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Published: September 28th 2008
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Juneau in the morning
Cruiser's fleeing their ships getting to their side trips. Wednesday, August 13, 2008.
We wake up in Juneau. Looking out from our balcony and see another cruise ship parking lot. Today eight of our family members are going to Eaglecrest ski area to do the “Alaska Zip Adventure”. We ride out in the van and after a fifteen-minute drive we arrive at the mountain and enter the lodge. The guides begin to explain the procedures for the activity and they have us sign our life away by completing a release form that doesn’t hold them responsible for anything. Because I have ALS this trip to Alaska and the zip line adventure are part of my “Bucket List”. We have been planning this trip for a year and a zip line activity is high on my list. As we line up to get our gear the woman who is in charge pulls me aside and says she needs to talk with and leads me to an upstairs room. She asks why I have a neck brace on and I tell her I have ALS how it affects me and I’ve come to ride the zip wire. She says she going to have to talk with the “Alaska Zip Adventure” owner. She
Juneau
Tram to the top. leaves me standing there for about ten minutes then returns to say I can’t ride the zip line. I ask what skills or ability do you have to have to do the ride. She says their insurance won’t let me do the ride. I say I‘ve already signed my life away with their release form and will sign any thing else they want me to sign so that they aren’t responsible. But all she keeps doing is hiding behind her insurance agent. They won’t let me take the ride. What is the point of an adventure program not letting a person experiencing a disability from participating in their activity? She couldn’t explain to me what skills you had to have to be successful or how I was deficient. Since that time Alaska Zip Adventurer have added a statement on their registration page saying, ”that people who are pregnant or have medical conditions are not suitable”. Does that now mean that someone with “hay fever” can’t do the ride?
It’s a quiet ride back to Juneau. I thought adventure sports are about taking a risk unfortunately Alaska Zip Adventure owners won’t take any.
When we get back to town
Juneau
View from Mt Roberts. Karen and I take the Mt. Roberts Tram and do the hike around the summit. Even though it’s raining we enjoy the views. We go into the summit top visitors center and have something to eat at the bar. We meet “Janice?” the bar tender. She’s real friendly and tells us all about her life in Juneau. We order the crab cakes and they are outstanding. I love crab cakes and these are some of the best I’ve ever had. She tells us that the chief is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. We then have a hot apple crisp desert. It’s great! This part of the Juneau it’s a hidden gem and is certainly worthwhile. If you’re in Juneau go to the top of Mt. Roberts and order the crab cakes they're great.
We then take the “blue bus” from town out to the Mendenhall Glacier its cheap $6 and are a fine ride. Salmon are spawning and are thick in the brook at the end of the parking lot. The ranger who is stationed there says that there have been bears there all day but we don’t see any. The trails are closed
Juneau
Salmon at Mendenhall. because of bear activity. We go to the visitor’s center and enjoy the view. The glacier is a pretty impressive sight. It continues to rain.
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Maureen Driscoll
non-member comment
This was our first stop
Juneau didn't look like a state capitol to me. It took some getting used to. We did have an excursion to Mendenhall and rafted down the river to a pull out/thaw out spot. Fantastic and freezing! Wish I had gone to the top of Mt. Roberts; the view is spectacular. I'd like to know who insures that ZipLine company and start a boycott of both of them!