Skagway

Skagway
September 13, 2010

Beautiful morning. We finally got moving at 9:00 because that's when the grocery store opened up (we're all already too used to 24 hour service). Picked up some cereal and milk, juice, donuts (for energy) and went back to the room to relax in front of the TV. Our train was to leave at 12:45 so there was no hurry. When we got to the depot, there was already a train there but it was going to British Columbia. since Jacky and I had not brought our passports, we decided to wait for our own train.

We took the train that followed the White Pass &Yukon Route. Our train went up 20.4 miles to White Pass Summit and turned around and came back. Technically we were briefly in British Columbia, Canada, but we were never allowed off the train so did not have to have passports. The tracks followed the Skagway River from Lynn Canal (Inside Passage of the Pacific Ocean where Skagway town is located)  up along White Pass Summit at 2,865 ft elevation. If we had continued on, we would have followed the river to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
Basically this was one of the two main trails of the Klondike Gold Rush. This particular trail started in Skagway. To imagine thousands of men and women struggling up the pass, scrambling over the boulders, hauling their required ton of provisions, was truly incredible. Jacky and I went back through town and the museums there when we returned from the summit. We cannot imagine doing what they attempted to do 100 years ago. There were incredible views on the trip; bridges for the trains that spanned gulches and streams, the distance as the train climbed, even the view of Lynn Canal where our ferry had let us off. The fall colors were just beginning and we were told, again, how unusual the beautiful weather was.

Lynn Canal and Skagway

Old bridge not used anymore (thankfully)

Our bridge

On the left hand side is the original trail of the gold rush 'stampeders'

The railroad was built in 1898 to help get the prospectors over the mountains. The people were actually headed to Dawson's Creek in the Yukon Territory. Two years later the gold rush was over. The railroad struggled for years but was revived in 1988 for the tourist trade.

Jacky and I took a walking tour of Skagway after we got back. You already know about the museums. Skagway was a booming town in 1898 with the railroad going right down the main street. There were 80 saloons in town and not much else. Today most of those buildings are still standing and being used (most are no longer saloons though!). the 100 year old buildings have been kept up and repainted to their original colors. many of those buildings now house gift shops of one type or another but the feel of the town is not that much different than 100 years ago.

This is for you, Anna

We walked to the Skagway cemetery to see some of the famous inhabitants of the town. Many unknown headboards and many, many who died young. One stone mentioned the town marshal who was killed at age 33 a few days before his son was born.

A half mile past the cemetery was Reid's Falls. It was a little disappointing; the water level was way down. but it was a pleasant 2 mile walk from town and we got our exercise. Starting tomorrow, it will be 3 days on a ferry so we needed to stretch our legs while we could! Speaking of ferry, it leaves at 7:00 am so I'm going to try to stuff everything in my suitcase tonight. Wish me luck!

Reid's Falls

 Skaguay