Gold Mining Lore Framed in Snow-Capped Mountains

Senior Sailor Says…

As we discussed last week, Skagway, Alaska, served as the primary gateway to the legendary Klondike Gold Rush and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was a raucous frontier town packed with trading posts, saloons, and brothels.

Much of the town is now part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, where rangers offer free museum and walking tours around the historic district.

Embarking on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad was a journey back in time. This iconic narrow-gauge railway, a marvel of engineering, winds its way through rugged mountains, offering breathtaking views of cascading waterfalls and majestic glaciers, as it links Skagway to the heart of the Yukon, Whitehorse.

As we pass the snow-covered mountains, a narrator tells passengers what to look for and introduces exciting facts about the gold rush. His narrative is so perfect that I thought it was a recording until he walked through the train. His storytelling added to the experience in a positive way.

Built more than 100 years ago, we could stand between the rail cars for excellent photographic vantage points as we pass through some of the North’s most rugged terrain and retrace the original route through breathtaking scenery beyond the summit of White Pass at 2,865 feet.

In Fraser, British Columbia, we board a motorcoach for the journey down the west side of White Pass Canyon for additional mountain beauty.

Our last stop is Liarsville. The camp is named after the journalists sent here to report on the Klondike Gold Rush. Their articles included tall tales of the prospectors’ exploits, not first-hand experience.

An entertaining show by “journalists” and dance hall girls illustrates the fanciful reporting originating from writers who never set foot in the gold fields.

And what would a trip to the gold fields be without mining for gold? Everyone was given a pan with sand on the bottom, and friendly dance hall girls made sure they found a few specks of gold.

This experience is just one of the excursions offered by Holland America Line. Click here for more information.