The Skagway Saga Continues

. . . but at least now there's an end in sight. We hope.

Yesterday afternoon youngest son called to say they had to stay in Skagway at least one more night. The connection was bad--all his phone calls from there have been touch and go--so that's about all I got out of him.

This morning's road report said the highway was open with single lane traffic only in some places and no stopping in avalanche areas. No stopping in avalanche areas is a general winter long rule, so it doesn't have to mean a whole lot. Temperatures have dropped below freezing, so the snow pack is probably stable enough.

I'll be back later with some links to lists, but right now I'm going to make a run to the grocery store. Youngest son is probably hungry for home cooked food, and a few raw vegies and fruits.

Update: The team made it back around 1pm today. Youngest son was very happy to be home and very grumpy at the same time. He showered and napped, I laundered and cooked, and we're good to go.

You can read a story from the Whitehorse Star on the avalanches and road closures, with gratuitous mention of son's basketball team within it, right here.

Eight students from Porter Creek Secondary School along with a teacher and chaperon were also trapped in Skagway since the evening of Dec. 31, said school principal Kerry Huff.

The students had been in Juneau for a basketball tournament and ended up having to spend the last several nights in a Skagway hotel, he said. It is a cost that is being picked up by the school.

“They’ve been walking a lot and watching a lot of DVDs,” said Huff.

The rec centre in the small city was also opened for the team to practise, he said. As well, arrangements had been made for the students to go to school in town and use computers to retrieve homework should they not have gotten out of town this morning.

The team, however, was among those getting across the border before it closes again for the evening, said Huff.