Italian Trip: Skagway

Today was just awesome!

We cruised up the narrow Chilkoot Inlet where you felt you could touch the snowcapped mountain either side.

We docked at the port of Skagway which is now only a small township of about 1000 people but back in the gold rush days it was as big as 10,000.

It was like steeping onto the film set of an outback western! Albeit cold and well, not dusty. The wide streets were lined with old 2 story timber building some painted while some showing years of weathering. They all had timber sidewalks in front of them under wide veranda’s and if it had a tumbleweed rolling up the main street that would have just completed the scene.

The tourist $ is huge income for the town now and there were loads of jewellery shops with salespeople at the doors hoping for your business. But again for me if you look behind the typical you will always find some real life and nature abound.

The absolute best part of our day was to take a train ride on the 125 year old train tracks up to the White Pass Summit & Yukon Route.

It was a 35 km trip and up 880 meters to the summit and return which took about 3.50 hour. We knew it was going to be cold up there so we dressed in ALL our clothes.

Even wore our face masks as they were helpful to keep our faces warm and people left us alone thinking that we had the Black Plague 😂

Yep even worn my good night time black skinny pants and they fitted perfectly under my day jeans + 2 tea shirts + 2 long sleeve shirts + 1 wool jumper + 1 fleecy jacket + my wind jacket and to top it off we took our plastic rain jackets in my back pack.

We looked like we were two poor tourists waiting to board a flight and didn't want to pay for excess baggage

🧳 🧳 🧳 😂

This week is the first of the trains running back up the mountains after winter.

We were in the back carriage and today’s train was pulling 15 in total. Our carriage was the only one with tables and with our face masks most people looked in and went elsewhere!

As we started our train trip up we weaved our way through the mountains with the trees just starting to show signs of spring and leaf buds opening.

So close to the rocks face as we slowly climb.

The old timber sections of the bridges holding up the

tracks as we approach to summit.

Coming out the other side to a winter wonderland.

Great pis Sandy

Remnant's of some of the old bridges still loitering around.

The train stoped for a while to soak in this pristine location at the White Pass Summit which is on the boarder of Canada and trumpet-land!

It was just so quiet … a truly amazing experience.

A train load of people all in silence with only the sounds of the wind whistling through the vast open space and the occasional shutter noises coming from some people

who had real cameras.

❄️ MAGICAL ❄️

Yep it was sooooo COLD 🥶

Well why be inside, nobody was out on the back of the train and it felt as we were the only ones there.

Back down to spring weather in Skagway town.

6 degrees … It’s almost tropical 🌴

Went to see one of the original old steam trains with its

snow-blades.

Saw some great pictures and billboard around town with stories of times past and loved how they set up the weathered timber boxes for one to sit and ponder.

Just had to zoom in on this picture … felt like I was transported back in time … but I don't think I would of had what it would take to do what these pioneer men and women did.

Times were tough in Canada in the early days, food was in short supply, you had to have a years supply (see the list below) before the government of the time would let you into this part of the world.