Tag: Alaska 2024

We have about 8 hours on the road today. Getting this placeholder update out before we depart in the likely case of no cell/data access.

Our destination, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, sitting about halfway between Skagway on the Pacific and the Arctic Ocean, is our northern-most stop at just 2 degrees latitude from the Arctic circle. It was also the epicenter of the Yukon gold rush from 1896 to 1899. Not a very long run, eh?

One more from yesterday’s ride up to Whitehorse: (allegedly) the world’s smallest desert. Sand, you say? Yep, created as glaciers ground rock down to sand many millennia ago.

We departed Whitehorse at 8:00am, heading up the Northern Klondike Highway. Not that it all isn’t as picture worthy as yesterday’s run, because it is, but it was much like this and variations on the same. Submitted for your listening enjoyment, a song we sang several times on the bus: Rocks and Trees by The Arrogant Worms.

We weren’t far up the road when all traffic (and I use the term lightly) came to a stop. Down around the corner, half a mile from there, a VW Bus had gone full flambé. No one hurt, but the VW was literally toast. Took at least an hour to get rolling again. Oh, and not a single horn was tooted.

One of many roadhouses in the Yukon, this one being open air, in a bit of disrepair, and no longer in use. Bit of a fixer upper, but it’s got a nice skylight and good bones.

Totes adorbs. 🥰

Another rest stop for bathrooms and snacks, by the Yukon River in Carmacks, YT. Named after George Carmack, who owned a trading post nearby and a coal mine. A few years later, George (or his wife, it’s unclear which) and two others discovered gold in a creek near Dawson City and staked Discovery Claim. That’s the event that started the Klondike Gold Rush.

I’ll finish today’s updates tomorrow. It’s been a hella long day, and it’ll be getting “dark” in a couple hours. 🤪

June 6th travel: 330 miles by motor coach from Whitehorse YT to Dawson City YT.

We have only barely crossed the line into the Yukon Territory and today we have an 8 hour drive to Dawson City.

Yesterday while walking around town, some homeless or maybe strung out sidewalk dudes tried to ask for money. One of them started quoting the “feed a man a fish and you fed him for a day but, teach a man to fish and you’ve fed him for a life time” quote. Although it’s never funny to see homeless people, we both laughed because he got the lines of his pitch for money backwards. We think he wanted the fish for the day but instead he asked us to teach him how to fish. The other guy sitting next to him was trying to correct him. We were well past them by the time they figured it out. We’re still laughing this morning about that.

Did you know that Holland America owns these hotels? It’s been interesting to see how far “inland” a cruise line goes to make their travelers experience pleasurable. The buses, the tour guides are all affiliated with the cruise line. Makes me wonder if the rumors of all the jewelry stores aren’t owned by them too.

Dall sheep. Walking on the high elevations without a care in the world. Saw the back end of a black bear also. No moose yet. Eagles from far away too.

* Those who left their homes for Gold Rush were called stampeders.

* So many stampeders came and died of starvation trying to make 600 mile trek that the Canadian government enforced a 1 Ton provision year supply before they will allow them to cross the border. Some of the provisions included:

Klondikers supply list

• 150 pounds (68 kg) bacon
• 400 pounds (180 kg) flour
• 25 pounds (11 kg) rolled oats
• 125 pounds (57 kg) beans
• 10 pounds (4.5 kg) tea
• 10 pounds (4.5 kg) coffee
• 25 pounds (11 kg) sugar
• 25 pounds (11 kg) dried potatoes
• 25 pounds (11 kg) dried onions
• 15 pounds (6.8 kg) salt
• 1 pound (0.45 kg) pepper
• 75 pounds (34 kg) dried fruits
• 8 pounds (3.6 kg) baking powder
• 8 pounds (3.6 kg) soda
• 0.5 pounds (0.23 kg) evaporated vinegar
• 12 ounces (340 g) compressed soup
• 1 can of mustard
• 1 tin of matches (for four men)
• Stove for four men
• Gold pan for each
• Set of granite buckets
• Large bucket
• Knife, fork, spoon, cup, and plate
• Frying pan
• Coffee and teapot
• Scythe stone
• Two picks and one shovel
• One whipsaw
• Pack strap
• Two axes for four men and one extra handle
• Six 8-inch (200 mm) files and two taper files for the party
• Draw knife, brace and bits, jack plane, and hammer for party
• 200 feet (61 m) 0.375-inch (9.5 mm) rope
• 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of pitch and 5 lb (2.3 kg). of oakum for four men
• Nails, 5 pounds (2.3 kg) each of 6, 8, 10 and 12 penny, for four men
• Tent, 10 by 12 feet (3.0 m × 3.7 m) for four men
• Canvas for wrapping
• Two oil blankets to each boat
• 5 yards (4.6 m) of mosquito netting for each man
• 3 suits of heavy underwear
• 1 heavy Mackinaw coat
• 2 pairs heavy woollen trousers
• 1 heavy rubber-lined coat
• 12 heavy wool socks
• 6 heavy wool mittens
• 2 heavy over shirts
• 2 pairs of heavy, snag proof rubber boots
• 2 pairs of shoes
• 4 pairs of blankets (for two men)
• 4 towels
• 2 pairs of overalls
• 1 suit of oil clothing
• Several changes of summer clothing
• Small assortment of medicines

The list was a suggestion of equipment and supplies sufficient to support a prospector for one year, generated by the Northern Pacific Railroad company in 1897. The total weight is approximately 1 ton, and the estimated cost amounted to $140^.

This slowed down the mortality rate for starving stampeders and created a more sensible approach.

* On the white pass train, the emergency supply kit includes a saw, a hammer and an axe.

So what do you think? Could you do it?

Gabby is Mexican and a proud foster momma of all the college students who work the summer here in Alaska. Even though getting food here is timely and expensive, Gabby has taken all these kids under her wings. We’ve seen her twice. Yesterday she drove us around Skagway on about an hour tour. And today.

Nearly all the drivers of coaches we’ve been on have been easy going full of smiles and have great sense of humors, jokes and stories plus know a thing or two about the area.

This morning Gabby who does have the gift of gab had burritos in hand waiting to give them to some of her kids.

Savannah from Savannah

On the train now and she comes in and introduced herself as Savannah from Savannah. Crack me up. She was warm and friendly and we couldn’t resist buying a signature hat from the railway. Savannah from Savannah can melt the snow with that warm smile.

Because the bark is not like a pine tree or a birch tree and the leaves are not birch leaf shaped, I am thinking these are Aspen trees which will turn silvery yellow in the fall. Today we road the rails through a cloud and it cleared to be sunny today in the YUKON. Yes we are in Whitehorse, Yukon. I guess the high is about 45 and sunny/windy. This place has that air about it. By that I mean you can tell that in the winter you know it’ll be blistering cold and down right dangerous. It’s rugged and so beautiful at the same time. dmc