We had a few 'chores' to do before we left to see the town. We wanted to book another meal at the Bayou Café using our coupons as well as cancel our tour scheduled for Ketchikan. While waiting in line, I overheard someone asking when she should line up for the afternoon train ride. She had heard you needed to sit on the left of the train for the best views. We had also heard this from both Lynda and our friend, Robb. The lady at the desk suggested 15 minutes would be enough time but she was very wrong.I asked how far it was to town and Glen felt he could make the walk if we went slowly. This suited me as I wanted to take pictures. Skagway is named for a beautiful, Tlingit (pronounced kling-it) mystic who turned herself into stone and caused strong winds to blow through the Taiya Inlet. The town became the gateway to the Klondike gold rush. In 1896, George Carmack, Skookum Jim, and Dawson Charlie filled a spent Winchester rifle cartridge with gold flakes which sparked the gold rush to the Canadian Klondike. The famous Chilkoot Pass was very rugged so William Moore and Skookum Jim scouted out an easier route, White Pass. Moore had a homestead in Skagway where he built a wharf and sawmill as well as clearing a trail to the summit.
The Canadian government insisted each prospector carry 2000 pounds of equipment and supplies into the Yukon territory. It didn't take locals long to build a railway up the mountain. Michael J Heney, a railroad contractor happened to be in the Red Onion saloon (and bordello) when he met Sir Thomas Tancrede who wanted to invest in the railroad. "Give me enough dynamite and snoose (snuff), and I'll build you a railroad to hell," Mike is reported to have told Sir Thomas. He built the railroad in 26 months for $10 million.
So Skagway became the starting point for prospectors and the buildings in town reflect this history. Although Glen's motive for walking into town was to get a decent cup of coffee, I wanted to check out the historic sites (one bookstore had 3 books on the north that I had read as a teenager). After wandering Skagway (only 1000 people call the place home), we sat inside the railway station so Glen could enjoy some 'pretty' good coffee. It began to drizzle as we returned to the ship. The vegetation in town was much like Victoria's and later learned it rarely goes below freezing so the winds of the mystic, Skagway, mustn't be cold.
The excursion we had booked for the afternoon was a luxury train ride on the same railroad Heney built. The White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) railway, designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1994, would take us up the mountain, into White Pass crossing into Canada. We didn't need passports as we were to stay on board the train. There were two excursions to choose from, one luxury and one not. I decided to splurge as it was our anniversary. So glad I did.
Glen noticed people lining up for the excursion at noon so we hustled out of our cabin and off the ship. There are checkpoints as you disembark where someone scans your key card. They will do so again when you return. You will also have to pass through a security station when you come back on board much like those in airports.
At the end of the line, stood a woman with a clipboard. She was checking tickets and told us we couldn't line up with the others. We had to sit in special shelter and wait. Glen was relieved as standing in line is not something he can do without pain. They had a shuttle for us (our car was right behind the engine) but when they told us we could board, I beetled along the train hoping I'd get a seat on the lefthand side. Two such seats were available when I boarded but I figured it would be nicer if Glen sat opposite me. Only 14 people were in our 'luxury' cabin and we each had comfortable, leather-bound swivel seats. It reminded me of the historic trains of the last century. Glen was the last to board. As he eased into his chair, he grinned and said, "Reminds me of Hell on Wheels." This was a TV series we watch filmed in southern Alberta but about the building of the railroad across the United States.
Our car had a dedicated guide (the other cars had to share guides) who told us of the history and geology of the area. She also served us drinks. Yes, luxury meant Alaskan Amber beer! We also had an assortment of canapés, raw veggies, and tea sandwiches. We lunched while the scenery flew by.
The train first crossed Pullen Creek, a salmon river flowing next to the town. The run was over and salmon carcasses clogged the creek as the fish die soon after spawning. Next came the railyards and a cemetery where many Klondike characters are buried. We climbed through a forest of Black Cottonwoods (the bark is black) before reaching an evergreen forest. Of course, White Pass is above tree line.
Zoe, our guide, kept remarking on how clear the day was. Despite the low-lying clouds, we could see the mountains surrounding us and at one point, saw the cruise ship dock in the distance. She said that hasn't happened all summer. The train didn't slow down for photos so I struggled to get some pictures of the views. Lynda had been right in that the left side was the place to be but Zoe told us we had to switch places at the top so those on the right could also experience the views. Places of note that we passed were a caboose parked near Denver Glacial trail which the railroad rents to hikers, Black Cross Rock where a 100 ton piece of granite fell on top of two prospectors, and the Chilkat Range where I was the first to spot a mountain goat (a white dot with 4 legs). Just before reaching the summit, we passed the Steel Bridge which was the tallest cantilever bridge in the world but hasn't been used since 1969. A mile later, we saw the actual Trail of '98 where the gold seekers dragged their pack animals (over 3000 died on this trail).
At the summit, beside an alpine lake (see above photo), we stopped and the engine switched tracks and our car became the caboose. Glen and I changed seats, turning our chairs to face forward. The only time we looked back was while going through the tunnels. The train stopped at the town station and most of those on board got off to see the sights. We remained and had a long chat with Zoe who as originally from Utah but had wanderlust so used the money she earned in the summer to travel the world.
Before supper, we relaxed in the Wheelhouse Bar and listened to some of Steve Hites's 'North to Alaska' show.
See my Skagway photos here
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