Alaska excursions: White Pass Scenic Railway

Remember how I went to Alaska this past summer? I was pretty diligent with editing the hundreds of pictures I took, but somehow I stopped before I was done.  Today I’d like to share with you a few photos of White Pass Scenic Railway, designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.  On Friday, I’ll show you the pod of orca we were so blessed to encounter.

On one of our excursions, we took an unforgettable journey aboard the “Scenic Railway of the World” to the White Pass summit.  Think of the courage and brave acts of those who worked on the railway in order to travel into the mountains to seek gold.  Carved through some of the North’s most rugged terrain in 1898, the route climbs from sea level in Skagway to nearly 3000 feet in just 20 miles (it’s 110 miles of track), offering spectacular views, as you’ll see. There are tight curves, steep grades, and sheer drops that astounded me.  Much of the construction took place in the dead of winter with temps as low as 60 below.

100,000 men and women headed north for gold, but only 30,000 or so actually reached the Klondike gold fields.  Between July and November of 1898, the US Mints in Seattle and San Francisco received ten million dollars worth of Klondike Gold.  By 1900, another 38 million dollars had been recorded – the largest gold rush the world has ever known.

These photos will show you how treacherous that journey must have been.  All aboard!

If you enjoyed this, you may also like these posts about my trip:

• Alaska: photographically speaking
• Alaska photos: Ketchikan
• Alaska photos: Tracy Arm Fjord and the power of ice
• Alaska photos: Misty Fjords
• A sense of wonder: Alaska’s glaciers, John Muir, and me