Skagway and Yukon–Thursday

Up early again for our tour over the border into Canada and Yukon. We had to decide whether we wanted to go on an old train trip for the day, along the original line from Skagway, ending just over the border in Canada and not being able to get off the train, or whether we wanted to go on a bus tour, following a similar course, but travelling much further, over the White Pass Summit to a suspension bridge (wonder why we (the royal we?) wanted to see a bridge) high above the river and being able to get out of the bus. We chose the latter. It was a good decision because we had some amazing views and stops. We saw a couple of black bears (colour brown) beside the road and mountain goats high up on the steep mountain side.

The Yukon suspension bridge was impressive, so high above the river and long. There was a good display of basic Klondike gold rush living, local First Nation tribe history and the North Western Mounted Police force (I think), now part of the Canadian mounted police force.

 

 

On to Emerald lake. Over the time, dead creatures have settled on the bottom of the lake and the resulting lake bottom reflects only green from the sun’s rays, causing the water to look green. The better the weather, the more green the water. Our guide told us that this is the greenest he has seen the lake for a long time. We really are lucky with the weather we have had so far. We heard that Skagway only has forty something days of clear weather a year.

 

 

Our lunch stop was at the touristy but interesting “Caribou Crossing”, which also happens to be the home of a couple of dog sled teams that compete in the famous dog sled races, the most well known being the Iditarod. There were sled dog puppies  to cuddle and teams of dogs, barking like mad, just waiting to get moving and take tourists for a ride on the wheeled carts. Again, a very good display of the history and life of the North West Mounted Police, who seemed to be more community police, looking after the hundreds of thousands making the gold rush trek, ensuring that they had enough provisions for a year, being doctors, dentists, mid wives, funeral directors and anything else that was needed. Back to the gold rush, as those in the “rush” had to be equipped for a year, they had to make many trips up the mountain, drop their 75 kg loads and return to the bottom of the mountain for the next load until they leap frogged all 1 ton of food and equipment. They covered thousands of miles to transport their provisions just 20 or so miles.

We stopped in Carcross (originally the town of Caribou Crossing, but as there were many other towns of the same name, it was very confusing, with deliveries regularly going to a few other Caribou Crossings before reaching the correct destination). This was where the gold seekers ended their trek over the mountain on foot and were able to get the materials and built boats for the last (400+ miles) to Dawson City, which is where the gold was. Carcross has obviously been developed to try and catch the tourist dollar. There is a tourist info centre with very good gold rush history and then there are all the little shops for the tourist. Mostly pretty tacky.

On from there back to Skagway, all feeling weary from the day out, and the boat.

We left Skagway around 4pm and had superb views from the Skywalkers nightclub lounge, almost the top deck at the blunt end. We  have sat there a few times and only realised yesterday that it is reserved for the “Elite” and “Suite” passengers – don’t think that applies to the basic inside cabin passengers.