Trip to Skagway, Alaska

We decided to take the train to Skagway on the original narrow gauge tracks. From our RV park we took a bus down to Fraser,BC and caught the White Pass Yukon Railway to Skagway. The train has a very colorful history. Gold was discovered in the Klondike on July 17, 1897 at Dawson City. At the time gold was discovered, the stampeders had to go up the Chilkoot Trail several times to get their 1000 pounds of supplies or a year's worth of food which was required by the Canadian Government. This was done under brutal conditions! The decision to build a railway was welcomed! The "railway from Hell" was organized in April 1898 and construction began May 28, 1898. The railway starts at sea level and goes to 3000 feet at the summit in 20 miles. The original route went to Carcross. The stampeders would bing their supplies to Carcross/ Bennett Lake and then start the 550 miles down the Yukon River. They would build rafts or if they had the money, they would take the steamship to Dawson City (2 days down from Whitehorse). The railway has changed its uses several times in its life and it went to diesel power in 1954. It now runs as an excursion railroad. We had a good ride with sunny skies which turned to cloud and low fog, but as we went down we escaped the fog. We stopped and picked up some hikers. We had to go through US Customs. We had a little time in Skagway and there were two ships in as well. We caught the bus and came back. We had to go through Canadian Customs which took a bit longer.

Our bus driver gave us his views on many things about the Yukon, BC and even the US. He liked living in the Yukon, but liked some of the old ways better. He pointed out some elusive Dall sheep up on the side of the mountain.

When we got back to our RV Park, the Commemorative 70th Year ALCAN Convoy was also staying and the campground was very full of army trucks and jeeps! We enjoyed dinner out and decided to do some grocery shopping which turned out to be an adventure with many empty shelves! Saturday morning we decided to wash some of the dirt off the motorhomes and car. In this part of the world winter is in the air.




Moose hood ornament and the one next to this one was "bullwinkle"

Note to Harry and Jay: Bill drank a couple of tall ones at the Bonanza in Skagway to you.

Leigh- Marilyn
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