ALASKA - Haines- day two

July 19 Thursday Another beautiful sunny day! We made plans today to take the fast ferry to Skagway and ride the White Pass and Yukon Route train. The fast ferry to Skagway takes about 45 minutes from Haines.  It is a pleasant, beautiful ride.  As we approached Skagway, which is a tiny town, the first thing we noticed were 5 cruise ships in port!  Even a Disney Cruise! We were told before we left Haines that the cruise ships "own" the town, and this was evident.  There are at least 21 jewelry stores in this small place and tons of tourists milling around the streets and buying the jewelry and furs.   We had about two hours to look around before our train left.

 Before the train was built to the White Horse pass prospectors took the steeper Chilkoot Trail in 1897 to get to the Klondike. They thought that pack animals could be used to transport the ton of supplies which they were required to carry up the trail.   Three thousand horses died on this trail because of the tortures of the trail and the inexperience of the stampeders. I can't imagine hiking this trail...very difficult, not to mention that probably most of these people were not prepared for the climate or the terrain.  They just had gold fever!  And most of them never found gold.

 The train ride was very informative. There was  an interpretive guide on the train who narrated points of interest along the way.

Headed to Skagway on the fast ferry

Downtown Skagway

Inside train -- I am in the second seat on the right from the front of this car.

Our train heading into a tunnel over a bridge -- there are two tunnels on the ride

Part of the original trail...you can see a sign which marks the "Trail of 98"

Another view of the old Chilkoot trail

 

 

 

 

 

Traveling through a very narrow pass

After the train ride, we had another two hours to spend in Skagway waiting for the return ferry to Haines. We decided to stop in at the The Red Onion Saloon,  a saloon which was in the original gold rush town in 1898.   It still keeps its' character of those days.  We met a very nice guy who has lived

in Alaska since he was 19...came for adventure.  It is always great to spend time visiting with "locals".  He was originally from Wisconsin and currently lives in Anchorage and is planning a trip to Nepal.                                                                                                                                                    

We headed back to Haines.   Another beautiful ride.  Haines looked so pretty as we approached it.

Mr. Skunk enjoying the fast ferry ride back to Haines.

Isn't this a beautiful view of Haines?

After docking, we decided to take a ride out to Chilkoot State Park.   There is a weir out there that keeps a count of the salmon.   And, we had heard it was a very scenic drive.  So true! We were driving through the campground at the park and came across a ranger looking for a bear that had just been spotted.   He was carrying a gun, but was not intending to kill the bear.  Apparently they just shoot them with a "bean bag", which stings and scares them from the camping area.  On our drive back we saw this neat lawn decoration...lots of stones placed in interesting formations.

 

Fishing in the park

Ranger looking for the bear

Stone formations