We docked in Skagway on the morning after our day in Juneau. A town of only eight hundred natives, Skagway hosts over half a million tourists annually. We enjoyed two shore excursions in Skagway, the Chilkoot Trail Hike and Float, and the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway Adventure. The Chilkoot Trail Hike and Float was the most enjoyable excursion of the whole cruise for me. The trail offered scenic vista after scenic vista and the float back down the Tayia River was just as beautiful as it was relaxing.

The two excursions filled our day. Once we returned to the ship from riding the train, I begged for a nap. Becky, who seemingly never runs out of energy, took a brief trek into town to get a souvenir or two and barely made it back to the ship before being left behind. I never went into the town except to get to the Chilkoot Trail. We were exhausted by evening and didn’t have dinner in the regular diningroom. Instead, we grabbed a few bites from the Windjammer Café’s buffet. Dinner in the Windjammer wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as the elegant atmosphere and cuisine of the Cascades diningroom. Still, “not nearly as enjoyable” on a cruiseship is better than the best dinner we’ve ever had back home.

Before we embarked upon our hike up the Chilkoot Trail, I took this shot of Becky near the trailhead. The information poster tells about the struggles gold-seekers experienced as they hauled their requisite ton of goods for three to four weeks from the beginning to the end of the trail.

This is the first section of the trail. The foot of the hill is the very beginning. I was a little anxious after ascending this steep, rock-encrusted hill. (The photo was shot in the opposite direction from which we were headed.) I thought that if we were in for this kind of hiking for the next two hours, I might not make it. But, alas, this was perhaps the most strenuous section of our hike.

Now this is more like it. This is just another section of the Chilkoot Trail. On the right you could see for miles. Being in Alaska, we never got too hot—or even warm—while hiking. I’d like to hike this trail for three to four weeks myself.

The trail put a smile on Boo’s face, too.

Here’s more of the trail. I wander what creature hangs his hat in the rocky nook at the bottom-right of the photo. Perhaps it’s the guy in the top photo on the next page.