Skagway is at the top of an inlet
(fiord?) (fjord?!) and is notable historically for being a major debarcation
point for the 1897 Yukon Gold Rush. It is in the US, on that curious
narrow strip of land that separates Canada from the sea all the way
to Juneau and beyond. We shall see more of this strip later on. We
had not stopped at Skagway in 2002, but knew of it from cruiser lore,
and decided to visit it to break up the Alaskan Highway monotony.
Skagway would be a ghost town but for the US National Park Service
presence there and the many Alaska cruise ships that, for a few
hours, put in there. The town shuts down immediately after the
last ship departs, about 5PM. Seriously. Really. If you want a quart of milk you'd better find the grocery store before the ships hoist the Blue Peter. We stayed in the local
campground.
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| The road to Skagway became fairly scenic |
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Tourist train; a must if you're a cruiser: only way to see the beautiful upper
canyon |
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| Ghost signs on a canyon wall |
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| "What do you mean, there are no doggie biscuits?!" |
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| In the excellent Park Service visitor center |
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The Canadian government required all the gold-rushers
to carry a year's worth of provisions and equipment...1,000
pounds or more; I guess a carry-on and a day pack would
not have cut it |
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| Two of the four cruise ships in town the afternoon we arrived |
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| Industrial-sized snow blower; also makes hamburger |
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| Popular saloon |
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| Now on a hike, up the canyon a bit, beyond the giant faux nugget |
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| To see the waterfall |
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| And the gold rush era cemetery |
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| Sort of a Haunted House feature |
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We'd see more of the Klondike as we continued on through the Yukon
and back into upper Alaska |
