Old Valdez

Saturday, May 30, 2009 – Day 30

We had purchased tickets yesterday for the Valdez Museum, which also included admission to another collection called “Remembering Old Valdez”.  This exhibit is housed in a separate building a few blocks away from the main museum. The featured exhibit is a scale model of the Old Valdez plus additional memorabilia of the old town.

On Good Friday, March 27, 1964 the largest Earthquake to ever hit North America occurred in Prince William Sound.  The quake measured 9.2 on the Richter scale and caused a wide swath of death and destruction in south east Alaska.  The “Old Valdez”, town site sustained considerable damage with 32 people losing their lives many of them children.  (The total population at that time was only about 600 to 700 people.)  At 5:36 PM many of the town’s children where down at the dock where the ship Chena had docked.  As was customary in those days the crew were throwing candy and fruit to the children gathered there.  When the quake hit it caused the ship to smash into the dock almost destroying it.  As a large local wave came back in, it lifted the stern of the boat right out of the water and it smashed down into the bottom of the bay.  Another wave carried it out into the harbour where the captain ordered it to be moved out further.  The quake lasted almost 5 minutes, causing numerous local waves and much devastation along the waterfront and further down the Coast as far away as Anchorage,

When relief efforts were finally mobilized it was determined that Old Valdez, was in a precarious area of unstable ground and it was decided to move the town to it’s new location 4 miles down the road.  All that is left of Old Valdez is a couple of cement foundations and pads; and a few pilings from the former dock. 

When you read and hear the survivor’s stories it makes you want to hug your kids just a little tighter.

Whales, Seals, Otters and Porpoises

Friday, May 29, 2009 – Day 29 – 4 Weeks Away

We started off the day with a visit to the Valdez Museum. The museum had been recommended by the CAA Tour Book but it did not have a Gem status.  Recommended time was 30 minutes but to do it properly it took much longer. We spent over two hours there.  It showed how the natives would employ fish wheels to catch the spawning salmon in the murky, glacier-fed rivers. There was a large display about the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred twenty years ago, on March 24, 1989.  It spilled  about 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound.  Litigation is still going on in the courts and oil is still being found and cleaned-up in some of the smaller bays.  There was a limited display in this building about the Good Friday, 1964 earthquake that almost destroyed the “Old” Valdez and claimed 32 lives.  They have a separate building that houses the collection “Remembering Old Valdez”, which we will visit tomorrow.

We boarded the good ship Lu-Lu Belle in the afternoon for what is billed as the Glacier and Wildlife Tour in Prince William Sound.  There are a number of boat tour operators to choose from in Valdez; but we decided to go with this particular boat as it is a little smaller and more intimate than the more heavily advertised tours.  The tour is billed at 5 hours PLUS.  We were out for almost 8 full hours as Captain Fred, kept searching the waters for whales. He kept promising us that he would have us home before dark…remember though that the sun doesn’t set here till about 11:00 PM.

It is still fairly early in the season so the whales are a little harder to find.  We eventually found some and they put on a little show for us.  One came alongside the boat and gracefully rolled.  The sound of the whales “spouting” as they clear their air holes is just like you hear on the science shows; kind of a long lingering sneeze.  We saw a mother and her calf who would mimic her every move.  These were humpback whales and they were very hard to capture on film as they were either too fast or I was too slow as my frozen fingers couldn’t hit the shutter fast enough. 

We had seen a number of sea otters floating in “rafts” and a large colony of harbour seals. 

These guys almost posed for us.  Captain Fred brought us within about 7 miles of the Columbia Glacier, the second largest tidewater glacier in North America.   He threaded the boat through an ice berg field where the crew took pictures of tourists on the bow sprit. The crew then did some ice fishing.  Literally picking up chunks of ice to use in their coolers.  Glacial ice can only be described as ice blue, except for the ones that are carrying layers of glacial till or boulders.  On the way back to Valdez, the Lulu Belle was escorted by at least a dozen Dahl Porpoises.  Captain Fred kept up a running monolog during most of the trip describing the history of the area; giving lessons on marine life and describing the geologic forces that have affected the Prince William Sound and Valdez area.  He kept mentioning attractions and things to see and do that would lengthen our stay in Valdez. Had we done everything that he mentioned we would be here till at least Labour Day. We disembarked at the end of the day very happy and fully satisfied with our cruise.  We would highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to Valdez.  We returned to the trailer and crashed for the night.  Totally exhausted and totally exhilarated.

