In May 2010, Debra and I went on a 13-day cruise to Alaska and British Columbia. We sailed round trip from Los Angeles on the Celebrity Mercury, with port stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria. Click here to read a short summary about this cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Skagway.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Skagway.
Skagway, Alaska (May 10, 2010) It was a new day, and time for a new adventure! Debra and I got up at 5:30 and were off the ship at 7:15, as we had a day-long excursion ahead of us.
The Tlinglit, an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest, named this area ‘skagua,’ a “place where the north wind blows.” Perhaps the wind this morning was from the north, but in any event, it was cold – about 35 degrees. As you can see, though, Debra was ready for this weather!
The Tlinglit, an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest, named this area ‘skagua,’ a “place where the north wind blows.” Perhaps the wind this morning was from the north, but in any event, it was cold – about 35 degrees. As you can see, though, Debra was ready for this weather!
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In 1896, George Carmack and two colorfully named First Nation companions, Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie, discovered gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon Territory (northwest Canada). Because of its location, Skagway, which was founded in 1890, became the gateway to the gold fields. An estimated 30-40,000 prospectors descended on the Klondike in the late 1890s, and well in excess of $1 million in gold was mined (over $1 billion at today’s price).
Give me enough dynamite and snoose and I’ll build a railroad to Hell.
~ Railroad contractor Michael J. Heney
~ Railroad contractor Michael J. Heney
In 1898, Heney and his group began construction of the White Horse and Yukon Route (WH&YR), a narrow-gauge railroad that rose 3,000 feet in just 20 miles. When completed in 1900, the 110-mile railway quickly became the main route to and from the gold fields. In 1994, the WH&YR was designated an International Civil Engineering Landmark, an honor shared with fewer than 40 civil engineering marvels around the world, including the Eiffel Tower and Panama Canal. Pretty heady company, I'd say!
This morning Debra and I followed the route used by prospectors over 100 years ago - we rode the WH&YR. Our adventure started at the train depot in Skagway, a short walk from the port. There we boarded a vintage passenger car (# 207) for a 27-mile ride to Fraser, British Columbia.
This morning Debra and I followed the route used by prospectors over 100 years ago - we rode the WH&YR. Our adventure started at the train depot in Skagway, a short walk from the port. There we boarded a vintage passenger car (# 207) for a 27-mile ride to Fraser, British Columbia.
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Along the way we passed Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, and Dead Horse Gulch. I stood on an outside platform for most of the trip, as this was where the best views were. And the views, as we climbed the mountain route, were absolutely amazing: mountains and gorges, rivers and waterfalls, clearings and forests, trestles and tunnels, and snow...lots and lots of snow. Everything was on a grand scale, and Mother Nature was at her finest!
We made a brief stop at the border with Canada about 22 miles into our train ride. There, two Canadian border agents boarded the train to inspect our passports. They were all business!
A short while later we pulled into Fraser. At one time there was a water tower there for steam engines, but Fraser was now used as a place to transfer passengers between buses and trains – this was certainly why we stopped there.
As Debra and I stepped off the train, we were stopped cold – literally. I don’t know what the actual temperature was, but I would guess that it was no more than 30 degrees. That was frigid for two desert-dwellers from Arizona!
A short while later we pulled into Fraser. At one time there was a water tower there for steam engines, but Fraser was now used as a place to transfer passengers between buses and trains – this was certainly why we stopped there.
As Debra and I stepped off the train, we were stopped cold – literally. I don’t know what the actual temperature was, but I would guess that it was no more than 30 degrees. That was frigid for two desert-dwellers from Arizona!
We boarded a coach bus for a narrated tour to Skagway on the Klondike Highway, which runs parallel to the WH&YR. Not long after we left Fraser, we spotted a large brown bear ambling through the nearby woods. "Wow," I thought, "a bear in the wild." My next thought was, "I'm sure glad to be in this train!"
There were two sightseeing stops, and we reached the first – the Yukon Suspension Bridge, which spanned the white-water rapids of the Tutshi River. Completed in 2006, it stretched almost 60 feet across the river canyon. Debra and I ventured across the bridge, which was 65 feet above the water. It swayed as we walked across. I said, “What fun!”, to which Debra replied, “I think this is scarier than the helicopter ride we took in Juneau!"
There were two sightseeing stops, and we reached the first – the Yukon Suspension Bridge, which spanned the white-water rapids of the Tutshi River. Completed in 2006, it stretched almost 60 feet across the river canyon. Debra and I ventured across the bridge, which was 65 feet above the water. It swayed as we walked across. I said, “What fun!”, to which Debra replied, “I think this is scarier than the helicopter ride we took in Juneau!"
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Back on board the bus, we soon crossed the border into Alaska. Funny, there were no border guards there.
Our second stop was at a “mining camp.” There we learned more about the history of the Klondike gold rush, had lunch, and panned for gold. Yes, it was a “tourist trap,” but it was great fun, nonetheless. We even managed to find some gold flakes (I think everyone did), which we put in an amulet necklace for Debra.
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We arrived back in Skagway late afternoon and reboarded the Mercury, where we enjoyed a relaxing evening - dinner, a show that featured a ventriloquist, and music and drinks in the lounge.
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Debra and I had a grand adventure in Skagway. And we left with new memories and a good story or two!
Tomorrow will be a day at sea as we make our way to Ketchikan.
Tomorrow will be a day at sea as we make our way to Ketchikan.