It's All About the Gold!

Days 10 – 15, Whitehorse, Yukon to Skagway, AK to Juneau, AK

In August, 1896 George Carmack and his two Native American guides, Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie, discovered gold on Bonanza Creek (formerly Rabbit Creek) near present day Dawson City, Yukon.  This sparked the greatest gold rush in history (the Klondike).  As word spread more than 100,000 hopeful miners set out to strike it rich.  They took a myriad of long, difficult routes from Seattle north along the Canadian coastline and up the Inside Passage of Alaska.  Their destination was Dyea, where they attempted the arduous Chilkoot Trail and its infamous 1500 Golden Stairs over the pass to follow the Tlingit Nation’s trade route to the Yukon River and the Klondike gold fields. Only 30,000 successfully made it to the Klondike.

Around the bend from Dyea is Skagway, which had a better port and soon became an alternate route to the interior by following the White Pass Trail, which was ten miles longer.  By 1898 it was obvious a new path was needed through the mountains to access the interior.  Thus, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad was built and running in just over two years.  But by then the gold rush was over.  The WP&YR went from Skagway over the pass to Bennett Lake and on to the frontier town of Whitehorse.  The railroad put the town on the map; it was a busy stopover before miners headed downriver on the Yukon to Dawson City.   With the start of the railroad, Dyea and the Chilkoot Trail died off, Skagway “the Gateway to the Klondike” became more of a permanent town with saloons, breweries, brothels, and other supply businesses.

Whitehorse, Yukon was a respite town for the miners, and it was for us as well.  We’d had long days of driving and were ready to relax for a couple days before heading south to Skagway.   We liked Whitehorse; it’s a town of about 28,000 and lies beside the mighty Yukon River.  The city has developed its waterfront with a walking trail and a trolley, and a wonderful visitors’ center.  We checked out the old paddle wheeler SS Klondike (built long after gold rush days) and the world’s longest wooden fish ladder at the Whitehorse Dam.  Both were interesting and neither took much time. 

Paddle Wheeler Klondike

Salmon display

Fish Ladder @ Whitehorse Dam

The MacBride Museum, right down on the waterfront, was a treasure trove of gold rush history as well as very informative about the First Nations culture.  The recently built Kwanlin Dün Cultural Center offers informative displays and museum exhibits honoring the Kwanlin people.  We got very lucky at this center because the docent was a young Kwanlin woman who shared the depth of her extensive knowledge and history of her people.

Kwanlin Dun Beading

Kwanlin Dun Masks

Kwanlin Dun Dugout Canoe

If there is a hot spring around, we will go, so off to Takhini Hot Pools just a short distance from town! 

Takhini Hot Pools

It was a relaxing soak but what might have been the real delight of the afternoon was a break at the Bean North Coffee Roasting Company, next door to the hot springs.  The owners’ story is quite interesting; I’m fascinated that they can be a popular destination for Whitehorse locals even though they are located half an hour from town. (www.beannorth.com)

Great coffee!

Bean North patio & gardens

No visit to Canada is complete without a stop at Tim Horton’s . . . we made ourselves do it!

Love the TimBits!

Leaving Whitehorse, we headed south over the Klondike Highway toward Skagway.  The mountains are beautiful, there are long glacial lakes, and the drive on this nice highway (no evidence of permafrost upheaval) made us think again about the gold rush of 1898.  We were driving over White Pass and in places we crossed the Chilkoot and the White Pass trails where miners had trekked before us in search of gold.  The highway is generally across the valley from the WP&YR train and our conversation was peppered with “how did they do it?”  And of course, many did not make it and many more arrived in the gold fields too late as all the claims had been filed and the gold mined.

Emerald Lake

Tagish Lake

Tutshi Lake

We took a break in Carcross, a town that now caters to tourists but had been an important stop during the early days.  Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie are both buried in the town cemetery.  Originally named Caribou Crossing, Carcross was a stop along the WP&YR until 1982 but now it is used seasonally for the tourists traveling the railroad.  One interesting natural phenomenon at Carcoss is the world’s smallest desert, once the bottom of a large glacial lake.  (www.canadacool.com/location/yukon-carcrossdesert/)  We particularly enjoyed a visit to Matthew Watson’s General Store, where in addition to curios and things for tourists to buy there are many historical artifacts and displays.

Carcross Crossing

Carcross Totem

Fun Store

Just like 1898!

Leaving Carcross, we crossed from the Yukon into British Columbia and the terrain was peppered with glacial lakes, high peaks, and exposed granite outcroppings.  The US/Canadian border is of course defined but Canadian Customs is about 10 miles before the border at the nearby hamlet of Fraser, BC.  US Customs is about ten miles south of the border on the downward stretch of the highway after reaching the summit.  Therefore, it’s a bit of no man’s land in between however we learned that both the US and Canada cooperate with keeping the highway, particularly at the summit of White Pass, open all year long.

