Skagway is one of the most popular ports of call with Alaskan cruises. The July 2009 week we were there saw 29 cruise ships in port, carrying more than 75,000 visitors. Things have changed a lot in the last 100 years!
Thanks to the gold rush of 1896, within just one year Skagway became the largest city in population in the entire United States. Twenty thousand people , mostly gold prospectors, poured in to find their riches. With one church and 80 saloons, it was a very rough town.
But there wasn't any gold in Skagway. The
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I doubt of those miners of olden days cared much about the beauty of...
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Something of interest up the hill.
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This is Tunnel Mountain, a thousand feet above the floor of the gulch below.
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The Skagway River, one thousand feet below us.
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The passengers in our car, one of more than 20 on this train....
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We're approaching Steel Bridge. It was constructed in 1901 and at...
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Steel Bridge was used until 1969 and then replaced by a safer one. Much...
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This tunnel was blasted through the mountain in 1969 when the new bridge was...
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A long way down. We are awed by the courage and endurance of the people who...
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It's mid-July but there's still some snow on the ground.
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You can still see the trail that was the primary route from Skagway to the...
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One more bridge and we're almost at the top.
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Inside our car, looking out.
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This was snow not too many days ago.
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Finally, after 20 miles, we reached White Pass Summit. Imagine how relieved...
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They had to stop here and be inspected by the Northwest Mounted Police.
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Northwest Mounted Police and Stampeders posing at the summit amid...
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Now that he's finally brought his year's supply and been...
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They won't ever forget this train ride!
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Clouds obscure much of the mountain peaks above us.
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From here on, their journey would be long but not so painful. Much of...
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At Summit Lake, three Stampeders getting ready to launch their boat down the...
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Don't fall asleep now, folks. The train's about to turn around...
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A wide turnaround and we'll be going back to town.
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There's the old Steel Bridge.
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North America
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