The Skagway train ride 28 June 2011

Please see previous blog for background to the Skagway railway constructed to carry gold seekers from the port of Skagway over White Pass to the head of the Yukon River on the route to the Klondyke goldfields at Dawson City.  The train now serves the tourist trade.

A very authentic train conductor manages the train and keeps things in order.  The carriages are also very authentic looking and have been refurbished to the period.

Heating, when required, is provided by these heaters at the end of each carriage.  Not quite original as they have been fitted with light oil burners.  The weather was mild enough not to require heating during our three hour ride.

Engines are now more recent diesel locomotives. Here some of the very early engines can be seen in the rail yard.

The train as it operates now with passengers embarking at Skagway.  The three carrigages shown here are soon to be backed up to the wharf and about seven more were added with passengers who boarded direct from cruise ships that had docked ovenight.

On leaving the small Skagway town the line follows the Skagway River for a short while.

Passing various historic points now serving to provide shelter for work crews or hikers.

Several trains are travelling up the steep inclines during the morning and afternoon trips.  This view taken from the train we are travelling in while taking a long loop by going up side a valley that increases the length thus enabling a suitable gradiant.

The morning train was not very crowded allowing passengers to view each side.

The original foot trail of 1898 still showing in places.  No wonder hundreds of horses died on the trail before the rail was in use.  It was a treacherous route to the top, especially in winter conditions which can be nine months a year.

The top - White Pass - 2888 feet  - nearly 900 metres, 20 miles - about 33 Kms - after leaving Skagway on a narrow gauge - 3 foot - railway.

Intricate manouvering on White Pass as trains are shuffled for the return trip.  Some trains travel down the inland side to Bennetts for an all day trip.  The original line extended to Whitehorse and currently is being restored as far as Carcross,  which was a major trans-shipment centre. It is another 45 minutes by road to reach Whitehorse.

 Our train winds its way into the head of the side valley. The viaduct seen here is the old one and below is the one now in use.

 The old curved viaduct.  Part steel and part wooden at the far end.

This old wagon half way up the pass can be rented for over night accommodation by hikers. 

Good bye from Skagway.

Skagway 27-28 June 2011

The historic Skagway railway links the port of Skagway, at the head of the Lynn Canal, a natural water way of the inside passage of the western coast of Canada and Alsaka.  It became the route of choice for the Klondyke gold rush of 1898 to get from the Pacific coast over the mountain range into Canada and the headwaters of the Yukon River which flowed all the way to the goldfields.

This photo journal will touch the highlights of the route now a very interesting and historic tourist route.  Shown here is a modern bridge at Carcross in Yukon Territory (Y.T.), start of the road, only completed in the 1970's, making skagway now accessable by road.

Matthew Watson General Store, much as it was over 100 years ago, still serving customers.  Unfortunately it had been broken inot the night before but was back in action.  A few years ago when we visited this town it was a run down dump of a place but on this ocassion was undergoing a major make over.

Part of the reason was the increased tourist activity both from raod trafice and continuing restoration of the Skagway railway now operational to Carcross.  Originally it extended as far as Whitehorse about an hour to the north with Carcross becoming a major transportation centre linking the Chilkoot Trail and White Pass routes from the Lunn Canal area. 

Let us now take you to where it all begins in Skagway, Alaska, as the "stampeders" (people stampeding to the gold fields) would have travelled it.

This view from White Pass looking west.  The line on the hill under the sign is the railway near the summit.

Broadway in Skagway has been retained in historic form as much as possible except the road is sealed, motor vehicles and the life blood of the town, a cruise ship dock at the end, bringing in the 21st century income.

An old pub now owned and maintained by the National Parks.  Many areas of town are Government owned and the rents assist in maintneance and resoration work.

An operational Pub on Broadway.  This photo in the morning before the cruise ships had let their passengers loose.  That day about 8,500 cruise ship passengeres decended into the town and the next day close to 10,000 were due in town.

There were four big ships in port each day.  Arriving overnight and departing early evening so the nights were quiet with not many people about by 9pm.

This story is really about the railway.  Gold was discoverd in the Klondyke in 1896, near present day Dawson City. The rush started in 1897, the gold field was nearly 600 arduous miles away over a 3000 foot pass.  The stampeders could only pass into Canada if they had one year of supplies.

Rail carries heavy supplies.  The idea started in 1897 with a toll road (track) and by April 1898 the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Company had been formed and had purchased the right of way of the road.  In July 1898 the first train ran on the first 4 miles, reached the summit of white Pass by February 1899, in July 1899 it had reached Lake Bennett where the lakes and river route commenced and by late July 1900 crews working from the Whitehorse end met the White Pass workers at Carcross to complete the 110 miles of track.  $10m and 450 tons of explosives later!

Next blog - the train ride.

British Columbia

A not uncommon sight travelling up Highway 99 between Whistler and Lillooet, good highway, rock and trees.

A hard limestone bluff being mined for processing.

Then small areas of cultivated grassland appear along valley floors.

The small town of Lillooet signals entry into the historic Cariboo Trail and cattle ranches that followed the Cariboo gold fields trail north from Kamloops.

The trail and country was not easy with difficult tallus slopes below steep rocky mountains or...

...steep alluvial tree covered terraces and ...

large flood prone rivers to cross. This meant that moving cattle into the area along rough pack tracks was extremely difficult.  There were areas where there was limited feed along the route before reaching the Cariboo grasslands from where beef was supplied to the goldfields.  When the gold rush waned the established ranchers had difficulty getting cattle to Vancouver for sale and many had disappeared before a rail link was established.

Today the sealed roads leading through small towns make it hard to visualise the hardships of 150 years ago.  Highway 99 between its junction with 97 and Vancouver has only been sealed in recent years with the development of the Whistler ski resort.

Irrigation and hydro electricity add to the ability to improve farming and process timber in the region.

The reservoirs also provide recreation opportunities.

The old (above left), the present (above right) and on the left the preserved Hat Creek Ranch homestead near Cache Creek.

Some real farming in the Cariboo region north of Williams Lake. An intensive dairy farm, no sign of the cows which it appears are housed in the buildings shown below.

NB:  These photos have been severely reduced in size to try and ease uploading but have caused too much reduction on quality.  Next blog will revert to the recommended size, Sorry Phillip, Vicky and boys.

Alaska 2011

22 June, 2011 is the start of our trip to Alaska to take in a local ferry trip along the Aleutian Islands from Homer, Alaska.  Prior to departing Christchurch there were a few possible impediments to manage.  The ash cloud from the South American volcano eruption a week previous had returned to lie over south eastern Australia and was threatening to enter New Zealand (NZ) airspace later on 22 June.  Our afternoon departure from Chrischurch was brought forward to 5.40am requiring us staying in Christchurch the night before.   The friendly motel proprietor had no sooner directed us to our room and we moved out baggage to the door when the ground shook, lights of the Avonhead area went out, however the door was open and with the use of a torch it was to bed for the night.  Without further drama we rose at 4am and were taken to the airport for the early flight to Auckland and after the day at the airport, boarded the overnight flight to Vancouver.  The day in Auckland gave a chance to catch up on a few things deferred due to the early departure and we still arrived in Vancouver mid afternoon "the same day" due to time zones.  The first night we stayed in North Vancouver and next day proceded up Highway 99, near the coast, stopping at Squamish to shop for food supplies.  Yes, we brought our camp cooking gear.  Highway 99 joined 97 north of Cache Creek, where Highway 1 turns east to Kamloops, and we stayed at Williams Creek, a few hours further to the north.
The photo journal will now follow our progress