We reached the Dyea/Skagway junction and decided to go explore Dyea and the Chilkoot Trail before going into Skagway where we would be leaving our rental car.  Dyea is an abandoned town site, now part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.  The Chilkoot Trail is marked along the Taiya River.  The Trail is 33 miles long, mostly uphill from the Dyea town site to Bennett Lake, the headwaters of the Yukon River.  Canada had jurisdiction over the original trail, and they implemented a regulation that every miner who went over either Chilkoot or White Pass trails had to have enough food and supplies to last a year, about a ton.  This meant that the miners and their packers had to make multiple trips up and down the tortuous last quarter mile, 1000 vertical feet, and dubbed the Golden Stairs for the 1500 stairs that had been carved in the ice. 
 

Bob thinking about the miners of 1898

Taiya River @ Dyea

After exploring the Dyea area, we drove on to Skagway.  From a distance out of town there was a clear view of the deep-water harbor and the cruise ships that were in port. 

Skagway Harbor

 Skagway is not large, only 4 blocks wide by 22 blocks long.  We were surprised by the constant wind but then learned that the name actually comes from the Tinglit word Skagua, which means “windy place.”  It’s very easy to explore Skagway on foot; there are plenty of restaurants, shops and we counted 26 jewelry stores in a 5-block stretch, trying to get tourists to spend money.  We enjoyed eating at the historic Red Onion, once a brothel, and today and busy pub where the girls continue to dress as if it were 1898.





 

Good food & fun!

The Girls

The Skagway Brewing Company dating back to 1897, was also enjoyable and is popular with the locals. (www.skagwaybrewing.com)  No visit to Alaska is complete without trying a Duck Fart - that is the official AK State Drink (Kahlua, Crown Royal, & Bailey's) or maybe you'd prefer a Reindeer Fart (Kahlua, Crown Royal & Peppermint Schnapps).   It's interesting to note that Prohibition hit Alaska early with its "Bone Dry Law" in 1916.

Alaska Drinks!

Enjoying a Duck Fart!

Skagway does have a permanent population of about 900 that drops to 700 in the winter months and surges to 2000 in the summer when all the seasonal workers come for the cruise ship months, mid-May to mid-September.  Most of the shops close off-season.  We were staying at Sgt. Preston’s Lodge, a very simple motel that does stay open year-around housing construction workers who come in the winter to do maintenance and building during the off-season.

The National Historic Park district does an excellent job of preserving the past and providing information and walking tours to explore the gold rush history of Skagway.  We also enjoyed a visit to the Skagway Museum, located in City Hall.  One of Skagway’s more famous stories is that of Jefferson (Soapy) Smith, a Colorado con man who was just a bit too slippery for Skagway and was shot and killed by city surveyor Frank Reid.  Both are buried in the local cemetery.

Skagway Museum & City Hall

Visitor Center

The highlight of our visit to Skagway was to ride the WP&YR from Skagway up to its White Pass summit and return to Skagway.  The views from this narrow gauge train route were beautiful and you come to appreciate the miners who climbed the route before the railroad and also the engineering and construction challenges encountered in building the railroad.  It is a steep grade and has many hairpin turns, two tunnels and many trestles.  The railroad was built for the gold rush but for years it served the needs of corporations shipping ore to the harbor.  During WWII the railroad moved materials for the US Army’s construction of the Alcan Highway.  Now it is a worthy tourist attraction and scenic journey. (wpyr.com/)

Looking back at the train

Looking ahead at the train

Original Trestle

Snow grinder on train

Lesson learned about riding the rails . . . we booked our tickets online and thought we were set.  While in Whitehorse we stopped in the depot to check our reservation only to find we didn't have one.  It seems we had overlooked the e-mail advising us to telephone the WP&YR to confirm our credit card.  After a few days of the reservation being held it expired.  We were lucky because space was still available on the train, time and date we wanted.  Had we not double checked we probably would have missed out on the experience.

Alaska US/BC Canada border from the train

The weather in Skagway had been windy and drizzly.  We were hoping for a break as we boarded the M/V Le Conte (LEC) ferry, part of Alaska’s Marine Highway system, bound for Juneau.  (www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/)  The ferry follows the Inside Passage and we had looked very forward to this and the following ferry rides from Juneau to Sitka to Petersburg to Ketchikan.  It was the idea of taking the ferry to or from Alaska that had initially sparked our interest in making another trip to AK.  We have never taken a cruise and the thought of being on a large ship didn’t appeal to us.  Living in the Pacific NW we are very familiar with ferry travel, though the longest ferry ride we have been on is across the Strait of San Juan de Fuca from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC, a journey slightly less than two hours.  (www.cohoferry.com/)  The first leg of our ferry trip from Skagway to Juneau would be 4 hours and with the long hours of daylight we expected to see the coastline of Alaska and the outer islands.

