Skagway

 The ship stopped in Skagway at 6:30 am. Because of a landslide where it normally docks, we couldn’t disembark at the pier and had to be transported to shore in tenders (small boats holding about 100 people). Other cruise ships were docked at the pier. We went to a staging area at 10 am and boarded a tender 10 minutes later. We arrived at the port and climbed a steep gangplank to reach our trolley tour. Sue was concerned because we had also booked a 12-noon boat tour and given the delay caused by the tender situation, she figured we would miss our boat. The tour guide Anna, assured us it would be ok. 

The City of Skagway, which is 15 miles from Canada, is a gold rush boom town built of wood that never burned to the ground. (Juneau has burned 3 times.) There are 
920 year round residents, and over 1,000,000 tourists visit each year. This requires the local population to double every spring to serve the tourists. Some of these transients are unable to find housing and pitch tents to live in for the season. According to Anna, who was dressed in gold rush era clothing, the train ride into the Yukon is the most popular activity in Alaska. We did not opt for this excursion as it was described as being along steep cliffs which Nick has trouble with. 

Some of Anna’s tidbits included that there is no doctor in Skagway - you need to have medivac insurance. Skagway overlooks the second largest ice-free fjord in the world.  It was created by a huge glacier - leaving rolling "benches" in the cliff sides and topped by pointed mountains called glacial horns. 

The winters are temperate - average 40 degrees. Waters never freeze.  The water current comes from Japan. Every year the Yukon’s cold arctic air comes together with the warmer water from Japan and creates a loud bad wind storm that can last 1 -3 weeks. In Gold Rush Cemetery, Anna told the story of Soapy Smith and Frank Reid, and we viewed their graves. She showed us Mount Harding, the tallest peak in area named for President Harding and pointed in the direction of Harding Glacier that was not visible. (We later saw it from Luke’s boat.) She also pointed out various old buildings and amenities, such as the new skate park. She questioned the wisdom of this addition in a town without a doctor. Overall it was an enjoyable tour aboard a vintage streetcar that had been refurbished by a famous mechanic. 

We had 5 minutes to find our boat for a tour of the waterfalls, and Sue panicked when she could not get the app with the tickets to open on her phone due to the sketchy cell service. Several people tried to help us find the tour, and finally one man pointed to a guy in a green shirt down the boardwalk and thought he might do the waterfall tours. We walked down the steep gangplank and learned he was right. We were the only customers on Luke’s small boat tour which was quite enjoyable. We saw at least a dozen gorgeous waterfalls of all shapes and sizes and also saw about 20 bald eagles and several seals (including babies) sunning themselves. We did not see any bears or whales but the gorgeous scenery more than made up for it. Luke pointed out various crab pots in the water and explained how he fishes with up to 30 hooks. He pointed out the Chukat mountain range and Burro Creek. He told us about his daughters’ experience in the small Skagway school (about 100 total students), and he explained that Skagway uses 100% hydro-electric power. 

We saw the impressive High Falls that stretches 3200 feet from the top of a mountain. We learned that some waterfalls freeze in winter but others simply slow down. We spent time admiring Hidden Falls with its incredible colorful rock face. 

We sailed to Haines that is 30 minutes by boat but 7 hours by car from Skagway. Near Haines is the Juneau ice field - the largest in North America. Also near there the silver salmon run twice a year, leading to the largest bald eagle population on the continent. 

Our 3-hour tour went way too fast, and it started to rain near the end. We could have walked up the gangplank and explored more of Skagway, but we decided to board a tender and go back to the ship. We had pizza for lunch and reflected on our amazing day in Skagway.