Aug 23: White Pass and Yukon Route to Skagway: 93 kilometers in 6 hours
What a great trip with an overnight in Skagway. The conductors and trip narrators told us all about the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1899) and history of the WP&YR as we traveled along for about six hours. The winter of 1897-98 there were 28,000 people in Bennett who built 7000 boats to float to the Klondike gold fields near Dawson City after the ice went out from Bennett Lake. At the Bennett Station train stop for lunch, Nancy Taylor and Hiroko were with a group of Chilkoot Trail hikers from Anchorage. (Another small world moment.) From the Fraser stop to Skagway, about 27 kilometers, it is amazing the rail line was ever constructed. Many shear drops, bridges, and 2 tunnels were needed to complete the line through steeply mountainous terrain. It rained through most of the train trip, but it was fun nonetheless and we only missed some mountain tops because they were in the clouds. 
Once in Skagway, it was very impressive to look down Broadway Street and see the cruise boats towering above everything else. There were only 3 boats in town the evening we were there so it was a ‘light’ boat day. The town gives the impression of the gold rush era, only tarted up and absolutely filled with diamond jewelry shops. Monday evening we ate at a Thai restaurant and joined our two conductors, breakman and photographer we had met on the train earlier. On Tuesday we went for a hike to Lower Dewey Lake above downtown Skagway, a nice hike in the rain forest. We returned in time for the Park Service’s two person play about the Klondike gold rush. Then an hour city tour and history walk also by the Park Service. The Park Service is caretaker/restorer of 22 properties in Skagway. In the early afternoon we returned to Carcross via bus, taking only three hours including the US/Canada border stop. It was less rainy than the day before
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