Valdez – Fishermen’s Mecca

Thursday, May 29, 2009 – Day 29

A nice relaxing day!  We didn’t get up till almost 7:15 AM.  It was overcast and drizzling and the temperature was about 42F.  We decided to take a walk beside the small boat harbour which is just across the street from our campground.  Lots of really nice, large boats here. This is a real fisherman’s Mecca. Along the harbour front are covered stainless steel fish cleaning tables with fresh water hand sprayers at each station.  Fish waste is washed down a chute to a large bin in the water about 50 feet below to be collected by the Valdez Harbour Authority and probably sold as crab bait.   Valdez operates an annual fish derby.  The current leader has landed a 110 lb Halibut.  Halibut certainly tastes good but they are UGLYYY.  A Halibut is a large flat fish that when born has eyes on both sides of it’s head  but as it matures, one of the eyes move’s towards the other.

It’s hard to find fresh fish in Alaska - along the coast anyway. I suppose everyone is a fisherman or knows a fisherman.  We stumbled upon the Peter Pan Fish company, that is a large fishing and fish processing operator. We were able to purchase a halibut fletch from there. Not cheap (1.27 lb @ $10.50US/pound)!  Our most expensive meal of the trip and we didn’t eat it in a restaurant. The Peter Pan Fish  company has a couple of large dormitories and a large mess hall on the property as well as all the processing buildings. It purchases most of the catch from local commercial fisherman so it is able to control the retail pricing in the area.

We did a little grocery shopping at Safeway, where for the very first time I got a Senior Citizen’s discount of 10%.  In Valdez, you are considered a senior if you are over 55.  The prices really aren’t too bad considering it’s remote location. (We’ve found inland locations tend to be much higher.) 

In the afternoon we retraced our route from yesterday up the Thompson Pass to Worthington Glacier.  It was kind of scary to actually see where we were driving in the fog of yesterday afternoon.  It was a really beautiful ride when you can actually see it and appreciate it.  

Speaking of seeing.  As this is being written the time is about 10:30 PM and I can see throughout the campground as clear as day.  Janet has been having trouble sleeping because of the light.  Should be very interesting when we get up to Fairbanks in a few weeks.

To Valdez in a Fog

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - Day27

We shook off the dust of Tok, AK at 8:30 this morning and headed south down Highway 1(the Glenn Hwy).  This highway follows the northern boundary of the Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve.  This wilderness park is the largest park in the American National Park system.  It contains most of the glaciers found in North America and it also has some of the highest mountains.  We skirted the periphery of the park most of the way to Valdez.  We will be doing a short side-trip into this park on the return leg. We normally like to do a circle route, avoiding return trips through the same area.  In the case of Alaska, there just aren’t that many options.  Most of the wildlife today was smaller in stature.  Lots of rabbits, a couple of foxes and lots of dead porcupines.  Just past the town of Glennallen, we turned onto the Richardson Highway (Alaska 4) that would bring us into Valdez.

As we drove the Richardson Hwy., we could periodically see the Trans Alaska Pipeline which brings oil 800 miles from the Prudhoe Bay oilfields on the Arctic Ocean to Valdez on the Gulf of Alaska.  The oil is then loaded into tankers for the trip south to the refineries. 

When we were about 35 miles outside of Valdez we started to notice that clouds were billowing over the Thompson Pass; probably the effect of warm moist ocean air rising over the mountains.   As we passed the the Worthington Glacier we noticed that the cloud bank seemed to be rolling in.  At first I thought that this was just the cooling effect of the Glaciers at this elevation.  We soon found ourselves in a thick, haze headed “down” the mountain. I kept the truck in second gear with fog lights and hazard signals on, during the 4 mile descent..  I could see approx. 30 feet in front and just hoped that no one rear-ended me.   Without a doubt this was the thickest fog that I’ve ever experienced.  The fog dissipated around Keystone Canyon where we were able to enjoy a couple of beautiful waterfalls.  We arrived in Valdez in under cloudy skies and with a light drizzle falling.  Valdez seems to be a pretty little port city, with a vibrant downtown/harbour area, not unlike Prince Rupert.  We are looking forward to spending the next few days here exploring the sights.

Welcome to Your Dream or a Little Tok Goes a Long Way

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 – Day 29

We departed Burwash Landing under sunny skies this morning the temperature reading was 5C.  A chilly night as we must have tripped a circuit breaker during the night and that’s one of the things an electric heater needs to work.  We were on the road by 08:10 AM. headed for Tok, Alaska.  We had been forewarned about the highway to the border.  It did not disappoint!  Frost heaves, patches, dips, bumps and gravel limited our speed to between 50 and 80 KM/hour.  Because the traffic was light we were able to travel in the oncoming lane to avoid some of the worst frost heaves, many of which look like long, jagged scars on the road that could swallow a tire.

