Wet Cougars Aren't Much Fun
Hilo! Jari here with a semi-annual update! I'd say all is well in the world of the McKinley Princess, but it's not. Instead, it's just really wet. Reeeeally wet. It's been raining for three weeks now, and things are very, well, wet. Flooding has destroyed the (aptly named) Troublesome Creek Bridge (on the Parks Highway) and mudslides have taken out the railroad tracks in the same area, making northbound travel from the McKinley Lodge impossible (unless you drove down to Anchorage to catch the train, 150 miles out of your way not counting the train ride; or detoured on the Richardson Highway, which would cost you 500 to 1000 miles extra travel). There is also serious concern about the Chulitna River Bridge, the only southbound or railroad link to the McKinley Princess. It was closed for a day or so, and is now open but under careful scrutiny by structural engineers. If we lose the Chulitna Bridge, or it's closed, then everyone at the McKinley Princess will be stranded, and we'll be declared a disaster area so we can all be evacuated by helicopter. Since rain has been predicted for the next week, there has been lots of beer stockpiling while the bridge is still partially open.
UPDATE: Sun! I see the sun! We haven't seen sun in three weeks! And it's been dry for a day now. They should have the mudslides on the railroad cleared by now, so the McKinley Princess is back to (semi-)normal operation. The road between here and Denali is still missing 40 feet, so all DNP transfers are coming by rail. I'm glad I'm not working in Transpo. Hopefully people will be happier now. I even saw the Mountain last night...that's been very, very absent lately.
In other news, they got my phone working! Whooo!!! I've had phone for 1 week this year, and now it's working again. Sorry to everyone who left a message for me...I now have a phone so I can check them. UPDATE: Ooops, I spoke to soon. The day after the phones came up, the storm killed our outside lines. We're stuck. Sorry I can't call now, Com. You guys prolly won't see this post until I get internet or phone back.
UP-UPDATE: Phones (and internet) are back! Whoooo! And it only took them one day! The signs all over the EDR say we're running on emergency bandwidth, whatever the heck that means. o.0
THE IMPORTANT PART!!!!!!
If you are sending anything to me, SEND IT NOW! I'm leaving for Idaho and then Oregon in three weeks, and if you dun send it now, it won't make it in time!