Skagway - Our Last stop in Alaska

Sept 11 - 13 - Skagway, Alaska - land of the Chilkoot Tlingit people

Drove the Haines Highway to Haines Junction

Stopped for gas and the tiny grocery had pumpkin pie. Since we hadn't eaten breakfast and it was lunchtime, it became our brunch

I'm awed by all the fall colors

Strange artwork left at a roadside pullout we were considering for the night

Carcross Desert, a large area of sand dunes resulting from ancient glacial lakes - supposedly the smallest desert in the world

It was a slog climbing to the top of this dune

Stopped at the Cultural and Community Center of the Carcross Taglish First Nations

And lucked upon the preparations for the broadcast of Drums Across Canada, a program of healing from colonialism and genocide. From seven different locations across Canada tribes from different provinces participated, including the Carcross Indigenous Visitor Center. We were asked not to take photos of the actual broadcasting but it was an honor to watch the drumming, dancing and singing as it was live broadcast across the nation https://www.celebrationofnations.ca/drums-across-canada-2022/ 

We got a chuckle out of this man's light saber as part of his regalia

We walked through historic (everyplace is historic here) Carcross (named from the combining of Caribou and Crossing)

This stern wheel paddle boat was almost finished being restored when it caught fire.

One of the Yukon's oldest continuously run general store

A man who lived outside of town but would come in to get supplies and visit the beer parlour decided that, in his old age, he should live in Carcross. He built this tiny log home, supposedly so he could light his fire without getting out of bed.

Continued on the Klondike highway towards Skagway

Inukshuk at the border. Had to give up our tomatoes, peppers and limes at the border crossing this time

It was a beautiful drive with lots of waterfalls

Based on a suggestion from a passerby in Whitehorse we settled for the night in Dyea along the Taiya River and had a lovely campfire with the surrounding driftwood

Walked around the site of the former goldrush town of Dyea, which went from a small seasonal indigenous fishing camp and trade route to a town of 5000 in a matter of a year. Dyea's population collapsed after an avalanche on the Chilkoot Trail killed 70 men and a railway was built that funneled stampeders to Skagway. Within 4 years there were only a handful of residents remaining

Cemetery for the avalanche victims

Site of the former town

Fools gold in the river

The Chilkoot Trail was 33 miles long, rises 3000 feet, and crosses 3 different ecosystems between Alaska and Canada. This was the very start of it. It was extremally steep and very uneven. I can't even begin to imagine.

When they got to the pass they had to carry their year's supply of food and supplies, 2000 lbs, up the pass. It could take a month to get everything you owned up, carrying it up in 50-60 pound packs at a time. I'm obsessed with this aspect of the goldrush.

But it was beautiful

Skagway

Where we did laundry, and saw this sign in the laundromat/gas station/convenience store

Went for a beer at the Klondike Brewing Company and had this pull up alongside

These dwarf the town 

A snow plow for the rails

Before heading out of town we stopped at the old town cemetery where we met a local woman whose parents and husband's parents were buried there.

And hiked to yet another waterfall

Since there were things we needed to attend to back home, and we saw pretty much all we wanted in Skagway, we decided to leave Alaska and begin our trek home. We neglected to take into account how quickly night falls now and were surprised by incredibly dense fog. This photo shows much more visibility than I was experiencing on the narrow, winding mountain road. Fortunately it got much clearer after the border crossing.