Skagway, Alaska has a winter population of about 900 people. Like the other stops on this cruise half of the towns stores are actually tourist shops selling everything a 'rich' cruise liner passenger would be interested in. Tanzanite, diamonds, gold, expensive clothes, statues - it really wasn't what we expected at all. Along with the stores comes the staff which expands the towns population to well over 2000 during the summer tourist season while the cruise liners are in operation.
Skagway was the base camp for the famous Klondike gold rush in 1896 with the population peaking in 1898 at around 30000, only to end quickly and fade back to nearly nothing by 1901.
The gold was believed to be predominately in the alpine lakes with the prospectors having to travel up from Skagway. So the White Pass and Yukon Route railway was formed. Unfortunately for the investors the gold rush ended before the railway was completed. Luckily for us it is maintained solely for the use of the tourist industry.
It was a very scenic route, and we quickly appreciated the hardships the early prospectors would have faced.
The train was full and travels up the route twice a day. These cruise liners are a money making machine.
Every now and again a voice came over the trains intercom highlighting points of interest.
The end of the line up in the mountain, on the USA/Canada border.
The summit. 2888ft is a long way to climb on foot in these conditions looking for gold......
What goes up must come down. On the trip down everyone had to swap sides within the train, so if you missed the scenery on the way up, you got it on the way down.
Enjoying the day with Mum and Dad, but probably missing Mickey, Donald and the crew more.
I'm pretty glad that they changed the route of the train to avoid this bit.
Awesome scenery. Impressive work completed 100 years ago in what would have been pretty miserable conditions.
Postcard stuff.
And again.
The kids enjoyed being out in the open area at the end of each car. I think because they knew it stressed us out......
One of the original trains restored for tourist purposes. The big snow blower on the front was impressive.
The other end. Well if they've restored it we might as well get a photo.
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