Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Skagway



Our first port of call was Skagway.  This is one of the colorful towns that had its start during the Klondike gold rush.  The town was first settled in the late 1800's and became well known  in the late 1890's as a jumping off  point for those who were headed to the gold fields in the Canadian Klondike.  While for most miners, the gold rush was a complete failure and the rush to get rich lasted only a few years.  Skagway made the most of this window of opportunity and continues to prosper today as a tourist town.






Many thousands of miners came through Skagway as one of the best ways to get to the gold fields.  Most of these would lose everything they had and return home empty handed.  Some failed to return at all.  The clever arrivals realized that there was a guaranteed profit from supplying all that the miners needed.  During this period, Skagway became a lawless wild and open town with all the vices available 24/7.






The town still strives on this history and since the arrival of the cruise ships, they almost need wheelbarrows to carry the money home every day.  I had a brief moment of regret as we walked the town and saw this Winnebago View parked on a side street.  I could not help but think this could have been ours.


This is also the start of the Klondike railroad that was originally built to transport men and supplies to the gold mines.  The building of this railroad was an amazing engineering feat that carved a track on the edge of the mountains with drops of thousands of feet just inched from the edge of the tracks.  This was an adventure that we did not want to miss.  We rode the train round trip across the border into the Klondike of Canada.  It was a fantastic trip of scenery and  history.

















14 comments:

Ruth said...

You have definitely been wetting our appetite for an adventure up in the Yukon and Alaska. Skagway is certainly a beautiful and colorful town and I love the mountain background. Gorgeous pictures of the area from the train.

Ruth
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

Erin said...

We also did the railway roundtrip -- don't remember there being this much snow, though. Loved how the backs of the seats flipped so that we were facing forward on the way back as well as on the way up.

Gail Houle said...

We didn't do the train when we were there but I think we missed a gorgeous opportunity. It'll be on the list for next time!

Jerry and Suzy said...

Looks like you had a beautiful day to be in Skagway. We've been there twice, loved it both times. When you are in Skagway or on that train, you can't help taking LOTS of pictures, and we enjoyed seeing everyone of them. Thanks for taking us along for a reprise of our own visits!

Rick said...

Amazing photos of the train, tracks and bridges. Must have been quite a ride.

Skagway probably looks much better today than it did at the height of the gold rush - lots of stories to tell in those old buildings.

Unknown said...

We were there in 2010 and SO want to return. Our trip to Alaska was one of the best and our time in Skagway was a real hoot. When on the train, there were a lot of sections where the drop-off was awesome, as in scary.

Paul and Helen

Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009 said...

What a cool town. I love when old towns do not change the architecture of the buildings.

I have two friends that would be drooling over this post and the railroad trip you took. I am going to send a link to them. The LOVE railroads. This trip looks like a great one.

John Hedges said...

Marsha sent me, amazing pictures. Thank you for posting.

Paul and Marti Dahl said...

So, how were those vices you sampled in Skagway? Any recommendations??? :cD

Sherry said...

I have really been loving your trip and wanting to do one just like it. We did get to Skagway on our much shorter cruise and we did the railroad trip as well. Your pictures are terrific and bring back lots of wonderful memories.

Luci & Loree said...

We went on that train ride too!!! Wasn't it great? Figured Skagway was still raking in the gold!!!

Gypsy said...

Love the views from the train. I have always wondered what makes men mad for gold - enough to nearly wipe out civilizations to take it, and all the other horrible times associated with the quest for gold.

Unknown said...

Whew I'm not sure my nerves could handle the train. I guess if you focused on the beauty and not the drop all would be well. Beautiful pictures if I never get to see it.

Jim and Sandie said...

Really do need to figure out how we can get up there. If nothing else, I want to do this train ride.