Skagway, a rough road to the top 2013

There was only one reason to come to Skagway during the ‘90’s.  It was a ‘short cut’ to Dawson Creek and the Klondike gold rush boom towns, easy money beckons and fools will have about a 2% chance of making expenses.  A very few will become very rich!  It goes without saying that each of these fellows thinks he will be rich before the month is out. 

They have each landed with 1000 pounds of supplies as shown in this duplication.  Next task is to move it up to the top of White Hall mountain, about 2800 feet up a one lane footpath about 8 miles long.  So, you put about 100 pound on you back and trek up and back.  You will do that about 14 times as you have to eat some of the supplies.  This completed, you have to move about 400 miles to the real gold fields!  How much of your stake did you loose in the bars, gambling house or bordellos in Skagway?

 

 

 

 A daring group of business men rounded up $10 Million dollars and built the White Pass railroad up the pass and on to Dawson.  Its 20 mile climb to 2,800 feet was one of the steepest grades in the world.  The road bed clings to the mountain sides and provides dramatic views, or terrifying depending on your point of view!  There are 2 tunnels and several 125 year old bridges to be traversed.  Several times the track horseshoes’ back on itself giving memorable views of the train. 

The pictures below left to right; The Summit, return train passes us.  Border crossing, we travel into Yukon, CA but do not get off the train before return trip,  2 views showing the front of out rain as we go around a ‘Horseshoe Curve’.

 Tomorrow (Saturday) we will travel back up this hill, leave Alaska, go thru Canadian Customs and travel 308 miles to Northern Beaver Post, YT.  The is the longest road day on the tour, we are almost done.  Another couple left the tour today to attend to personnel business, we have shrunk to 17 rigs.

It is important that I should not take the wrong turn and attempt the eerie ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ about halfway up the pass!

Techno Message:  Dodge pulls 12,000 pound camper (truck & camper = 18,000 pounds) up this pass at 40mph at 2,200 rpm with no problem.  Up and downhill (Jake Brake) are both done with 3rd gear on our 6 speed auto tranny.

 

Posting this on Sunday Morning from The ‘Ore House……….