Skagway

The boarding process for the ferry to Skagway began shortly after 9:00 PM and the Winnebago and I were motioned aboard among the "large" vehicles.  There was actually a lot more maneuvering room inside the ferry than I had imagined.  Once I got the Winnebago tucked in I went above and watched Mary coming aboard with the Jeep.

Winnebago on Ferry

Mary Coming On Board

The low hanging clouds and steady rain made the one hour journey from Haines to Skagway less picturesque than I should have been.  We drove off the ferry at 11:15 PM and were ensconced in our the Pullen RV Park by 11:45 PM.  The rain continued through the night and we were a little discouraged when we arose.  Thankfully the rain stopped as we were leaving the campground and we enjoyed a nice dry, but windy, day.  

As we drove into town we got a good look at the steam engine version of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

WP&YR Train

Skagway was the gateway to the Klondike gold rush but has collected its money from tourists arriving on cruise ships ever since.  We found Broadway populated by the passengers of the two cruise ships that were in dock today.

Broadway in Skagway

The first stop on our tour of Skagway was the Gold Rush Cemetery just out of town.  A side benefit of this visit was a great view of Reid Falls.

Mary at Reid Falls

Perhaps the most infamous resident of the cemetery is Jefferson "Soapy" Smith who mined his gold from the pockets of the would be gold rush millionaires who fell prey to his scams.  He and his henchmen ran Skagway until he met an untimely death in July 1898.

Soapy Smiths Grave Marker

Our next destination was the town site of Dyea (Pronounced Dye-ee) which was the first portal to the Klondike.  

On the way to Dyea we got a great look at the town of Skagway.

Skagway from Road to Dyea

An unfortunate feature of Dyea is that that the ships couldn't get close to shore to unload because the water was too shallow.  The Gold Rushers had to toss their mandatory one years supplies (about 2,000 pounds) off the ship and then try to get it off the mud flats before the tide came in.

Taiya Inlet Flats

All that remains of Dyea is a few rotting boards among the spruce trees.  At one time this bustling city had a population of 8,000 people.

All That is left of Dyea

On the positive side there is now a profusion of wild flowers through out the area.

Mountain Daisy

Wild Sweet Pea

One of the great tragedies of the gold rush was a snow slide on April 3, 1898 on the Chilkoot Trail that killed 70 gold rushers.

Grave Marker of Rusher Killed in Snow Slide

We were back in Skagway in time for a nice halibut and chips lunch at the Bonanza Saloon and finished the day off by visiting a couple of local museums.

Tomorrow morning we will ride the White Pass & Yukon Railroad to the top of White Pass and back to Skagway.  Then it is on to more adventures as we begin homeward journey.