Just before we crossed the border into the States, we spotted a moose.  Now anyone who has been following this blog knows that we have a “spot the moose feature picture” every few days.  Here is today’s offering.  Note Click on the picture to enlarge.

When we arrived at the US border crossing we were asked the usual questions, “Do you have any firearms?”  “Are you carrying more than $10,000?” (Yeah, right!)  “What is the purpose of your visit?”  (What?; the RV didn’t give it away?)  What I actually said, “I’ve always dreamt of visiting Alaska!”  He finished processing us and sent us on our way with, “Welcome to your Dream!”  Kind of a nice way to enter the country!

We proceeded on to Tok without any incidents.  Let me tell you about Tok, Alaska. (It’s pronounced Toke – apparently named after a dog that belonged to one of the builders of the Alaska Highway.)  Lots of RV’s going in every direction.  Six RV parks: three RV repair shops. another half dozen gas stations with attached gift shops and a couple of liquor stores all located on Main Street (the Alaska Hwy) which they are currently tearing up.  Apparently the drinking and driving laws here are somewhat lax.  We saw one of the operators of a big Caterpillar road crushing machine sucking back a beer. Strange place.  And Dust. The few side roads are gravel and the dust just seems to billow from them.  Both our truck and trailer are filthy from the last few weeks of travel.  We had passed a gas station on the way into town which offered a free wash with each fill up.  Now, I wasn’t going to push my luck with the trailer but decided I’d get the truck washed.  So I filled up and then went to the office to get my free wash.  Let me tell you – It’s not like home. 

Out back beside the RV sani-dump they have a concrete pad with a leaking water jet wand and beside it is the wash brush in a five gallon bucket.  After I had sprayed off the large chunks of dirt, I went to use the wash brush.  When I lifted the brush out of the bucket a dirty brown mess starting dripping off of it.  At this point I decided the truck was clean enough and left.  It will have to wait till we get home.

Temperature today got up to 22C, with occasional showers.  Not too bad weather wise.

GRIZZLY

Monday, May 25, 2009 – Day 25 – Memorial Day in USA

Wow, I just realized when I typed in Day 25 how long that we’ve been away from home.  While we miss family and friends, we just seem to meet new ones every day.  Gary and Linda Webb, are from Boise, Idaho.  They are doing the Alaska thing like ourselves, and it sounds as if Gary is going to fish every species and sub-species of salmon found in Alaska.  We will be watching their blog when they send us their address.

It was an uneventful trip other than being questioned by a pretty, young Canadian Border Guard,  (Made the “Old Fart’s” Day!)  A moose passed in front of the truck some way down the highway and we managed to take another. “Spot the moose’s butt in this picture shot”.

We had lunch and re-fuelled in Haines Junction, YT where we intersected the Alaska Hwy again.  We had seen a rig pass the gas station as we were fuelling and wondered how he was ever going to make it to where he was going.  (This is the rig, when we passed him further down the highway.)

 

Anyway, just outside of Haines Junction there were numerous vehicles pulled over by the side of the highway and there were flashing emergency lights.  We thought that the guy had maybe lost his load as there was a motor home similar to his pulled over in the mix of vehicles.  As we got closer we noticed a bear in the field just off the highway.  Then we noticed a second one: we pulled over on the shoulder, almost beside them.

We believe that they are fairly young grizzlies, (perhaps just weaned) as bears are normally solitary animals. We found out from one of the conservation officers on the scene that these two “desperados” had been causing some trouble in Haines Junction and they were going to be “run out of town”. Two conservation officers were going to attempt to scare them back across the highway towards the Kluane National Park boundary.  Well the bears either heard them or smelled them going across the field and they weren’t going to wait around to see what happened next.  They both bounded off for the cover of the trees. The officers set off a couple of “flare cracker” shots that startled Janet and myself, but didn’t have the desired effect on one of the bears as he stopped to pose for one more picture.  In the end no one was hurt  or injured; and hopefully the bears will live long happy lives.

We made it to Burwash Landing, YT and stopped for the night.  There are a couple of Trumpeter Swans with their brood in the mostly still frozen Kluane Lake behind us.  Two of the local dogs were splashing in trying to chase them but the swans scared them off.  This was our entertainment as we ate dinner.  Sure beats watching the news.