Drizzly ferry ride

 We boarded in fog and drizzle and we never got out of it, though the sky did lift a bit about an hour from Juneau.  The LEC was built in 1974, 235’ long, 57’ beam, with a capacity of 300 passengers, and approximately 40 vehicles.  All ferries have solariums or observation lounges, food and beverage service, and some have cabins though the LEC does not.  We found seats on the port side of the ship, around a table with seating for 8 people.  Our first tablemates were a young couple from Germany traveling with their year old son who slept through the journey’s first leg to Haines.  It was fascinating to talk with them and also to help a bit with their unplanned trip through Eastern AK and Western Yukon.  They were attending a wedding in Dawson City and used the occasion as a trip to explore.  They had rented a small RV and were quite taken with the concept of “government camps.”  I had so much respect and admiration for this couple who spent an hour speaking English, rarely faltering, and I could not say a single word in German!  They departed in Haines and were making their way to a “government camp” for the night.  We wished them safe travels and knew our ferry trip had been enriched by our interaction with them.

The weather had not lifted at all, and another couple joined us for the remaining three-hour journey to Juneau.  They were a retired couple currently living in La Ventana, Mexico on the Baja Peninsula, and traveled most summers to Canada and Alaska.  They had been gone from home for six weeks and planned to continue traveling for another six weeks.   In addition to their shared passion for fishing, they were avid travelers, and we enjoyed our time with them.  After exchanging e-mail addresses, we may be able to continue the acquaintances and perhaps see them in Mexico someday!  Travel is not just about the physical journeys but it is always about the people you meet along the way!

The weather did lift a bit just before reaching Juneau.  We were lucky to spot two orcas (killer whales) close to the boat just north of Juneau.  The days here are shorter than in Skagway so it was fairly dark by the time we got to our motel around 11:00pm.  Daylight came about 4:30 but we had a good night’s sleep and were ready to head to town to explore.

Juneau was also a gold mining town and in fact its mining history began earlier than the Gold Rush of 1898.  Joe Juneau and Richard Harris, two gold seekers who were aided in their search by Tlingit Chief Kowee, founded Juneau in 1880.  Juneau and Douglas (across the channel) were home to three of the world’s largest gold mines during the prime mining years.  By the time WWII broke out, all three of them had been closed.  Today you can take tours of the AJ Mine/ Gastineau Mill.

Juneau is Alaska’s state capital and also a major stop for cruise ships and tourists.  One of the major draws is the Mendenhall Glacier, just outside town.  We took the Glacier Shuttle out to view it; there are several shuttle options available at the cruise ship harbor.  The glacier is beautiful and so accessible for anyone to view from a number of overlooks and photo opportunities.  The Tongass National Forest surrounds the area so the USFS has jurisdiction over the glacier.  The visitor center is very well done with informative exhibits and displays and an interesting film.  I’d say visiting Mendenhall Glacier is the “must see” attraction of the Juneau area.  Unfortunately, it was drizzling rain all day when we visited.  Still impressive.

Ice blocks floating in glacial lake

Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier

We also enjoyed and appreciated seeing the State Capitol building and the city of Juneau’s museum.  The Capitol building is under extensive renovation and seismic reinforcement; one of the things that struck us was the building does not have a dome unlike other state capitols.

 

Bob and bear!

Alaska State Capitol

Downtown Juneau

Our fun for the day was going to the infamous Red Dog Saloon . . . what a hoot!  The floor is covered in sawdust, the piano player engages everyone in singing, and Wyatt Earp’s pistol is mounted above the bar.  The Red Dog is definitely another “must see” attraction in Juneau. 

Infamous Red Dog Saloon

Be sure to look up!

Wyatt Earp's pistol

The Native American art and crafts at the SEALASKA are top notch; we were very impressed with some of the glasswork by Preston Singletary and other Tlingit artists.

Sealaska

Beautiful glass art

Near the cruise harbor is a great lunch spot, popular with tourists and locals.  It's Tracy's King Crab Shack.  They have a good system for handling the crowd.  We enjoyed sharing a crab roll and a cold Alaskan Amber.  Enjoy!

 

Crab roll

Yummy!

Juneau tide markers

 If you’ve been following our blog you may remember that Bob’s background is in mining. (Flexibility - The Key to Multiple Careers)  I think following the gold rush of 1898 had a great deal of meaning for Bob; he definitely gained a lot of insight into the determination of miners in search of their future.  It’s rather ironic because as I write this blog post, the price of gold has fallen to its five-year low of $1106/ounce.  When Juneau’s three gold mines were at the peak of their production, the price of gold was between $20 - $35/ounce. 

Next up on this Alaskan journey is a series of ferry rides down the Inside Passage and exploring the small towns along the way.  Thanks for sailing with us!