Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

Read (Part 1) North Pole to Haines
Read (Part 2) Haines

Another very long and photo heavy entry! (Allow all thumbnails to load before clicking to enlarge)

ARRIVAL IN SKAGWAY - Very late Thursday evening, August 13th

The ferry arrived in Skagway between 11 and midnight. I wasn’t really paying too much attention to the time, as we were having a fabulous time on board with our new friends, Susan and Bruce, and the other two couples they were traveling with.  We spent a good portion of the trip in the bar (even though last call was only minutes after we ordered our drinks). Sitting around the large table, we talked about Alaska, and traveling, and our hometowns, and bears, and so many other things.  It was unfortunate that Jack and Diane were turned away at the door as soon as “last call” was announced. It would have been nice to have them join us too.

The announcement was made to go down to our vehicles a few minutes after pulling into port. We said goodbye to our new friends and told them we hoped to meet up again while in Skagway.  As we all climbed into our vehicles, I know we were all thinking the same thing: “How are we going to get out of here?” Not all of us were able to just pull straight through and out the other end of the ferry. Some of us had to back out the same door we entered in Haines!

Steve is not a big fan of backing up with the camper. Especially in tight spaces, with other vehicles surrounding us. But we both give kudos to the crew on the ferry. Those guys (and gals) know how to give directions well. We didn’t even have to use our mirrors; one guy stood behind our camper giving direction to another guy who stood at Steve’s window, who relayed that direction to Steve. In a matter of minutes, we were on the streets of Skagway - with the RV Park less than a quarter mile from the harbor.

We made reservations at Pullen Creek RV Park in advance, and let them know we’d be in very late. They’re accustomed to late arrivals on the ferry, and had our site designated with an orange cone so that no one else would take it. The park was dark, as everyone was sleeping, so Steve only had his running lights on so as not to disturb other campers while pulling in.

Setting up camp in the dark was something we’d never done before. Steve placed a flashlight on the ground on the right side of the site, while I held another flashlight near the hookups on the left side.  Using these lights, he backed onto the gravel pad. As luck would have it, the pad was perfectly level, so no adjustments had to be made. We were unhooked and set up in less than 15 minutes. I must say that Steve and I have this camping thing down to a science!

We had to turn the heat on that night, as it was a chilly and very windy evening. We could feel the camper rocking in the wind, and at times it was so strong, we thought the trees around us would blow over. We’re glad we didn’t put the awning out. Some say the name Skagway is derived from the original Tlingit name Skagua - which means “windy place”. Other research from local Tlinglit natives has revealed that the name comes from the word Shgagwéi meaning “bunched up or rough water.” Windy Place or Rough Water - both names aptly fit.

IN SKAGWAY - Friday, August 14th

We woke to partly cloudy skies and strong wind. I couldn’t wait to get out exploring the town, so we decided to go out to breakfast. But our first stop was the train depot for the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad.  We planned to take the White Pass Summit Excursion while in town, and hoped there was room available. We had nothing to worry about. With only one cruise ship in port, there were plenty of seats.  The cost of this excursion is about $108/pp with tax. We were booked on the 12:45 trip.

The RV park host recommended Sweet Tooth Cafe for breakfast. According to her, it’s a popular place for the locals to dine. We were able to get a seat right away (at a window overlooking the street, which was nice). Breakfast was good, and prices weren’t any worse than what we’re accustomed to paying here in AK, although visitors might find them a bit steep. We enjoyed people watching as we dined.

We had a few hours to explore the downtown area before the train ride, so we walked up and down historic Broadway Street. Most of the buildings along Broadway are original structures from during the gold rush days of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many have been given face lifts and re-purposed as shops. And if you like to shop, Skagway is the place to visit. I’ve never seen so many jewelry stores in all my life. In fact, there were so many of them, that we just had to find out what the story behind them is, so we talked to the gal who was working at the Visitor Center.

It seems the cruise companies run many of those stores - and own the merchandise within. They also hire the sales staff. The jewelry is purchased for pennies on the dollar and then hawked to cruise folks when they come ashore. It’s not unheard of to hear them offering *big discounts* on pieces, which the tourists fall for, when in reality a sizable profit is still being made.  What I want to know is, why do folks who cruise to Alaska want to buy jewelry of all things?  If I were a tourist, I’d want to pick up some Native art, gold rush memorabilia, hand made fur items, or hand beaded gloves. But jewelry? And it’s not even gemstones that are found in Alaska!  I guess it’s a profitable business or there wouldn’t be so many of them.