There were a few gravel sections just east of Destruction Bay (suitable name) but other than that, the road was quite good.  Tomorrow, Back in the USA.

Chilkoot Lake and a tour of Haines

Sunday, May 24, 2009 – Day 24

We drove north of Haines along the Lutak Inlet to a state recreation area called Chilkoot Lake.  Absolutely awesome scenery along the way.  It was sunny and the temperature was in the low 50’s F and there was just a hint of a breeze. Chilkoot Lake was like a picture postcard; it was as clear as glass and the mountains were reflected in the surface of the lake.  It was so clear that if it were not for the line of the shore it would be almost impossible to differentiate the images.  We spoke with an elderly couple there who were just launching their kayaks to go for a paddle.  He told us he was 76, but he seemed as frisky as a teenager.  He apparently works for a company called Chilkat Explorers who do guided bus tours and rafting adventures in this area.

We had noticed a house on the way out of town a few blocks away from our campsite.  What drew our attention to it was the fact that it had a large totem on the front.  I walked down to the house to take a couple of pictures. While I was doing so a young man in his early 30’s came out of the house.  I asked him if it was OK to take the pictures and he said that it was perfectly OK.  I then asked him the significance of the totem.  I turns out that this was the home of Chief Ray Dennis who had just been married the previous day in a ceremony in front of the house. (See previous post - “Fort William H. Seward and a Tlingit Wedding”)  There were numerous rose petals on the ground indicating that something special had happened there.  As we continued talking he told me that he was a Tlingit Indian and that he was a grand nephew of Chief Dennis and that  they were members of the Salmon Raven clan.  That was the totem on the house. He told me how the Tlingit at one time controlled and guarded these inlets and passes for their trade of eulachon oil (It is also referred to as  hooligan fish or candle fish -  apparently they are a tasty,oily, smelt size fish that when dried will burn like a candle.) Their trade routes extended into the Yukon and Southern BC.  We parted ways and I returned to the trailer to find Janet impatiently waiting to go for a walk through Haines.

Haines is the antithesis of Skagway.  It is so relaxed here, everyone will take time to talk to you, whereas in Skagway it seems everyone is in a frenzy.  Did I mention that there are at least 20 or 30 jewellery stores in Skagway and perhaps two in Haines. Most of the jewellery stores in Skagway are owned or sponsored by the cruise ship companies.  They sell gems such as Tanzanite or Gold Quartz – that are not available anywhere else. Hmmm? 

I have been awed by the action of the ocean tides while we have been here and the harbourmaster took the time to explain to me how tide tables work and how this one boat seemingly raised itself out of the water for repair. He and others have advised us that when we get back onto the Alaska Hwy at Haines Junction, YT that we should be extremely cautious driving through the frost heaves at this time of the year.  I’m sure that Janet will be there to CONSTANTLY me remind of this.

Fort William H. Seward and a Tlingit Wedding

Saturday, May 23, 2009 – Day 23

We’re (actually just me) starting to get used to this laid back, relaxed method of travel.  (Travel for a few days, then set up camp for a few and get to know the town your staying in.)  Mrs “Type A Personality” Lewis is not coping nearly as well!  We got a late start this morning and decided to wander around town and then do a self-guided tour of Fort William H. Seward.  Seward, was the the Secretary of the Interior who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 for the then outrageous sum of $ 7.2 million dollars.  (That worked out to be less than 2 cents/acre – many people at the time called it “Seward’s Folly”.) I suppose history has proven Seward to be a genius. 

At the turn of the Century – sorry that is the 1900’s not Y2K; the USA was having a protracted border dispute with Canada and to exercise their sovereignty in the area, they established Fort William H. Seward.  With it’s white buildings on the green hillside, it dominates the bay in which Haines is located. Apparently when you arrive by boat, this is the first sight that greets you. The buildings of the fort surround a six acre, rectangular parade ground.  The officers quarters dominated the hillside, while enlisted men were housed in the barracks, lower down on the slopes.  Life in this frontier fort became more a battle with boredom than a battle of guns.  The fort was decommissioned by the army after WW2 and was sold as surplus to five war veterans from the east who bought it sight unseen.  They hoped to  turn it into a new utopian community. The years have not been kind to the fort.  It seems to be in a state of steady decline as parts have been sold to private interests, hotels, condos, B&B’s.  Some have been turned into private residences and these seem to be the most at risk.  We have visited a similar fort of similar vintage in Nebraska, Fort Robinson.  It has been restored with state money and is now a real gem.  The same kind of TLC is needed here.

