We stopped at Skagway, Alaska, also known as the “Gateway to the Klondike,” and one of the most interesting places we visited.
While a few places told us the Tlingit origin of the town’s name, sha-ka-ԍéi, it wasn’t until after I returned home that I learned of its richer history. Sha-ka-ԍéi is a verbal noun which means pretty woman and is a Tlingit idiom which figuratively refers to rough seas in the Taiya Inlet, caused by strong north winds. The story behind the name is that Sha-ka-ԍéi [“Pretty Woman”] was the nickname of Kanagoo, a mythical woman who transformed herself into stone at Skagway Bay and who (according to the story) now causes the strong, channeled winds which blow toward Haines, Alaska.
Gold was discovered in 1896 in the klondike region of Canada, 500 miles away, and Skagway was the closest city from which prospectors could travel to (hopefully) find their fortune. The journey, as you can imagine, was brutal. Within one year of the discovery of gold in the Klondike thousands of people were attempting the journey. Animals brought to Skagway were often not cared for by anyone knowledgeable. Some animals were forced to stand for two weeks straight and did not get the luxury of food and water. If they didn’t die on their way to Skagway they were threatened by accidents, shipwrecks, or on the trails. Horses, mules, oxen, sheep, and dogs were loaded down, forced to wait in long lines, and exhausted by the trail leading over the pass. Horses were not trained or equipped to deal with the constant physical demands, boggy mud holes, and slippery rocks. It’s estimated that 3,000 horses died in a one year period on the White Pass Trail, earning it the nickname “Dead Horse Trail.”
In an attempt to find a better way to get goods to the Yukon, construction of the narrow gauge White Pass & Yukon Route railroad began in 1898. Thousands of people worked together to finish the 110 mile track from Skagway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory Canada. There were many challenges to completion, including harsh weather and phenomenally high labor turnover. Nonetheless, the track was completed in 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days.
The main part of town is a gorgeous collection of “Old West” storefronts, often used in movies and television sets. There is a ton of locally made art and goods available, and we had a lot of fun shopping and admiring the high quality offered.
A highlight was the White Pass Railroad tour, a 20 mile journey to the Summit (a 2,865-foot elevation) Narrated by interesting and informed guides, we learned a ton about the history of Skagway and the gold rush. The rail cars are vintage coaches, with lovely wooden benches and wide/ tall windows. The train follows the original route to White Pass summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, and Dead Horse Gulch.
Despite deep fog, we were treated to a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles, and historic sites.