Here are the photos I took while wandering around town:

Looking down Broadway		Was D Lucci Grocery - 1898
	Gutfeld Residence  1898, 1919
The Red Onion Saloon was Skagway’s most exclusive bordello. Built in 1897 the Red Onion Saloon opened for business in 1898. The saloon served alcohol on the first floor while the upper floor satisfied more than the prospectors thirst. The brothel consisted of ten tiny cubicles, called cribs. Each room also had a hole in the floor which connected to the cash register in the bar by means of a copper tube. In order to keep track of which girls were busy, the bartender kept ten dolls on the back bar, one for each of the girls in each of the rooms. When a girl was with a customer, her doll was laid on its back. When she sent her money down the tube, the doll was returned to the upright position signaling that she was ready for business.
In times past, the Arctic Brotherhood Hall was a fraternal hall; the local chapter of the Brotherhood first met here in August 1899. The organization’s symbol, a gold pan and nuggets, is up near the roof line. The facade, which dates from 1900, has been called a prime example of Victorian Rustic Architecture. Charley Walker and his fellow lodge members collected over 8,800 driftwood sticks on the shores of Skagway Bay and nailed them to the front wall. The Brotherhood, which remained active into the 1920s, once entertained President Warren G. Harding.
	I wish I knew what this building used to be.

It was soon time to report to the rail depot for our train ride up to White Pass Summit. A little history about this railroad taken from the White Pass & Yukon Railway site:

Built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a designation shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

The WP&YR railway was considered an impossible task but it was literally blasted through coastal mountains in only 26 months.

The $10 million project was the product of British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting. Tens of thousands of men and 450 tons of explosives overcame harsh and challenging climate and geography to create “the railway built of gold.”

The WP&YR climbs almost 3000 feet in just 20 miles and features steep grades of up to 3.9%, cliff-hanging turns of 16 degrees, two tunnels and numerous bridges and trestles.

The WP&YR suspended operations in 1982 when Yukon’s mining industry collapsed due to low mineral prices. The railway was reopened in 1988 as a seasonal tourism operation and served 37,000 passengers. Today, the WP&YR is Alaska’s most popular shore excursion carrying over 450,000 passengers during the May to September tourism season operating on the first 67.5 miles (Skagway, Alaska to Carcross, Yukon) of the original 110 mile line.

There weren’t too many people on the train. We had four cars to choose from, and there was plenty of room to move around. As soon as we were underway (and had a safety briefing), we were allowed to go outside on the platforms - where the cars connect - for photos and viewing. I spent the majority of the trip standing outside, despite the cold wind. Times like this my tolerance to AK cold comes in handy; the cruise passengers were sitting inside the cars where there was heat. I did go in a few times to warm up a little. My face was pretty numb. *grin*

About six miles into the ride, there’s a clearing with a red caboose sitting in it. The sign in front says “Denver”. This is a retired red caboose that is used as a camping cabin for hikers. The caboose sleeps six, has an oil stove and tank, a place to prepare food, and an outhouse. You can hike to it (about 4.5 miles from Skagway), or you can take the train. It’s available to rent for $35/night. The Denver sign is in reference to Denver Glacier - a hike away.

When you get a little further up the rail,  you see a building and a huge rock. On the rock has been painted “ON TO ALASKA WITH BUCHANON”.  George E Buchanan was a Detroit coal merchant, who began bringing girls and boys to Alaska on adventure trips in 1923. His goal was to help young people learn the art of earning and saving money.

For 15 years groups of approximately 50 young people - mostly boys - made the annual summer excursion from Detroit to AK. The young folks, dresses in coat and tie, had to be on their best behavior.

Many years later members of the various Buchanan Boys groups returned to Skagway to ride the railroad and to revisit the memories of their special and happy trips. Reportedly, the boys from one of the summer trips painted the sign on the side of the mountain to commemorate their inspiring leader, George Buchanan.