Later in the day we visited the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Centre.  The highlight of this museum is the display of native arts.  Chilkat blankets and ceremonial robes are displayed along with early pioneer artefacts.  The staff were especially proud of their museum and were describing in detail how the old Tlingit halibut hooks worked when we heard the faint sound of drums outside.  As we continued to talk the drumming got louder and we heard some chanting.  (There is a beer fest going on this Memorial day weekend in Haines and Janet wondered if this was part of it. I thought it was a demonstration.) We went outside to investigate and it turned out to be a Tlingit wedding ceremony.

The bride and groom were dressed in ceremonial regalia as were a number of the wedding party.  They were beating their hand drums and chanting as they walked up main street.  We asked the museum staff if this was a regular occurrence and one person said that in the 17 years that he had lived here he had never seen anything like it.  We were indeed lucky to have witnessed this event.  Another staff member told us that this was Chief Dennis who was getting married.  Sadly though we had found out yesterday that the Chief’s son had died along with another fellow just last week.  Three teens had set out in a canoe for Skagway just up the Lynn Canal, ignoring a small craft warning that had been issued.  One of the boys survived  and was able to walk barefoot along the rocky coast for over 6 miles before finding a residence to summon help. This is a tragedy so often repeated, in different circumstances perhaps, by young people everywhere.  Getting back to my first observation at the beginning of this post; it is interesting to be able to stay in a place for a few days and get to know the people who live there.  We are all very similar.

Couple of housekeeping items: To enlarge a picture you should just have to double click on it.  To see if there is text associated with a picture simply hover over it.

Oceanside RV park in Haines, AK.

The Chilkat Pass to Haines, AK

Friday, May 22, 2009 – Day 22 – Janet’s Birthday – 3 Weeks on the road

We followed Highway 3 (the Haines Hwy) out of Haines Junction, YT and followed the northern edge of Kluane National Park. We could see numerous mountain glaciers as we passed along the road. Kluane and the neighbouring Wrangell, St. Elias National Park and Preserve have the highest concentration of alpine glaciers in the world. There were very few vehicles on this highway which at times made it seem quite desolate. There is no cell phone signal in this area so if you break down; you’re on your own. Fortunately that didn’t happen today.

The scenery was wonderful through the Chilkat Pass. On the way up we saw three black bears, a moose and trumpeter swans. Still a fair amount of snow in the pass here. When we started to descend the other side it was as if we were in another land…actually it was the USA…but more importantly the trees were in full leaf almost all of the snow was gone and the temperature rose to 17C under sunny skies. When we spoke to the border guards they told us that this was very unseasonable…Normally it is in the 50’sF with lots of rain. They also told us that it had been like this for the last month and a half. They informed us that there were open fire bans throughout the area for fear of forest fires.

Just before we arrived at the border station we had seen what appeared to be a small hummock of grass beside the shoulder. As we got a little closer we noticed that it was moving. It turned out to be a porcupine and apparently there are a number of them in this area. This area is also well known for eagles. When the salmon are running in the fall, there are thousands of them here for the feast. One person we spoke to said there are so many that “they look like Christmas tree ornaments in the trees.” This time of year they are a lot more scarce but we saw about 1 dozen today. We actually saw one young eagle plunge for some prey. They can apparently carry prey that is up to 10 lbs. in weight.

We are parked at the Oceanside RV Park, along the Lynn Canal, (Its not actually a canal but a huge fjord that extends to the Pacific Ocean.) We have a view of mountains across the canal from us and about a half hour ago a cruise ship which departed from Skagway passed by. We will be staying in Haines for the next three days so will have a good opportunity to explore.

We also have phenomenal Wi Fi through a hot spot provided by Alaska Power and Telephone (AP&T). We had this same service in Skagway and it was excellent. We pay $12.95 for three days of service, but that is a small price to pay for the convenience and Janet’s ability to stay in touch with the outside world. (She reads the Winnipeg Free Press headline stories to me every morning while I prepare breakfast.) We have found most places that offer free Wi Fi have poor performance with the connection dropping constantly…just a lesson in frustration. Hopefully, they will offer this service elsewhere in Alaska as we travel.

Over the White Pass Summit

Thursday, May 21, 2009 – Day 21

We left Skagway this morning at about 08:15 am, it was slightly overcast when we left but as the morning progressed it got sunny and warm.  Driving up the White Pass was not nearly as bad as driving down it.  The diesel engine just powers up these mountains even with a 10,000 lb fifth wheel behind it.  (But an economy car, it is not!!)

