Day two - Skagway

SKAGWAY:  BY FOOT OR BY RAIL - CHILKOOT TRAIL & THE WHITE PASS TRAIN: 

The first adjustment to itinerary is made.  We’ll head directly to Skagway because they’ll be fewer large cruise ships there today than the day when we were originally scheduled to arrive.
Skagway is a touristy town, but for good reason.  The scenery is beautiful and there are many options on things to do.  Shortly after we pull in, we board a small tour bus just for our group that gives us a quick tour of town and then takes us to the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail, where the gold miners hiked 33 miles in hopes of striking it rich in the Yukon gold fields in 1898.  Between July and November of 1898, the Seattle and San Francisco U.S. mints received ten million dollars worth of Klondike Gold, and by 1900, another $38,000,000 was recorded.  Despite these huge discoveries, most miners didn’t strike it rich.  Of the 100,000 who  attempted the journey, only between 30-40,000 reached the Klondike gold fields, about 4,000 found gold, and only a few hundred struck it rich.  
 
Our tour guide explains that after the death of some unprepared prospectors, legislation was passed requiring anyone taking this trail to take one ton of supplies with them as outlined in the regulations.   More wealth was created for the vendors who supplied these provisions than for the gold miners themselves.  We hike the first part of the Chilkoot Trail, and can’t imagine doing this carrying the weight of those provisions.
We’ll be in port for the afternoon and it’s a beautiful day, so we opt to take the White Pass Train trip, a three hour round trip excursion which takes us to the summit of White Pass.  Gold prospectors began using this trail in the late 1890’s as an alternate route to the steep Chilkoot Trail.  In fall of 1897, a twelve mile toll road was built up the White Pass Canyon.   In May, 1898 construction began on the narrow gauge White Pass & Yukon Narrow Gauge Railroad, travelling 20 miles and climbing 3,000 feet to the Summit.   Construction was completed in 1900.  The railroad was operated by steam until 1954 and was then converted to diesel-electric.
If you take this trip, be sure to take extra batteries and memory cards for your camera.   Particularly in early summer when snow remains on the mountains but foliage is green, it’s hard to resist snapping multitudes of photos.   Standing on the outside platforms affords the best scenery and best photo ops.
IF YOU GO:
   
Contact:
The White Pass & Yukon Railroad
231 2nd Ave., Skagway, AK
Phone:  (800)-343-7373
Email:  info@wpyr.com
Website:  www.wpyr.com

Trips Available & Pricing:  

White Pass Summit Excursion (NO passport  required for this trip.) -- $115 per adult; $57.50 child rate; 3 hour tours departing from Skagway at 8:45 a.m.  or 12:45 p.m.  May-September

Yukon Adventure (Passport Required.) - $170 per adult; $85 child;  6 hours one way departing Skagway
at 7:45 a.m. Wed., Thursday & Saturday and departing Carcross, Canada 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and Friday,  June-August