On the way to Skagway Exploring Old Gold and Copper Mining Towns

 

Horseshoe Falls.

A cool campground on the Klutina River in the town of Copper Center.

After climbing over the Valdez Glacier it was a 78 mile crazy descent to the Copper River!

Pretty wild and dangerous times back in the 1898 gold rush. Prior to this, I explored the old Copper Mining town of Chitina. From there I was going to drive the 55 miles to McCarthy but the dirt road was pretty rough and there were warning signs of loose railroad spikes since dirt/gravel was just piled on top of the old railroad tracks. 

This is one of the sleds as described in the previous picture.

The museum in Copper Center.

Enjoying a beer on the very fast flowing Klutina River.

A bus B&B in Copper Center. Doesn't look too appealing.

A list of what each person was required to haul in the 1898 gold rush.

One of my favorite meals while camping. Several stores sell small packages of fresh udon noodles. To this, I add fresh vegetables. In this instance, I added green beans, spinach, and Kalamata olives. I always have enough for the next day's lunch.

My morning view of the Klutina River from the upper berth.

I stopped by the fascinating fish hatchery again this Monday morning.

Salmon are amazing creatures.

Back in the Yukon.

I spent 3 nights boondocking in several areas hiking and biking.

Alongside Destruction Bay, Yukon.

Sunset at 10pm now. Earlier as I move south.

Almost every day people ask me if this van has been to Antarctica.

A typical remote Yukon fueling depot.

A cool sunrise.

A learning hike about the Alaskan Canadian (AlCan)Highway construction in 1942.

All Aboard the White Pass & Yukon Route Train

 

The White Pass train travels from Skagway to the White Pass and into the Yukon. It travels alongside one of the original trails gold prospectors took to where the gold was in Dawson City. It was a daunting trail as when the prospectors arrived in Skagway very few knew that they had to travel another 550 miles and had to construct a boat or buy one to travel north on the waterways to Dawson City.

On the last mountain (top third) is the roadway to Skagway.

The Skagway River.

Passing into Canada.

The original trail to the pass. Each person was required to carry 1,000 pounds of gear and supplies.

Many pack animals and people fell to their deaths..

The original train bridge built in 1900.

Another view of the road to Skagway.

Looking back at Skagway.

Once arriving in Skagway there were two choices White Pass Trail and the Chilkoot Trail from Dyea. Both trails merged into Bennett. From there one built a boat or hired one.

White Pass is to the right from Skagway. The entire trip to Dawson City was about 600 miles. Each person was required to carry 1,000 pounds of gear and supplies or was not allowed to proceed. 

A very famous picture of the 1,000-foot climb known as the "Golden Stairs" at the summit of the Chilkoot Trail.

                                    Two short cool train videos.

A ferry Ride to Valdez, a Goat Trail Hike and a Fish Hatchery Tour

 

Our ferry ride arrives in Whittier on a fine Saturday.

Cruising through the Prince William sound.

Departing the Port of Whittier.

The end terminal of the Alaskan Pipeline in Valdez.

Bridal Veil Falls, Valdez

An interesting story and an excellent hike. This trail was built by the army in 1898 during the Gold Rush as an alternative to hiking over the Valdez Glacier to reach the interior. How these settlers carried all their gear over this trail is beyond me.

Bridal Falls from a little elevation.

A long drop.

                                                A glacial flow.

A sometimes hidden trail.

The end of the trail. There is a collapsed bridge to reach the other side back in 1898. No longer passable.

A fascinating salmon hatchery. The Sea of Alaska on the top side of the fish weir (elevated gate) where salmon live the last year of their life then return to freshwater, on the bottom side of the weir, to spawn and die.

The height is adjusted for the tide. Salmon swim aggressively upstream (natural to them) into the freshwater to spawn. Depending on the type of salmon (silver or coho) they spend 1-2 years living in freshwater pens before being released into the saltwater. They return here one year later to spawn and then die.

A feast for the walrusses and bears.

Interesting videos of salmon swimming upstream and providing a feast for predators.

                                                Bridal Veil Falls.

The end of the Goat Hike. It used to extend way into the interior but a bridge on this section collapsed in 2006. The collapsed section is shown in this video.