Skagway

Day Four - Alaska - 2018

Not one but two tours in Skagway - a morning photography tour and an afternoon on the White Pass and Yukon Route scenic railroad.

1. Railroad Waterfall

A train passes over a small waterfall near Skagway, Alaska.

Here, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad passes over a small waterfall just outside Skagway, Alaska.

On the morning of day four, we arrived in Skagway, Alaska, a small remnant gold rush boom-town. While this railroad now only moves tourists up the White Pass, in years gone by it moved miners and their hauls.

2. Little Canadian Lake

A small lake along White Pass near Fraser, British Columbia.

This little lake, just over the Canadian border near Fraser, British Columbia, stands near the top of the White Pass, 800-plus meters above sea level and the town of Skagway, Alaska.

This day was split into two halves for me: in the morning, I took a photo tour up White Pass and back to Dyea, whereas I rode the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad in the afternoon.

3. Late Spring Snowpack

Snow sits in a clearing near Fraser, British Columbia.

The last remnant of the winter’s snow sits near Fraser, British Columbia.

It was certainly cooler at the top of White Pass as compared to Skagway or, especially, Seattle; however, as this was both the highest latitude and altitude I would achieve on this trip, I did expect it to be a bit chillier.

4. The Last Ice to Melt

Water flows in a small valley near Fraser, British Columbia.

Here, a small sheet of ice near Fraser, British Columbia, gives way to late spring, finally melting into crystal-clear mountain water.

It was here at the top of White Pass I truly got an appreciation for what the Yukon is like. While stunningly beautiful, you also get a sense for how truly desolate and forbidding it can truly be. Even today, you need only walk a few minutes off the sole road that passes through this territory to be totally cut-off from civilization - and all chance of help. I can only fathom what it would have been like during the late 19th century gold rush when this area was only accessible by foot.

5. Waterfall Near White Pass

This little waterfall, just south of the U.S-Canada border near Skagway, will swell and contract significantly with the seasonal changes in temperature.

Photographer’s Comment: Having spent the majority of the trip thus far on boats where composition of photographs is terribly limited, I was glad to have a few moments on terra firma with which to set up a shot. I chose to break out the neutral density filter for this one, giving the waterfall a cascading feel.

6. The Ghost Town of Dyea

A view across the ghost town of Dyea, Alaska.

Dyea, a Yukon boom town mentioned in Jack London's "The Call of the Wild,” once had a population of over 10,000 but almost nothing remains today.

I have a certain fascination with abandoned places as circumstances beyond the residents’ control generally led to the locale’s demise. In the case of Dyea, the placement of the mining railroad yard in Skagway sealed its fate, dooming this once busy town into obscurity.

7. Taiya River Seals

Seals peak their heads above the water in the Taiya River near Skagway, Alaska.

The Taiya River has a 6-plus meter tide, and these harbor seals rode the incoming water from the mouth in Skagway.

I traveled to Alaska right before the beginning of the salmon spawning season. If I had visited a month later, this stretch of the Taiya River would be full of seals, brown bears, and loads of fish. Presumably, these seals were trying to beat the rush but I suspect they arrived a bit too early to make it worth their while.

8. Bald Eagle Gaze

A bald eagle perches in a pine tree near Dyea, Alaska.

A bald eagle looks for its next meal near Dyea, Alaska.

Our driving tour over, we headed back towards Skagway; however, Dyea had one more secret to reveal to us. Our driver somehow spotted this bald eagle patiently perched about 15 meters off the road in a thick patch of evergreen trees. Mercifully, the eagle didn’t seem to care that we had stopped and approached its position. Even though I had seen lots of beautiful scenery, this encounter truly “made” the morning for me.

9. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #1

A river valley is surrounded by steep, tall mountains, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad is a former mining railroad-turned-tourist attraction which takes tourists on a round-trip, non-stop journey from Skagway, Alaska, up White Pass and back.

In the afternoon, I rode the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, which is essentially the must-do attraction in Skagway. Normally the railroad heads about 20 miles to the top of White Pass, and returns; our car, however, went about 27 miles to Fraser, British Columbia, and turned around. I’m glad we got the extra seven miles of the trip because, admittedly, they were some of the best parts.

The next 27 photographs are submitted comment-free. While there was a commentary on the train, I admittedly didn’t hear it as I was standing between the cars for most of the journey (a must for photographers), and I want you to experience the trip as I did - simply in awe of the scenery.

10. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #2

A railroad trestle and a train as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

11. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #3

The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

12. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #4

A river valley filled with pine trees as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

13. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #5

14. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #6

A view from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

15. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #7

An abandoned railroad trestle as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

16. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #8

An icy lake as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

17. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #9

An alpine lake as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

18. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #10

A small mountain lake, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

19. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #11

A small lake near the U.S.- Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

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20. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #12

21. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #13

22. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #14

A disused shack near the U.S.-Canada border along the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad.

23. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #15

24. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #16

A small river near the U.S.-Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

25. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #17

26. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #18

27. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #19

28. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #20

A stream near the U.S.-Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

29. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #21

A river near the U.S.-Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

30. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #22

A bog near the U.S.-Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

31. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #23

A view of a small lake and snow-covered mountains near the U.S.-Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

32. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #24

33. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #25

34. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #26

35. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #27

The flags of the United States, Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon, and Canada at the U.S.-Canada border, as seen from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

36. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad #28

A disused railroad trestle along the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, near Skagway, Alaska.

37. Taiya Inlet Waterfall

A waterfall empties into Taiya Inlet near Skagway, Alaska.

A waterfall flows rich with snow melt water into Taiya Inlet, the body of water which connects Skagway to the Pacific Ocean.

The nature guide on the ship, who was giving commentary for those in the common areas of the ship, said his lifelong wish is to one day see a brown bear underneath this waterfall. Perhaps one day….

38. The Day's Last Light

Sunset over the village of Haines, Alaska.

The sun sets over Haines, a town south of Skagway along the Taiya Inlet.

Fun fact: Haines and Skagway are two of only three towns in Southeastern Alaska connected to the continent by road. The third? A town called Hyder, which is so remote and isolated from the rest of Alaska it doesn’t have passport control. It has an airport, and passengers on its only commercial flight to Ketchikan must clear customs at Ketchikan Airport.

39. Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

Mountains carved to a point by glaciers drop sharply into the water, a fjord itself carved by a glacier.

We had a very short overnight cruise to Gustavus at the mouth of Glacier Bay, and I was appreciative for the glass-smooth water and the slow speeds so I could get some rest after a very busy day.

Back to Alaska - 2018