Alaska Done
Part 8 of 10
The White
Pass
Skagway AK
The longest
Stretch
The White Pass
The ride from
Whitehorse YT, down to Skagway AK, brought many pleasant surprises
with it. It was one of the most fascinating days of the trip. Even
though we were riding in light rain for the most part, it was not
very noticeable. What took my breath away was the signpost that said
“38 miles to the US border” right after crossing through the
Canadian border. It was known as the “White Pass” and we saw
some of the most impressive rock formations I've ever seen. I never
knew until that moment that the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
was built here in the 19th
Century to transport gold, amongst other things, between Skagway and
the Yukon Territory. The work involved in building that railway was
back-breaking at best and it cost countless deaths of men and horses.
And, I'd had the audacity to think that I'd had it rough when I
emigrated here from England during the 20th
Century. In the days when the railway was being built the men were
made of steel - and imagine all those poor mail-order brides thinking
that they were coming to the land of milk and honey having to
toughen-up real quick or go home. The photograph to your right
brought to my mind the harsh reality of the hardships that the
workers had to endure - and take note - it's a photo taken in the
summertime. Imagine trying to smash rocks apart in mid-winter wearing
animal hides and itchy woollen underwear to keep you warm. On second
thoughts, compared to those guys, I didn't have it rough at all. In
fact I was pampered and molly-cuddled every step of the way - just
like little Lord Fauntleroy.
Skagway AK
Skagway AK, was
delightful. It was like a shining jewel embodied in exquisite natural
surroundings. It was a vibrant and thriving community full of people
going about their business with lots of things to do and places to
see. It was a refreshing breath of fresh air compared to most other
places we had visited in Northern BC and the Yukon Territory. The
first thing that struck me was the availability of products and
services. Being a tourist town, there were lots of nice hotels and
motels at reasonable prices; every kind of shop was located along
Stage street within walking distance; and good places to eat and
drink were in abundance. We were spoiled for choice. Elegant cruise
ships were moored in the harbour; the Terminus Station of the White
Pass and Yukon Railroad was just a few paces away; and arts and craft
museums reflecting the Gold Rush era simply awaited our arrival.
Especially eye-catching was the Red Onion Saloon and Gambling Hall
ready to entertain us and there was even a Brothel were one could get
a taste of how men and women of the the Gold Rush days spent their
leisure time and money. A few doors down there were Can Can dancers
but they were were not performing that day. As the Rolling Stones so
eloquently put it “We can't always get what we want”...so we
accepted today's non-performance in the spirit of true northerners by
carrying on and saying “Them's the Breaks”. It was too bad that
we had only one afternoon and evening in Skagway. It would have been
nice to spend more time there.
The Longest
Stretch
We left Skagway
the next morning in light rain and in no time at all we were once
again thrilled to be riding through the magnificent White Pass – a
photographers' paradise. We were in no hurry and we took lots of time
to get a very good look at the rock formations; see the White Pass
and Yukon Route Railway snake its way along the sides of mountains
and of course to take lots of pictures. If I had been an railroad
engineer, which I am not, I would have added a few more wooden
supports to hold up the train tracks in certain places. It would have
made me feel a little more comfortable. Crossing back through the
Canadian border post was no problem. I really couldn't have purchased
very much in Skagway anyway because there was not even room to stick
an extra packet of matches on my bike. After arriving at the small
town of Carcross we forked-right and proceeded towards Jake's
Crossing which effectively shortened our return trip back to Watson
Lake by by-passing the City of White Horse. It was our intention to
return to the Air Force Barracks at Watson Lake so we phoned ahead to
confirm reservations. We received a resounding “Welcome Back”
from our host and he instantly confirmed us for the night. Its funny,
all I could think of on the long ride back was pouring myself a cup
of hot instant coffee embellished with sweetener and whitener in the
front lobby of our destination.
Word Count 849
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