo it's got to be 'cause I'm salmoned

Haters give me them smoky looks, dory

Soapy told me to do it for the benefits

And if they hate then let 'em hate

And do it for the halibut

Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky

Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky

I'mma write the Skagway News mama, I'mma, I'mma put this down

(Hey!) Hey (hey!) hey (hey!) hey (hey!)
I'm good

Welcome to the good life

Where we like the guys who ain't on TV

'Cause they got more (beards than the models)

The good life, so keep it coming with the sunlight

'Til she feel snoozed like Soapy in a gunfight

The good life, it feel like Juneau,

It feel like Healy, it feel like D.C.,

It feel like Whitehorse, Glacier Bay, or the A

'Ey, this is the good life

(Welcome to the good life)

Jewelers, tell me what's good

Why I only got a problem when you in the hood?

(Welcome to the good life)

Like I'm new in the town, the only thing I wish?

I wish I stayed year-round

(Welcome to the good life)

You wanna mine some gold, but, but,

You can't stand the cold

(Welcome to the good life)

Soapy told me to do it for the benefits

And if they hate then let 'em hate

And do it for the halibut

The good life

One-month report

One month has passed since I arrived in Skagway. I recognize some people on the streets and a fair amount of my sources know me by name — things that are bound to happen when your town has only 2,000 or so residents and three people putting out the newspaper.

I have a much greater understanding of the town than I did when I was being a tourist my first day, and I've managed to learn a lot when I'm not rubbing my beard or looking at my beard or talking in Spanish with the Bulgarian girl who works at the popcorn store. So here's a brief summary of Skagway as I know it.

Yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo

Welcome to Alaska where the players play

And we ride on them ships like every day

Cruise boats, big coats, see grizzlies roamin'

And the sun don't rise 'til three in the moanin'

Run

From the waiver participants must sign to run in the Skagway Marathon this Saturday:

The Skagway Marathon is a long distance race that takes you through different terrains, and where dangers, including death or injury from hypothermia, automotive vehicles, bear mauling, forest fire or other acts of nature, do exist.

Shit just got real.

Extra motivation

Today I did a charity walk for breast cancer research. Eight miles on a winding, dusty road nestled between the mountains and the water. The first rest stop had water and granola bars. The second had cookies and beer. I had to rest really bad at that one.

Somehow, in Canucks country

Last night I was walking by a bar that was nearly overflowing with people. They were all watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins. Many of them were wearing Canucks jerseys and cheering, providing an atmosphere quite different from the night before, when the bar was practically empty as I watched the NBA finals.

It eventually clicked that many of the fans were probably from the Vancouver area and were passengers on one of the many Vancouver-to-Alaska cruises that come to Skagway each day. However, they wouldn't have had to go too far to find local Canucks fans.