A bike tour today showed us around town. Our guide took us first to the mouth of the Skagway River and the end of the runway of the small airport (1). Skagway's year round population us about 1,000, growing to 2,500 during cruise season. Up to five cruise ships cannni.. call here in a single day, disgorging up to 12,000+ people into the town... ..
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When gold was found at Bonanza Creek in the Klondike (2) in 1896, the most logical route from prospectors was by ship to Skagway, climb to the pass, then fashion a boat to take you downstream on the Yukon River (3). There were two routes to the pass: the shorter, steeper Chilkoot Trail, or the longer, less steep White Pass Trail (4). The Chilkoot trail is still a hiking trail passing into Canada although recently blocked by a landslide. The route of the White Pass Trail was largely taken over by the eponymous railway in 1902.
Many of the early prospectors were ill-prepared for the ardors of life in the Klondike, so the Yukon authorities (5) decided to require all prospectors to have all good necessary to survive a year in the Klondike, which weighed in at 2,000 pounds. Prospectors could make multiple journeys to the pass (hoping their goods were still there when they returned), or hire porters to help with the carrying (6). A cableway was constructed to assist for a period of time.
Eventually, the railway to the White Pass summit was opened in 1900, by which time the gold rush was over, with many prospectors chasing a more recent find at Nome, Alaska. There was sufficient traffic of orher minerals from the Yukon for the railway to be a going concern until 1982. The trains returned as a tourist attraction a few years later.
The next stop was to pan for gold at a shop in town. A few tiny flecks were the result of a fair bit of effort. The prospectors must have had a lot of patience.
At the north end of town, through the railyard, lies the gondola rush cemetery. Our guide regaled us with the story of "Soapie" Smith and Frank Reid. Smith was a con artist and gambler, nicknamed "soapie" because he convinced people in Denver to pay exorbitant prices for a bar of soap that "might" be wrapped in a high-demomination bill (found by earlier buyers who were Smith's confederates) (7).
Bilking a prospector out of $2,700 was a final straw for the town, which organized a vigilance committee at a dock in town. When Smith approached the meeting, he was shot by Frank Reid, whom Smith simultaneously. Smith died on the spot, with Reid following 12 days later from his mortal wound. Smith is buried just outsude the cemetery, while Reid has a large stone memorial, honoring him for protecting the reputation of the town. Reid is also honored with the creek and nearby falls bearing his name.
For the final tour stop, we climbed a hill east of town for a virw if the city. I was glad the bike had an electric motor assist.
During the afternoon, we climbed back up the Lower Dewey Lake, then followed the train to the right to Icy Lake and Upper Reid Falls. A lot of effort without much payoff. On the way back, I had an Alaska baptism by full immersion in Lower Dewey Lake; bracing.
(1) A company called Alaska seaplanes flies here, even though the airport is on land.
(2) At the confluence of the Yukon and Klondikes rivers, Dawson City developed. Reaching a population of 17,000 during the gold rush, the town is home to less than 1,600 people today.
(3) The headwaters of the Yukon River, flowing into the Arctic Ocean, are only about 30 miles from the Pacific at Skagway.
(4) A particularly treacherous spot on the trail is known as dead horse gulch. Horses cannot see their own feet, so many tumbled to their death. This is why mules are used at the Grand Canyon.
(5) Yukon Territory was separated from Canada's Norrhwest Territories in 1898 in response to the gold rush.
(6) The native Tinglit even formed a sort of labor union to oversee that portage trade.
(7) I remember learning about Soapie Smith a few years ago in Denver.
Icy Lake
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