July 28 - Skagway, AK to Carcross, Yukon & back - 135 miles

Wow, what a ride today!  We rode first in the Skagway area, but wanted to follow "White Pass", one of the 1898 Yukon Gold Rush passes.  We wanted to see what it looks like, and to imagine what difficulties those gold "Stampeders" had getting over that pass.  Our short trip took us from Skagway in Alaska, across a very small piece of British Columbia, and into the Yukon Territory.

It is a beautiful pass, but EXTREMELY rugged.  Steep mountains made of pure rock, with the very narrow little Skagway River at the bottom, made a really punishing climb for those following the original trail.  Taking the motorcycles up the relatively new road, and being able to stop at multiple vista points really gave us a view of what those Stampeders must have faced.

Then when we got to the top, the views over the relatively broad pass there were just splendid.  Many small lakes, within pure rock areas, were just beautiful.  Those would-be gold miners must have faced incredible hardships, especially in winter.

It was DARN cold today, in July.  In one very large lake, Tagish Lake, the color of the water was pure turquoise from the silt in the glacier melt - just beautiful.  And, up from the pass itself rose granite-topped mountains, with lots of snow (and some glaciers) still up high.  All in all, a most impressive sight.

This short trip sort of tied together our own Yukon-Alaska journey, since from near Carcross the gold rushers floated boats down a series of lakes to the Yukon river, and down the Yukon River to the point at which the Klondike River and the Yukon join.  At this confluence of the two rivers is Dawson City, with the gold fields!  Whitehorse, where we had been, was an important stop on the Yukon River, so that helped to tie it all together.

As it turned out, Carcross was preparing for a 100-year celebration TOMORROW (July 29), celebrating the completion of the "White Pass and Yukon Railroad".

A steam train still travels that route for the tourist trade, and carries some actual goods shipped into the interior of the Yukon.  Here's Norm and the steam train of the WP&YRR.

Then, coming back into Alaska, we found a good "Welcome to Alaska" sign.  This time the sign's emphasis was on this route's being the gateway to the Klondike.  

Norm just had to hold up the Honda "winner's scarf" that Charlie Keller gave us at Wing Ding, I guess to show how we loyal Honda Gold Wingers get around.

Tomorrow we start another ferry ride, from Skagway to Prince Rupert.

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