On Monday, we took the White Pass and Yukon Railroad tour. We were picked up from the dock by our tour guide and taken to the train station where we boarded our train. This route was constructed to serve the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. We were on a replica passenger coach, so I imagine it was very similar to what was actually in use around the turn of the century. The route is treacherous and narrow, so it uses narrow gauge railroad. In many places we were literally on the side of the mountain, straight up on one side and straight down on the other. Before the railroad was completed, and even after for some, the men would walk all this way to the gold fields. Every man, woman and child was required to have 2000 pounds of supplies and equipment over the summit. Once they got to Lake Bennett (our furthest stop), they still had another 550 miles of lakes and rivers to travel to get to Dawson City where the gold was. It took them months to even get there. I simply can't imagine...
These two are shots out the window looking straight down.
The train took us over the White Pass Summit and into Fraser, B.C. We then got onto a small bus and continued on to Carcross and Emerald Lake in the Yukon Territory. We made several photo stops along the way. This lake was so glassy and reflected the mountains perfectly. We saw so much beautiful country, and the weather was perfect. Our guide kept telling us how it was never like this. Just breathtaking!
We stopped in Carcross at the Caribou Crossing Trading Post. We had a delicious BBQ chuckwagon lunch, and then were able to walk around and explore. There was a museum with animals from the area and lots of sled dogs. Here I am with one of the sled dogs. I must admit that the dogs were a bit of a disappointment, they weren't the big, fluffy huskies that I expected. They explained to us that they are actually not pure huskies, but a mix of several breeds. What was amazing was watching them run. They offered dog cart rides but we didn't do one. When they got those dogs hooked up, they all wanted to pull and run, and when they took off, all of the dogs in the yard were trying to go too. I guess it's true, they really do love to run!
After lunch we drove to Emerald Lake. It was so pretty!! One of the things that struck me most was that everything was so clean, and pristine. Even with the touristy places and commercialization, there still were no crowds, no garbage, no resorts. It was simply nature and simply beautiful.
Bridal Veil Falls. It seems like everyone and everywhere has a bridal veil falls.
When we got back into Skagway, we walked around and looked at the shops and sights. The downtown area still has raised plank sidewalks, kind of cool and rustic feeling. This is the Red Onion Saloon, quite a famous brothel. You can see the "soiled doves" in the windows plying their trade. There is a museum and tour, but we didn't go in. This was a long day, and we were pretty tired by the time we got back to the ship. I know I keep saying this, but it was simply amazing. Sometimes the only thing to say is WOW. Heavenly Father's creations are so beautiful, and He created them for us. We are so blessed to be able to see and enjoy them!!
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