July 4, 2016 North to Alaska, Day 28

Wow, it's the 4th of July already! Although I never heard them, some heard the booms of fireworks last night. We pack up the bikes and head to old historic Dyea to look around.  Not much of the town site remains, but the graveyard is still there.

Most died in the Palm Sunday Avalanche. The deadliest event of the Klondike gold rush happened on April 3, 1898, between Sheep Camp and the Scales on the Chilkoot Trail.  Numerous snow slides took place on that day.  Five slides directly involved stampeders, and three resulted in the loss of life.

The Parks department has pieced together some statistics on the event. They admit that most accounts to not match.  As many as 200 people might have been involved, and many died. Some victims were found after the thaw, still in the running position.They have about 49 buried here, but some were moved from here to be buried by families near their homes.

After we looked around we headed back the way we had come.  This time we stopped at more of the info boards.

 The tracks for the White Pass Railroad from Skagway to Carcross

This route took more than 2 years to complete. The terrain through White Pass was brutal and weather conditions were worse. Marshy in places to solid rock cliffs made it challenging to say the least.

We stopped at the town of Carcross, which sits between Bennett Lake and Nares Lake and was the northern terminus of the White Pass Railroad from Skagway. This is also all part of the waterways that flow into the Yukon River. After climbing the Chilkoot, stampeders would build rafts to float on Bennett Lake and out to the Yukon. This town witnessed so much during those years.

Birds actually live in these bird houses

Terminus of the White Pass railroad

Train Station

This is the oldest operating business in Yukon Territory.  

We never could agree if these guys were alive or stuffed.  They are located above the Caribou Crossing Resort. I've seen photos on their website with what looks like the same goats... hmmmmm  Maybe they have a salt lick here.

The Carcross Desert is considered to be the smallest desert in the world, covering approximately 1 square mile.

We took the cutoff from Carcross to Jake's Corner where we got back on the Alaska Highway. Then it was back through Johnsons corner, where we limped in for gas on the way out (see Day 6).  Then through Teslin, the town with no power (which meant no gas) that day. We continued reversing our trip until we got to Watson Lake.  Here we again spent the night at the Yukon Campground.  Bob and Cindy, along with Lyon pitched their tents in the trees, Dave joined us in the pavillion. Lyon, Wayne and I went into town to take showers at the Rec Center, and to find dinner.

Critter Count: 2 eagles

No rain today
333 miles