We docked at Skagway by 7 a.m. This remote town along the Inside Passage grew from a few people to a city of 20,000 gold seekers from 1896 to 1897. Now the population is less than 1,000 people. Skagway is charming town with a boardwalk and buildings that replicate the Gold Rush days. It is considered the most northernmost point of Southeastern Alaska.
The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. The narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It cost $10 million and was the product of British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting. The Railway was suspended in 1982 and reopened in 1988 as a tourist operation. It is the most popular tourist shore excursion in Alaska.
We boarded the old-fashioned parlor cars of the White Pass Yukon Railroad for our 3.5 hour round-trip from Skagway to the summit of the White Pass. The round trip was 40 miles. The White Pass Summit has an elevation of almost 3,000 feet. The train's route retraced the original route of the gold rush. There were breathtaking views of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles, and historic sites. The original Klondike Trail of '98 is worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of people who passed through in search of their fortune.
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| Skagway |
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| Arriving at Skagway port |
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Arlen poses by the Welcome Sign to Skagway |
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| The train we will be riding on arrives in the station |
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| The train passes a cemetery |
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| We pass many streams on our train ride |
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| Wayne, John and I bought an "official" railroad cap sold only on the train. |
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| Glaciers in the distance |
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| Justin looks out one of the cars |
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| Waterfall |
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| Klondike Gold Fields |
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| Flags at the Summit |
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| Train is inside the tunnel |
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| Downtown Skagway |
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| Many totem poles in front of stores |
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| Back on the ship the cruise ship passengers enjoy a sing-along with the ship's crew |
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| Our professional group picture taken on the ship's stairs |
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| Beautiful sunset to end the evening |
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