On August 3, 1898, while building the railroad, some blasting caused a huge slab of rock to slide down over two men. At first, rumors flew that there were more casualties, but in the end it was confirmed that there were just two.  The company decided that there could be no better memorial to these two men than the rock and so a small memorial was placed there.

Eighteen miles up the rails, a steel cantilever bridge was built across Dead Horse Gulch below the summit. It arched 215 feet above the gulch and at one time was the tallest of its kind in the world when it was constructed in 1901. It’s not used any longer, but seeing it firsthand makes you appreciate the skill and labor that went into building this railroad.

During the Gold Rush of 1898, two trails were used by the gold seekers to reach the headwaters of the Yukon River. The 33-mile-long Chilkoot Trail began at nearby Dyea; and the 40-mile White Pass Trail began at Skagway. Thousands of men carried supplies up the 40-mile White Pass trail to Lake Bennett, where they built boats to float down the Yukon River to Dawson City and the gold fields, 500 miles distant. From the train, you can see the Trail of 1898. It is quite narrow and skirts steep mountains and deep gulches in many places. It’s hard to believe that thousands made that trek safely. Not so hard to believe is that many didn’t survive the trip.

The following photos were taken from the train too:

		White Pass Summit
This train was coming back from Carcross

We really enjoyed the train ride, and the scenery, and I’d highly recommend the excursion, particularly on a good-weather day. If it is cloudy or raining, I’m not sure you’d be able to see very much of the gorgeous landscape. We had a great day for our trip, with some clouds in the higher elevations, but not enough to obliterate the view.

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After the train ride, we went back to the camper for an early dinner before heading out for some more sight-seeing.  Our destination was the old townsite of Dyea. Dyea (prounounced DYE-ah) is located at the convergence of the Taiya River and Taiya Inlet. This is where the Chilkoot Trail begins. During the Klondike Gold Rush prospectors disembarked at its port and used the trail, a Tlingit trade route over the Coast Mountains, to begin their journey to the gold fields around Dawson City.

There are several informational panels on display in what is left of Dyea. One panel tells about Dyea before the gold rush of 1898. Because many of the words are Tlingit, and my keyboard does not have the necessary punctuation keys to type those words accurately, I’m going to use the English translation of these words (provided on the panel) instead. Therefore, this transcription is not a precise duplication of the panel on display, but tells the story of Dyea.

The Death and Birth of a Village:

This place is the village of Dyea, which can be translated “To Pack” and it is a key area of Northern Tlingit country. It is one of many areas that links the coast to the interior, and has been a valuable trade route for the Tlingit people for much longer than written history in this area. According to traditional history, the Tlingit migrated to the coast from the interior in several areas: Stikine River, Taku, Carcross, Chilkoot Lake, and Chilkat.

While Skagway served mostly as an area for seasonal hunting and fishing camps, Dyea was a village that local elders have described as smaller than Haines and Klukwan. It was a place for families who did not want to live in a village with several hundred residents. The primary clans in the area are Raven-Sockeye, Eagle-Wolf, Raven-Beaver, Eagle-Killer Whale, and Wolf.

There was a time when dugout canoes made of cedar or cottonwood lined the beaches of Dyea. Valuable foods from the sea like salmon, eulachon (aka hooligan or candlefish), seaweeds, seal and clams, as well as seal and eulachon grease, were packed inland. These foods are collectively referred to as “Our Ancestor’s Food” and are central to the culture of the Tlingit people. They were traded with inland Tlingit and other tribes for moose, beaver, copper, mountain goat, and mountain sheep. Today, they remain an important part of the traditional lifestyle, ceremony and diet of the Tlingit people.

The village of Dyea vanished beneath the stampede of the gold rush. With an influx of over 30,000 foreigners, the landscape was forever changed. A rapid decline in traditional Tlingit presence, rights and activities in the area began, and has continued ever since. Tribal activity has resurged in the area as the Skagway Traditional Council is working to revitalize their cultural ties to the land and to their ancestral partnership with the Carcross/Tagish First Nations of Canada.

Skagway is in many ways symbolic of the fate of the Tlingit people. Where traditions and cultural activity were once dormant or dissipating, they are re-surging and becoming more visible and shared. In turn, the community is recognizing the value of understanding this knowledge, whose origin pre-dates any written history.

