Alaska Cruise-Day 4

We left Juneau about 10 p.m. with the next destination being Skagway which was 113 miles  north of Juneau by the route we took.

I got up early to see us make our way through the Lynn Canal which is a deep glacier cut waterway. It was overcast and low clouds hung on the mountains but there was no breeze. I saw a couple of whale spouts and some seals that morning. The most unusual sight though was the low tide moving out of the channel and how it gave the allusion that the ship was going backwards if you looked at the water. You could see the waves the retreating current was making opposite the way we were traveling.

 There were waterfalls along the mountain sides that flow into the channel. Every few minutes another waterfall came into view.

 Finally Skagway was in view and two other ships were already docked before us.

  This town was the gateway to the Klondike Goldrush of 1897-98. The first thing we did was take a bus tour that went to White Pass which was the summit of the canyon that ends at Skagway. It was also the route chosen to build a railroad that would get to the Yukon. As we drove up the pass there again were waterfalls everywhere we looked. The train was going up along the other side of the canyon. Our bus driver was funny and has done this for a while. He and his wife do this for the summer and then live in Monterey, California during the winter.

 The higher we went the cloudier it got until we were in fog. We crossed the border and the driver played "Oh Canada" and waived a Canadian flag. It was pretty funny. We stopped for picture at the Alaska sign and then proceeded to Summit Lake were the fog broke up a little. The lake was still partially frozen and there was still snow on the side of the road. Here we were 3,000 feet above sea level and above the tree line and in a frozen area in June.



 

On the way back to Skagway we stopped at a roadside waterfall .

We got back into town and then walked around the shops and looked at the interesting sights. There was a great old hardware store that had about everything in it for the locals to buy. The cruise ships with there 6,000 people really can overrun this town of 920. There are some interesting buildings like this hall with the front covered in driftwood. The National Parks Service has also restored some buildings as part of the historic gold rush district.

We went back to the ship for lunch and then I wanted to go hiking so Cindy felt guilty and went with me. Nic and Shanon also joined us while the rest stayed at the ship.

Off we went to make the climb to lower Dewey Lake. You would never guess there was a lake above town looking at the hillside.

We made it to the lake and it was really amazing.

We walked around a bit and then headed back down. Shannon decided she wanted a walking stick like the rest of us but hers was a little bigger.

I went into town to buy a couple of things while everyone else went back to the ship.

On my way back to the ship I saw a seal near the pier. He would come up look around then slowly sink back under the water.

The name Skagway means by lose interpretation windy place and boy did the wind come up as I was on the pier heading for the boat. It blew my hat right off me into the water. I hoped it would blow it to the shore line so I could get it but it was carried under the pier so I had no chance of getting it back.

That night after dinner we watched Shannon participate in two programs and then we went to the main theater and watched a performance while the ship was headed for its next destination.