To Trek or Not To Trek; That is the Question

For the first time we are retracing our route and heading back toward home. We are leaving Alaska (but not yet for the last time on this trek). Back into Canada where we had hit that god-awful stretch of road. All glory be to the Yukon Highway Department. In the month we had been gone they had totally repaired that stretch of road. The day we were dreading turned out to be no problem at all. The Alaska Highway is now like a long lost friend.

The Trekmaster, Glen, has decided that it is time for some training, so starting the day we left Whitehorse we take the lead. It is very different from being Tailgunners. We left at 6:00 in the morning, driving straight through to the next camp site. No stopping to smell the roses (at least we weren’t supposed to).

At the new site we would check in and assign the sites. Judy was adamant about making sure that the good sites were rotated among the group. As staff, of course, we got last pick. We (usually Judy) would then sit outside and wait for the group to come. After they got in we were free.

Trekmaster is not nearly as much fun as Tailgunner. It is almost a demotion. It is much more like a real job that goes on every day for 7 weeks. I don’t know how much the Trekmaster gets paid, but I doubt that it is enough to justify the extra responsibility and work.

The most common question to us is whether we want to be Trekmasters next year. That is a great question for which we do not as yet have a good answer. I can say this much, though. Judy and I LOVED Alaska. It is a place where we would like to spend a lot of time. I suspect that a look at the duties and responsibilities of Trekmaster vs. Tailgunner with fresh eyes might make the change from Tailgunner to Trekmaster more appealing.