Day 8, 6/28/2002, Sunrise 3:50am - Sunset 10:206pm, Temp @ Noon: 68º sunny skies
Skagway
Gateway to the Klondike Gold rush
A short trip from Juneau, around 75 miles, primarily through the Lynn Canal described by some as "a windy, brooding canyon" which explains why the trip took 8 hrs. averaging less than 10 knots/hr. (The Sun Princess' normal cruising speed is 20 knots.) We awoke to the sight of colorful graffiti covering the shear rock wall of a mountainside that seemed just a stone's throw from our balcony. There was however, room enough for a cruise dock, railroad tracks and a train boarding platform between the ship and the mountainside. This was Skagway's Railroad Pier where the White Pass and Yukon Railroad saddles up next to the cruise ships and whisks passengers up over the 2904 ft. White Pass to Lake Bennett in Canada's Yukon Territory. Mom and I had other plans. She was making her trip to the Yukon, off road on a 5 hour jeep adventure while I was taking a van to the crest of the pass and (mostly) coasting back down to Skagway on an hour & a half mountain bike ride.
My trip was spectacular but it was hard to take my eyes off the road and the rider ahead for fear of eating pavement. Fortunately we made numerous stops and I was able to take several pictures including a couple of the W.P. & Y.R.R. on the other side of a canyon which should give an indication of the scale of this country. Unfortunately, the point about paying attention was driven forcibly home by a spill taken by a young rider ahead of me. We were all just riding along when he swerved, lost control and then he and the cycle were rolling over each other down the side of the road. Our guides were all trained in first aid and carried radios to summon aid so the kid was well cared for but his parents were soon forced to make decisions like, do you want him carried to the ship or to an on-shore clinic or hospital? (No hospital in Skagway, population 800. I think I heard there was not even a doctor there.) Shortly the support van arrived with a paramedic and the kid was taken back to the ship where we later learned he was x-rayed, had two broken wrists set and was treated for abrasions including a pealed back flap of skin on one palm. He and his family continued their cruise without interruption. Unfortunate too, I lost my cap somewhere along the way (which had my Canadian flag pin on it) while digging my camera out of my backpack. I am now sporting a Sockeye Cycle Company cap (the tour company) as a souvenir, though!
I believe it was this afternoon that we had tea. OK, I'm not in the habit of listing everything we had to drink so let me explain. By having 'tea' I mean we experienced English High Tea (like you might have seen in Merchant/Ivory films)! Remember, Princess is a British cruise line. Anyway, the tea was served with all the accouterments (if it's appropriate to use a term of French derivation to describe an authentic English institution). The waiters were formally dressed, down to their impeccable white gloves. We were offered all manner of biscuits (cookies) and spreads along with a variety of teas. The pièce de résistance (pardon my French, again) however, was the luck of being seated with couples from Australia and New Zealand so even the conversation carried the feeling of an authentic English Tea!
In the evening we cast off and headed back down the Lynn Canal. Our on-board naturalist narrated the passage and directed our attention to views of soaring eagles as well as a herd of Steller Sea Lions basking on the rocky shore and cavorting in the chilly waters. This turned out to be our first day of the entire trip with sunshine from dawn to dusk! During the night, we rounded Point Retreat and headed for Glacier Bay National Park.
Mom's Yukon Jeep Adventure
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Created on ... July 13, 2002