There's gold in them there hills!
Our second stop on the cruise was the port city of Skagway, Alaska. This is a small town that still has many of the structures from the last 1800s. Many prospectors came through Skagway on their way to find gold during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899.
Prospectors were required to carry a year's worth of food and equipment which easily weighed a ton. They had to hike the 35 miles over the White Pass Trail hauling their food equipment from cache to cache. It was a tedious journey over mountains and many of those who made it went home without any gold. After our first trip to Alaska about 15 years ago my dad told me that my mother's father went to the Klondike in search of gold, but obviously came home empty handed.
Prospectors were required to carry a year's worth of food and equipment which easily weighed a ton. They had to hike the 35 miles over the White Pass Trail hauling their food equipment from cache to cache. It was a tedious journey over mountains and many of those who made it went home without any gold. After our first trip to Alaska about 15 years ago my dad told me that my mother's father went to the Klondike in search of gold, but obviously came home empty handed.
We boarded a bus for a tour of the Klondike highway. It was a small group and we had a great tour guide who has lived in Skagway for 13 years. She said it's expensive to live in Skagway during the summer so during the summer months she lives in a tent. She also said that on days that bears mess with her tent, she sleeps in her truck.
We were able to make many stops along the way. The scenery was breathtaking.
It's hard to see, but above is a waterfall that comes all the way down the mountain.
There were lots of beautiful ponds and lakes along the way. I love the reflection in this pool.
Along the way we went through the Tormented Valley. This is a sub-arctic alpine tundra that is battered by wind and harsh conditions. The trees above are hundreds of years old, but never grow tall.
Of course you have to stop to take a photo of the road signs.
The Carcross Desert is considered to be the smallest desert in the world. It's really just a bunch of sand dunes that were formed by the silt left behind when the glacial lakes dried.
The lakes have a green appearance. The one above is Emerald Lake. Stunning!
We stopped to have lunch and meet some Alaskan Husky puppies. Adorable!
These dogs seem to love their work and get very excited when it's time to pull a bunch of tourists around on an ATV. I just wanted to hold one and possibly bring one home.
Another amazing vista!
After a few hours we were back in Skagway. The building's facade above was covered in thousands of pieces of driftwood. Very unusual, but I don't know who ever had time to take on this project.
Before long, we were back at the ship and ready to set sail.
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