The ways of the Tlingit culture are based on cultural knowledge, respect, and a tradition of loving and helping one another. Today, there are children and adults working to learn the Tlingit language, which has been ranked as one of the most difficult languages in the world. Through these efforts, more of the culture will be understood, given life again, and taught to future generations.

The most important fact to retain is that the Tlingit people of Skagway are here today and forever, reviving their culture, telling their own story, and honoring ancestors who created the Tlingit history of this traditional land.

Long before you reach Dyea, you can see what’s left of it from the road. There’s not much left at all.  In 1897, the small trading post became a city - with tents and shacks, outfitting stores, hotels, restaurants and saloons. Now, the only evidence that there was a town along the tide flats, is three rows of slowly rotting wharf pilings. Even poking around on site, the evidence is scant: a few collapsed walls and foundations, one false store front, and the hint of a main street.

After the town was abandoned, people began converting Dyea into farms and homesteads. In 1978 Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park purchased a portion of the townsite and guided walks are offered to tourists and others interested in learning more about Dyea. Other parts of the valley are in state, city, or private hands.

There are two cemeteries at Dyea. The most famous cemetery is the Slide Cemetery. On April 3, 1898 (Palm Sunday) after weeks of heavy snowstorms near Chilkoot Pass, the weather shifted radically and a warm wind began blowing from the south. That night, a series of small slides hissed down the steep slopes. The next day, the whole mountainside suddenly roared loose. Some victims were found frozen forever in a running position. There are 49 headboards with names of victims inscribed, but in actuality an unknown number of victims lie in this cemetery. It is generally accepted that approximately 70 people died in the avalanche, however Karl Gurcke of the National Park Service at Skagway, has done extensive research and feels that the number may be closer to 100.

The Entrance to the Slide Cemetery:

Slide Cemetery Pano:

The other, much smaller cemetery is a bit closer to the road, and contains bodies that were moved when the original Dyea cemetery was being washed away by the Taiya River in the 1970s. In addition to graves, there is also a small granite monument honoring some of the native people who died in the area, with the name Johns on it.

The trees are massive - much taller and thicker than what we have here in the interior:

Here is all that’s left of the wharf:

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After visiting the cemeteries at Dyea, Steve and I drove to the historical Gold Rush Cemetery. The cemetery is an eerie reminder of Skagway’s frontier origins. A few of those whose journey ended in Skagway found their final resting place at the outskirts of town. Among them are two of Skagway’s most colorful characters: infamous bad-guy Soapy Smith and hero Frank Reid.

Jefferson Randolph Smith, was more familiarly known as “Soapy,” thanks to his fondness for a confidence game that involved paper money wrapped around bars of soap. His felonious reign ended when, in the summer of 1898, he tried to crash a meeting of vigilantes opposed to his activities and wound up exchanging fatal gunshots with Frank Reid, the town surveyor. Allegedly only three people came to Soapy’s funeral, including the teamster hired to haul his body away, but two thousand people showed up to eulogize Reid - the largest funeral Skagway had ever seen. The pair are buried within 100 feet of one another.

Before going back to the camper, we stopped to visit with Susan and Bruce (the folks we met in Haines). They were camping at another RV Park and had plans to go to Juneau on Saturday. They were also leaving Skagway on Sunday morning, en route to Stewart and Hyder (I think). It was good seeing them again.

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LAST DAY IN SKAGWAY - Saturday, August 15th

Our plans on Saturday revolved around hiking. There are several short trails in Skagway that we wanted to check out. There are also some historical buildings that we missed the first day, which are listed in the Skagway Walking Tour brochure, so I wanted to check them out.

To end our stay in Skagway, we planned to attend the Discovery Days festivities at Jewell Gardens Saturday evening. We heard about the event from the gal working in the Visitor Center. She told us that it was probably going to draw quite a few “locals”, rather than large numbers of tourists.  Not only were we interested in attending a local celebration, but the festivities also included free admission to Jewell Gardens ($12/pp).

We had a light breakfast before returning to the Gold Rush Cemetery, which is where the trail to Lower Reid Falls begins. From the cemetery, it was maybe 1/2 mile roundtrip. The trail winds through the woods, and is a steady uphill climb, but easy.

