We spent the day onshore again, this time in Skagway, another small Alaskan town that hugs the water's edge. It has a population of 800. After breakfast we disembarked and bought tickets for the White Pass train ride at 12:30pm.
In the meantime we found very tempting bargains in the shops and watched two movies about Dawson City and the Klondike Gold Rush. There were 100,000 prospectors arriving in Skagway at the beginning of the twentieth century, trying to carry a year's supply of food and equipment up to Lake Bennett. Once there they had to build a raft or boat to float 500 miles down to Dawson City. Since the climb was up snow steps at 45 degrees, they had to make as many as 40 trips up to the lake.
Those that made it to Dawson City found all the workable areas claimed out and those that found gold often had to dig down 100 feet to find a seam.
We enjoyed a cheap lunch at the Sweet Tooth Cafe and admired the old timber buildings with the raised timber sidewalks to get out of the mud, just like Western Movies.
The White Pass train took us up the alternative way for the prospectors, climbing 2,880 feet to the Summit. The line is heritage listed and is an amazing achievement with tunnels, trestle bridges and many creek crossings.
After dinner Malcolm watched a Gold Medal Magician make things appear and disappear inexplicably.
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