Just breathtaking scenery, even at the summit with it’s “moonscape” look.  The few little trees that survive up there are twisted and deformed by the wind and the heavy layers of snow. 

The descent on the Whitehorse side was not nearly as severe.  Ice is just starting to break up on the mountain lakes and the poplar are just starting to leaf out. We stopped briefly in the small town of Carcross, YT.  (The name derives from Caribou Crossing.)  Apparently, herds of caribou cross the river at this natural ford, although we didn’t see any today.  The only reason it has any significance is the fact that it was a staging area for men and equipment building the Alaska Hwy during World War II.  We also made a stop to see “Janet’s Lake”, actually it is called Emerald Lake.  We had mentioned it in an earlier post and it was just as stunning as it was when we passed it on our way to Skagway.

We stopped in Whitehorse to get some groceries at Super Store and decided to have lunch in their parking lot.  We got some fuel and we were on our way along the Alaska Hwy towards Haines Junction, YT.  We stopped to photograph the last original wooden bridge built during the construction of the Alaska Hwy.  The Alaska highway does not follow the original highway in many places and that includes this bridge.  Despite it’s age it still appears to be in fairly good condition.

We arrived in Haines around 4:45 PM PDT, and we are camped at a place called Kluane RV Kampground.  Basically an unpaved parking lot with electrical and water hook-ups.  Their sewer system is still frozen.  But we have a grand view of the Kluane mountains outside our window and as I am writing this at 10:50 PM, I can see that the sun is hitting the highest peaks; leaving the lower part of the mountains in shadow.

We had a decision to make today. Should we continue towards “mainland” Alaska via the Alaska Hwy or turn south towards Haines, AK for a side trip. We had camped beside a  couple who come up from Florida almost every year to Haines.  We also spoke to another couple as we were fuelling the truck, who were just returning from Alaska, headed home to Oregon.  They said that they liked Haines better than any other comparable sized town in Alaska.  Our decision was made.  Next stop Haines, Alaska!

Old Stuff – Cemeteries and Museums

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 – Day 20

We visited the Gold Rush Cemetery this morning. We arrived there about 7:45, before the Tour buses arrived.  Interesting place. There are a couple of graves of note that we wanted to see., Frank Reid and Jefferson R. (Soapy) Smith. Soapy Smith was an old fashion, western kind of bad guy, a Snidely Whiplash.  One of his tricks was to charge the stampeders $5 to send a telegraph home; for a dollar more they could wait for a reply.  Problem was there were no telegraph lines leading out of the building. He apparently ran a number of illegal drinking establishments and was involved in other criminal activity.  He met his end when he went to the wharf to settle a claim he had with Frank Reid.  Frank was ready for him and put a hole right through Soapy’s heart. Soapy got a shot off and hit Frank Reid in the groin. Ouch!  Soapy was lucky as he died almost instantly.  Frank Reid on the other hand languished in hospital for 12 days before succumbing to his wound.  Soapy got a simple marker but Frank Reid, got a huge monument from the people of Skagway with the inscription, “ He gave his life for the benefit of Skagway”

The Skagway Museum is located in the only stone building in Skagway. This museum has a number of artifacts from the Gold Rush days to the present. They are still working on it and one day it will be very good.  They have an excellent little Gift Shop, where we found some unique treasures.

After dinner we drove downtown.  It almost seems as if they rolled-up the sidewalks after 8:00 PM.  The main downtown shopping area had been totally mobbed in the afternoon with over 9,000 people from four cruise ships.  You could hardly move for all the people.  A few restaurants remained open probably to serve the locals and the many young people who work the stores during the summer.

This is the end of our Skagway stay.  We head back up north to Canada towards Whitehorse and Haines Junction tomorrow.  We will once again follow the route of many of the Gold Rush stampeders through the White Pass and Carcross, YT.

Riding the Rails & Where Eagles Fly

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 – Day 19

We were up before 06:30 this morning as we had Tickets to Ride the White Pass and Yukon Route – The Scenic Railway of the World.  We walked the 10 blocks down to the railway station near the waterfront.  (I have included a map of Skagway with Red Pushpins, detailing some of the places mentioned. Click on the map to open a new window.) 

We were early so we wandered through some shops and took some pictures of the area.  Our Train was called shortly after 08:00,  The train ascends to the summit of the White Pass and actually passes back into Canada.  We were not allowed to get off as there was no customs office at this particular location, (basically the middle of nowhere.)  We were surrounded with snow and ice,  The train climbs from Sea Level to almost 3,000 feet in less than 20 miles, snaking along beside the mountain side. In some of the turns we could see both ends of the train at the same time. The scenery was pretty amazing as we passed through the Tongas National Forest and crossed a couple of old wooden bridges. We could see the highway that we used yesterday from across the valley about a 1/2 mile away. The trip lasted close to four hours and we saw some great scenery.  Although Janet and I, both agreed that the Durango & Silverton railway was a little better.