You can hear the falls long before you get to them. They were beautiful! Reid’s Falls isn’t a single waterfall but rather a long, cascading series of falls and pools and more falls as the water works its way down the mountain. The top portion is not visible from the Lower Falls viewpoint without a further climb over rocks and boulders, and I wasn’t going to risk it. Steve noticed a cave in the mountain nearby, with a pile of bear scat beneath. Talk about a room with a view!

Since we needed to pass through town to get to the other hiking trails, we decided to go in search of the historic buildings we missed our first day in town.  But first, we came across an old train engine, and Steve had to climb up on it. He wasn’t very happy about that decision when he climbed down covered in cobwebs!

We then found the Moore Cabin. The Moore Cabin is the oldest structure in Skagway. It was built by Captain William Moore and his son in 1887-88. Moore was 65 years old when he arrived. He had followed gold rushes all his life and settled here to pursue one more chance at a fortune. When the big rush came, his land was overrun by a flood of gold seekers. But he prospered because he owned a dock, a warehouse, and a sawmill. He stayed here until 1906 - long enough to see his homestead blossom into a major port and railroad terminal.

Railroad Houses were a sign of Skagway’s maturity after the gold rush. For many years, Skagway resembled a company town; most of the family breadwinners worked for the WP&YR railroad. To make life more comfortable for its officers, the company built and made available nine homes in town. There are three in this area:

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We parked the truck in a specially marked portion of the airport parking lot for hikers. After crossing the pedestrian bridge over the Skagway River, we started for Yakutania Point. A tiny spit of land where trees cling to rocks right down to the water’s edge, it is where the Lynn Canal—the longest, deepest fjord in North America—divides from Taiya Inlet, like fingers held up in a peace sign. Above the still water, mountains give way to glaciers.

The walk only takes about 15 minutes, and soon we were standing on a rocky outcropping, watching flocks of scoters fly in unison and then land on the water.  I heard that seals congregate in these waters, but I didn’t see any.

We backtracked a dozen or so yards, until we found the direction sign indicating the continuing trail to Smuggler’s Cove.  It’s a longer walk, traversing rocky hills and nature-made rock stairs that climb and then descend to sea level.  We were surrounded by tall trees, and the light was much dimmer in the woods.  We didn’t mind though; the trees cut the strong wind which was howling with a brute force that was worse than our first night in town.

The trail finally came out of the trees, and we found a picnic shelter and outhouse. The area is protected by tall hills on either side, and the water lapped gently at the shore.  Smuggler’s Cove is an apt name for this place, and I imagine middle of the night deliveries and secret meetings.

We stayed for a little while, resting before we started the up and down climb back to town. In the shelter of the trees, you’d think it was a perfect summer day - without the mosquitoes. (And we were surprised that there aren’t any mosquitoes in Skagway - probably because they can’t fly in the strong wind!) We both peeled out of our fleece jackets to cool down. And then we came out of the trees near the bridge and we were hit with 40 knot winds again. I think my hair left whip marks on my face!  It was a gorgeous walk though, and I’m glad we went.

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We had dinner at the camper, and relaxed for a little while before driving up to Jewell Gardens for the festivities. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous! While walking the grounds, I could see the wheels turning in Steve’s head. I know he was getting some great ideas for landscaping. What we both loved was the hand-blown glass objects in place all over the garden. From glass fish in the gravel creek, to glass reflecting balls hanging from the trees, to tall glass leaves accenting flower beds, and glass dragonflies in the greenhouse - there was a surprise everywhere you looked. What an awesome place! I’m so glad we went.

In addition to the beautiful gardens, there was a glass-blowing demonstration. Before the artist began work on the bowl, chances were sold for $5 each. The winner would get the bowl he made for the demonstration. We kept our fingers crossed that we would win, but no such luck. Regardless, it was really interesting to watch him turn glass into such a beautiful piece.

Garden City Glassworks at Jewell Gardens is Alaska’s only public glassblowing studio where visitors and residents alike can blow their own glass art. Before the demonstration, we watched event attendees make their own ornaments, choosing their colors and participating in the creation. We would have participated as well, but the glass has to sit overnight in a special chamber to strengthen, and we needed to be on the road very early.

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The next morning, we were up at 5am, and on our way to Dawson City by 7am. We had a 460 mile day ahead of us.

Read about Part 4: Dawson City