White Pass-Yukon Railroad 1

We are following the trail of the pioneers heading up the White Pass from Skagway to the Yukon. The actual trail is still visible in places. Miners were required to carry 2,000 pounds of supplies to the goldfields and this would necessitate multiple trips up and down the White Pass until they had accumulated enough stores to proceed.

The top of the Pass is broken bedrock, where glaciers have gouged out every scrap of soil. Small glacial lakes and bogs sit between the rocks. The terrain continues right to the top of the Pass where it plunges dramatically towards the river. We make a couple of stops to pick up hikers who have been out in the back country.

We journey over several bridges spanning ravines through the increasingly dense forest. The last part of the journey sweeps past the waterfalls and follows the river into Skagway on the coast. It's a journey of 27.4 miles from Fraser, BC to Skagway, AK. We cross the border during the train journey so have to do border formalities prior to disembarking.Read more