August in Alaska. Summertime it may be, but it's not exactly a tropical paradise. Last summer, during a family cruise through Alaska's inner passage, my family took a day trip from Seward for a river wildlife safari. The brochures promised eagles, swans, bears and moose, and at $115 a person, we assumed that this — one of the most popular day trips — would deliver.
Nothing could have prepared us for the excruciating chill that zooming down an Alaskan river on a jet boat would cause.
We set out from the cruise ship mid-morning, bundled in jackets, hats and gloves. Upon arriving at the launch point, we were outfitted with even more cold weather gear — waterproof jackets, pants, gloves, waterproof blankets. Thinking we were sufficiently covered, the boat driver took off at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.
The wind cut through our blankets like a knife and near-freezing river water splashed on our faces. The tour quickly devolved into an exercise in staving off hypothermia. My sister and I, huddling together for warmth, were unable to lift our heads out of the blankets … for three full hours.
The only thing approximating an animal that I saw the entire day was the hot dog they served us for lunch.
This article appears in May 10-16, 2006.