What a day! The magnificent scenery today was incredible to see. With our time in Skagway limited we had a full day. Tim and I first said our goodbyes to our Airstream New Hampshire friends. They departed today and we are pretty sure we will be meeting up with them again as our paths will hopefully continue to cross.
Our day’s adventure began by driving out the other side of the fjord from Skagway. This happens to be the deepest fjord in North America and one of the deepest and longest in the world. First stopping in Dyea then on to the Chilkoot Trailhead we continued. This area being rich in gold rush history we had so much to see and learn about.
From 1897 to 1899, thousands of prospectors and "boomers" used the Chilkoot and White Pass Trails here to reach the Klondike and Upper Yukon Valley during the Klondike gold rush. For a few brief years, Dyea became a gold rush boom town. By 1905, the majority of its buildings had been moved, burned, or torn down.
Our stops here included the Dyea flats, historic townsite and the Slide Cemetery where on April 3rd of 1898 an avalanche killed over 60 stampeders.
Eventually we worked our way back to town making a stop at the historic Gold Rush Cemetery to see Randolph ‘Soapy‘ Smith’s gravesite the king of frontier con men and that of Frank Reid’s who shot and killed Soapy. We then hiked to the nearby Reid Falls and eventually headed back to town.
Our day ended with a few last stops in town to shop. Then a stop at the Salty Siren for a cold brew and a large salad to go. We grilled salmon back at basecamp for dinner having the fresh salad with it. After dinner we walked to the cruise boardwalk to get a better view of the cruise ships departing for the night.
Tomorrow will be another travel day for us. With the exception of one last crossing this could be our last day in Alaska.
Alaska … we loved your expanse and ruggedness. Alaska we loved what we knew and what we found as an astonishing surprise. Alaska we are humbled. Alaska we love you! Alaska we are proud to have been a part of your community in our journey. Alaska we are speechless by your breathtaking beauty. Alaska we will be back!
Side note:
All the bananas were gone today!
Dinner:
Grilled Sockeye Salmon on a fresh bed of mixed greens with white balsamic vinegar dressing! Yum.
Sunset: 8:38 pm
Sunrise: 5:31 am
Wildlife viewings:
Eagle
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