Nice day again as we have come to Skagway today and the boat docks at a port out of town. We walk into town to explore. We have had a lecture onboard that has told us about the town and we have a couchsurfing friend who have offered to meet with us! Skagway is one of the towns where those searching for gold in the 1890’s came to start the trek to the Gold Fields of the Yukon. The news of gold being discovered in Alaska broke out in the US papers as there was economics hard times in the 1890’s and the West and Alaska had been glamorized as the last frontier for many years. So many men and women come to strike it rich or take advantage of those that did strike it rich. Some of those were the criminals who took advantage of those dreamers. Of those many that made it to Alaska, very few found gold. One big obstacle was that the Canadian authorities, the Yukon is in Canada, required the prospectors to have 2000 lbs of supplies and they had to get them to the border, 35 miles away, uphill – no easy task. Best done in the frozen steps carved in winter, it was a 35% grade. So some didn’t make it. Most horses didn’t, hence the name “Dead horse creek”. The criminals took money from the newcomers to carry their provisions and disappeared with them only to bring them back to town and resell them to the next foolish newcomer.
We went on a National Park walk around town and heard more personal stories of the history. On board after fabulous dinner and evening entertainment we head up to the disco for late night dancing with members from our table – fun!
Nice day again as we have come to Skagway today and the boat docks at a port out of town. We walk into town to explore. We have had a lecture onboard that has told us about the town and we have a couchsurfing friend who have offered to meet with us! Skagway is one of the towns where those searching for gold in the 1890’s came to start the trek to the Gold Fields of the Yukon. The news of gold being discovered in Alaska broke out in the US papers as there was economics hard times in the 1890’s and the West and Alaska had been glamorized as the last frontier for many years. So many men and women come to strike it rich or take advantage of those that did strike it rich. Some of those were the criminals who took advantage of those dreamers. Of those many that made it to Alaska, very few found gold. One big obstacle was that the Canadian authorities, the Yukon is in Canada, required the prospectors to have 2000 lbs of supplies and they had to get them to the border, 35 miles away, uphill – no easy task. Best done in the frozen steps carved in winter, it was a 35% grade. So some didn’t make it. Most horses didn’t, hence the name “Dead horse creek”. The criminals took money from the newcomers to carry their provisions and disappeared with them only to bring them back to town and resell them to the next foolish newcomer. 
We went on a National Park walk around town and heard more personal stories of the history. On board after fabulous dinner and evening entertainment we head up to the disco for late night dancing with members from our table – fun!
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