Chilkoot Trail Outpost Skagway

... The glacier is receding – probably due to global warming – we felt lucky to see it on a beautiful day and accessible to us, and we tried to follow the motto (was it John Muir?): “First, do no harm.”

There are no roads into or out of Juneau, the state capital of Alaska. Everyone and everything arrives there by ship or by airplane. The town itself is a strange mixture of port of call for the cruise ships, complete with shops for the tourists ...

... as we were served a continental breakfast.

Upon arrival at the dock in Yankee Cove near Juneau, we boarded a motorcoach and relaxed while our driver took us for a scenic, winding, narrated drive through the coastal rain forest of Southeast Alaska to downtown Juneau. The bus dropped us off for about three hours of free time. We had planned, the night before, with John and Margaret, to treat ourselves to a meal of crablegs ...

... and tourist shops (it seems that is most of Skagway), when Jane’s telephone rang to confirm our Glacier Bay arrangements.

Sunday we finished the laundry early and cleaned the coach. Jim managed to do a little coach preventive maintenance (tires, batteries, oil, and tow bar). We also checked the airport parking and looked at the other RV parks in town.

Monday was a planned rest day with no real ...

... out for us. He also had a
birthday cake at Kew on the Saturday so he did very well.

Tuesday we walked right around the
waterfront near where we were staying. It was a pretty walk and we
enjoyed looking at the gardens and different houses as well. We
stopped along the way for clam chowder for lunch then kept ourselves
awake with coffee during the afternoon. We found a nice park that
had been built in the port ...

... we left because the rock music was too loud.

We had so much fun with the people in this campground. Had lots of laughs with the Oklahoma guy that fished every day about being bear bait. The picnic tables by the water were perfect for chatting with people and watching the two seals that came around in the evenings. Spent several evenings around the campfire with a great group of people from ...

... down the tracks a short way, and sure enough, the big dark spot lumbers across the tracks and into the woods.




Everybody riding the train this day, the hiker's special, makes it to the depot, and we're off on a route that nearly equals the Chilkoot in scenic beauty and historical significance. Our location behind the cargo car, mixed with the nature ...

... the lake, relieved that the haze we're seeing in the sky is from a fire in the north, and not a rainstorm moving in.

Three miles later, we reach Bare Loon Lake and change into our camp shoes. I have to keep an eye on my hiking socks, drying on the edge of the platform, as I see someone else is eyeing them from the tree above me -- a gray jay, also known as a camp robber, or whiskeyjack, among other ...

... no tent hotels or restaurants, and no piles of freight awaiting customs inspection, just a couple of huts and an outhouse with a fantastic view. But we've got to get going; it's another four miles to Happy Camp, our home for tonight. So off we go through the speckled granite and summer snow, enjoying our spectacular surroundings, made even better by the uncommonly ideal weather.

We get started a little later than we'd hoped, as there were numerous things to take care of before hitting the trail: dividing up the gear, getting train tickets for the ride back from Lake Bennett, checking in with the Park Service, and such. But it's another beautiful day, and our hopes are high. Stopping on the way to the trailhead, we check out the spot where the Taiya River becomes the ...

When we woke up, the ship has arrived in Skagway. As usual, we went to Windjammer Cafe for breakfast. As we went into the cafe, we were awed with what we saw outside the window. The view was great! This is what I expect from Alaska.

Skagway is pretty much a tourist city. The main area of this city fills with shops and restaurant. Cruise ship ...