On our way back to the trailer we picked up some tickets for the afternoon led National Park Service Ranger Walk and did some shopping on Broadway. 

After a quick lunch we walked back downtown to catch the Ranger’s presentation.  He led us through the downtown area describing the significance of many of the historic buildings and giving us a brief history of of the gold rush and Skagway.  It was really well done.  We asked him after the tour how and where he got most of his information – he cited Pierre Burton’s books about the Klondike.

We needed a driving fix, after tramping around so we drove just out of town to visit the Gold Rush Cemetery, where many of the characters of Skagway’s colourful past are interred.  Unfortunately there were several tour buses already there so we decided to try this sight tomorrow.  Not wanting to let an opportunity to explore slip away we decided to visit the former town site of Dyea, which at one time competed with Skagway for dominance in the area.  This was really an unexpected gem.  We had great views of Skagway and the Lynn Canal from across the valley.  Further down the road, (it was actually little more than a single lane dirt path in places), we came to the trailhead of the Chilkoot Trail.  The same trail that many of the prospectors took to get to the Klondike.  Beside the trail is the Tyai River flowing to the ocean with hundreds of sea birds and eagles.  We must have seen at least 6 or 7 eagles in this one area. We actually were able to catch one taking flight from a river log.  That made our day.

We Reached Alaska!

Monday, May 18, 2009 – Day 18 – Victoria Day in Canada

We pulled out of Whitehorse this morning around 10:00, after fooling around with a low tire.  (It didn’t need to be changed, we just tightened in the valve, filled it with air and it was good to go!) We took the South Klondike Highway 2, out of
Whitehorse.  We’d been told by many people (as well as the Milepost), that this was a treat for the eyes. We were not disappointed.  Every curve and every mile was an even better view.

The Milepost had also told us about a real gem of a lake in the mountains.  Emerald lake as the name suggests is just that colour.  The pictures we took can just not do it justice. From the overlook it just fills your whole field of vision with colour. 

A little further down the road is the Carcross desert. It is referred to as the, “Smallest Desert in the World”; consisting of some scrub pines and a lot of sand.  It covers only a few acres but qualifies as a desert because it receives so little precipitation which is a result of its unique location in a rain shadow.

At the town of Carcross, YT.  we saw a number of RV’s turning onto the road ahead of us.  It was a Caravan! (The RVer’s equivalent to a wagon train of the old west.)  We had also been warned to expect this.  We did get lucky though because they turned off to fuel; all 20 or more of them. We would have been stuck behind them at US Customs  for hours.  Bad enough last night we had been busy consuming all of our remaining oranges and drinking the last of our Canadian beer in anticipation of the grilling that we would get by the U.S. customs officer.  The border guard simply admonished us for having not signed our passports; made some remark about this area of Alaska being geographically in Canada but politically in the U.S.A., and sent us on our way.  He did stamp our passports with a neat stamp of a steam locomotive for Skagway, Alaska.  Almost as soon as we crossed the border crossing into Alaska  the temperature seemed to warm up and all the leaves on the trees seem to be in full bloom.  (I suppose it is the effect of the Pacific Ocean coming up the Lynn Canal.)  A few more miles of white knuckle driving at 30 MPH around tight turns and down steep grades brought us into the town of Skagway, AK.

Skagway is a strange place.  It served as the debarkation point of most of the fortune seekers of the Klondike Gold Rush and the start of their journey up the Chilkoot Pass to Whitehorse.  Today, it still is a debarkation point, but now they are tourists from the Cruise Ships. We had remarked to a couple of retail people about how busy they were today…they both said, “Wait till you see Wednesday, we have 5 cruise ships in!”  This will apparently swell the population in a few square blocks to 10,000 people – everyone of them looking for souvenirs.  And for every 2 gift shops or restaurants there is a jewellery store.  RV’s also compete with buses, tour operators and pedestrians to find their way through the restored  downtown area.

Did I mention in an earlier post that most RV Parks are located in the marginal areas of a city.  Well the one that we are in is located right beside some railway tracks at the foot of a mountain.  We have a bunch of the good ole boys doing donuts in the parking area on their ATV’s and drag racing along the railway right of way.  (Could be a long night.)  Other than that, the view is great. We are surrounded in this valley/fjord by mountains with the sea just a kilometre or so away. 

