May 1, 2026

In 1897 throngs of gold seekers poured into Skagway in search of the precious metal. At the time, Skagway was no more than a lawless jumble of tents but by the turn of the century it was a bustling town.

Surrounded by the Taiya Inlet and the Coast Mountains, Skagway sits atop the northernmost point of the Inside Passage in southeast Alaska. This distinctive geography made Skagway the perfect starting point for gold miners hoping to strike it rich in the Yukon. The Klondike Gold Rush lasted just a few short years, during which time Skagway was a bustling boomtown with prospectors hungry to stake their claim.

The discovery of gold in 1896 is when the story of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad begins. Although only a few shiny flakes were found in Bonanza Creek, it was enough to start the stampede.

At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway was built. In a mere 26 months, this narrow-gauge railroad blasted through the rugged coastal mountains to create “the railway built of gold.” Today that is the reason why people come to Skagway to experience this engineering marvel. You retrace the route of the original White Pass Trail, climbing nearly 3,000 feet through 20 miles of steep grades and cliffhanging turns.

The railroad was essential to the construction of the Alaska Highway during the Second World War and carried Lead-Zinc ore from the Interior to Tidewater after the war.  In 1978 the Klondike Highway was completed to Skagway from Dawson and Whitehorse and in 1982 with the collapse of world metal prices the railroad shut down. Skagway now only has 800 full time residents, but that number soars to 2,000 during the tourist season from May to October primarily because of the popularity of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. That is why The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, an honor shared with the Eiffel Tower, the Panama Canal and the Statue of Liberty.

Come on board while Chongae and I share our experience on the White Pass & Yukon.

First of all, you are climbing and the weather and scenery changes quickly. You can ride on the outside platforms between cars, and that is the best place to get the feel of the trip, and where I spent most of my time, against Chongae’s better judgement. And truth be told, it was cold!

As this is an active railroad, railway crews were busy keeping the tracks in good shape especially as the train does take some winding turns.

The views are outstanding and it is sometimes hard to imagine that these tree lines all start with small saplings.

We ended our train trip at the top of the mountain as the sun reflected on the covered snow before heading back to the pier to reembark.

Back on the ship it was an honor to meet the winner of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, known as the toughest race in the world. Here is a link about the race. Breezamax Us V1 H5 16 9

We got to meet two future Alaskan Husky champions. These dogs can run 100+ miles a day in temperatures down to -40. The dog sled teams are named by themes, and this team was named after breakfast foods. On the left is Pancake and on the right is Waffle.

Thanks for traveling with us.