Tomorrow – The White Pass Yukon Railway, billed as “The Scenic Railway of the World”

SS Klondike, the Transportation Museum and the Beringia Interpretive Centre

Saturday, May 16, 2009 – Day 16

Cool morning 2C.  (In Winnipeg 4C and in Kelowna 10C – seems like Kevin made the best choice!)  We were off at 09:00 to visit the SS Klondike National Historic Site.  A stern wheel ship that was taken out of service in the mid 1950’s and acquired by Parks Canada, who have done a masterful job of restoring it to its 1930’s splendour.  We were at the ticket kiosk when they opened their doors for the first time this season.  We got tickets numbered 000001 and 000002. We were also joined on the tour by a number of German tourists who arrived just before 10:00 AM in a half dozen Class C Motor homes.  It certainly doesn’t appear as if the tourist industry is suffering too badly around here, despite the economy and the cool start to the season. 

 

 

The SS Klondike was initially used for carrying goods to Stewart and Dawson City in the north-central part of the territory.  It returned to Whitehorse carrying silver ore destined for the mills in the American heartland.  By the time the sacks of ore reached their destination they would be handled at least 18 times.  These were definitely not Green times.  Forests along the river were cut down to supply the fuel for this behemoth, which consumed 2 cords of wood per hour.  A trip upstream would take 4 or 5 days.  When you do the math that’s a lot of wood.  The boilers supplied steam to operate 2 – 525 Horsepower engines that drove the stern wheel and also produced electricity for the boat.  Modern technology soon put the sternwheelers out of operation as they could only run when the rivers were not frozen over.

The afternoon was spent at the Transportation Museum which chronicles the many methods of transportation in the Yukon.  From dogsleds to airplanes, the museum contains hundreds of exhibits. Of note were the early bush planes.  These planes provided year round transport but the winter months were especially difficult for the pilots.  Every evening the oil had to be drained from the engine into a barrel then heated to near boiling the next morning in order to start these pioneer planes. (No such thing as a block heater in a remote bush camp.)  More often then not, the greasy, canvas drape that provided a little wind protection would catch fire totally consuming the plane.

The area of the museum dedicated to vehicle travel and the building of the Alaska Highway is housed in an unheated hanger and it was very cold.  (The staff say that this better represents what the men endured while breaking ground for the road.) There is a tent set up here to simulate the environment these men suffered through.  As you sat in this tent with the smell of old canvas; there was a documentary film about the hardships of building the road over the muskeg and permafrost and the ever constant battle with mosquitoes in the summer and the bitter cold of winter.

The last area chronicles the use of dogs in the Yukon. (It seems almost everyone who lives here has one!)  The dogs bred for work here are thick haired, muscular animals with piercing eyes. They tend to sleep when not working, using their bushy tails to cover their noses for protection from the cold. They don’t need as much food as a southern-bred dog of similar size to survive.  You get a sense of love the dog sledders have for their dogs at the end of each day as he ensures that each dog is fed and watered, before looking after his own needs. 

On our return trip to the campground we drove by Lake Schwatka, where we managed to take a couple of shots of a quick red fox, before he disappeared into the forest.  We had also seen an eagle nest earlier in the day, but those guys are just too fast to catch on film or digitally but we did get a good shot of their huge nest. 

Sunday, May 17, 2009 – Day 17

Another relaxing day around the trailer in Whitehorse.  We vacuumed and tidied up a bit.  I worked on the recalcitrant fifth wheel hitch, which seems to be binding all of the time now. Cleaned it up a bit and greased it but it is only marginally better.  DSP hitches are pretty much junk; useful only as boat anchors.

We went to the Beringia Interpretative Centre this afternoon, opening day for the summer season.  It tells the story of how the land bridge across the Bering Sea was formed during the ice age.  This area was never glaciated and although it was a colder region it was able to support vast grasslands.  These grasslands supported herds of mammoths, musk oxen and bison.    With the grazers came hunters such as the huge short-faced bear, scimitar cats and man.  Many of the original fossils were found by local native people or by placer gold miners, who would wash away sand and gravel with hydraulic hoses to expose the tusks or bones.  They showed one very good documentary by the BBC about Beringia which included very realistic animation. 

 

There was also an atlatl demonstration. (a spear throwing device). I had heard of atlatls but could never understand how they worked.  The interpreter did a great job and so did most of the young kids who tried it.  I on the other hand would have been a hungry hunter!!