The loop through Alaska Panhandle is popularly known as the Golden Circle Route, reminding us of a similar loop in Iceland.
On our way to Skagway, our first destination, we stopped in a place called Carcross. It used to be called Caribou Crossing but has been simplified.
Carcross was an important town because it is at the north end of Lake Bennett that the gold rush people used to traverse on their way to Yukon and then to Dawson. It is home to Tagish First Nations (indigenous) people and well known for mountain biking. It has one of the original stores from the Stampede time and a house where Skookum Jim Mason, one of the discoverers of Klondike gold, lived.
The road from Carcross to Skagway, the Klondike Highway, is quite pretty, with lakes and mountains all around. The only issue was smoke from distant fires which created a haze obscuring scenery to a great extent. We crossed the international border after Carcross because Skagway is in Alaska. You don’t even need to stop at the Canadian side of the border, but have to show your passport at the US side. The inspector had a sense of humor and asked us if we were carrying anything that we would sell in Skagway and make millions. “Gold” I said eliciting a laughter. After that, we went over a mountain pass, not far from the White Pass, which took enormous effort to negotiate during the gold rush. A drive in a valley led us to Skagway.
Skagway is a strange place because its location is gorgeous and yet it is not entirely a pleasant place due to the need to cater to thousands of folks who crowd its streets.
It sits on an inlet and thus a favorite stop over for cruise ships doing the Inner Passage tours of Alaska. There were four cruise ships the day we arrived disgorging 8,000 passengers. They were being herded into various buses or in rail cars of White Pass and Yukon railroad. Numerous jewelry shops, run by Indians (our kind), bars, lunch places and historic monuments line the few streets of this town. The hotel we were staying in had numerous people milling about. Only after waiting in line for a while we found out that they were there for a tour not to check-in.
Meera and I are not at all “cruise” people. We have never taken one, even when we travelled in Alaska or Galapagos. I took “cruises” to Antarctica, and twice to Arctic. However, in each case, there was no other alternative and the ships were tiny compared to behemoths that ply the waters off Alaska and elsewhere. Being herded with elderly folks (notwithstanding the fact that for most, we ourselves are elderly) on regimented fun is not our idea of exploring a place. We have taken bus tours now and then, but each time reluctantly and if there is no other option.
The fact that folks who experience travel differently from us overrunning Skagway could have made us dislike the town, but there are enough things to do on your own to make it attractive. There are nice little hikes where you would find almost nobody. Then there is history. Skagway was the beginning point for White Pass that prospectors went over on their way to lake Bennett. It is also near Chilkoot Trail, which was the first route to Bennett Lake before White Pass was built. That Trail began at a town called Dyea, not far from Skagway. The town started dying once White Pass was opened, and the final nail in the coffin was struck by the building of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. Now there is nothing left but memories. “Streets” still crisscross forested area and there are some remnants of the past you can see if you drive to Dyea.
After Skagway, the next stop for us was Haines, which required us to take a ferry run by Alaska Marine Highway. It is a small ferry, which takes a limited number of vehicles. We had booked in advance so there was no problem. When the time came, the ferry arrived (I think from Juneau), we drove into the ferry and it took off. After being treated to nice scenery, obscured a bit by the smoke form forest fires, we arrived at Haines ferry port.
We loved Haines. It is like Skagway minus the cruise ships. A quaint little town it has a few restaurants. After having pizza and beer at a local place, we drove to Mosquito Lake where our cabin was located. It is some 27-mile drive but the evening views were gorgeous. There is even a Bald Eagle Sanctuary on the way, but we were early for the eagles to be there.
The cabin’s location was simply stunning. On a lake, surrounded by mountains, and almost no one around. There was even a canoe available for taking an excursion in the lake. The host, Joe Ordoñez, is a guide, naturalist and a fantastic photographer. There were no other guests as his other cabin was being updated. We had a great time drinking wine on the deck of the cabin in the evening and coffee in the morning. Meera took a ride in canoe in the morning, while I took her pictures. It was a really peaceful and tranquil experience in the middle of nowhere.
The next day, we again crossed the border going from Alaska to British Columbia and then to Yukon. Our destination was Haines Junction where the road from Haines meets the Alaska Highway. On way, we stopped for a short hike up a rock glacier in the Kluane National Park. The rock field left behind by a glacier is an interesting geological feature. However, once again the forest fire smoke prevented us from seeing lakes and mountains properly.
Once in Haines Junction, we checked in our place for the night, a very pleasant Mount Logan Lodge. Run by Roxanne, from Montreal, and David, from Wales, it has a beautiful location and offered rich conversations with the hosts and guests.
For the next two days we were at the border of the enormous Kluane National Park. It, along with three other abutting national parks, creates the largest preserved wilderness in the world. The other three are Wrangell-St Elias National Park in Alaska, Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia, and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Kluane also is home to Mt. Logan, the highest peak in Canada. Unfortunately it is hidden in the great wilderness and can be only seen by taking a flight in a small airplane.
Haines Junction touts itself as gateway to Kluane National Park. It is so. A few miles northwest, as you continue on Alaska Highway, you come to a very nice Visitor Center with all information on hikes in the Park. It is located on Kluane Lake, a big body of water skirted by Alaska Highway. We took a short hike on Soldier’s Summit Trail that commemorates the construction of Alaska Highway. This is where the Highway was officially declared open.
We bumped into a couple that we had met previously at the Rock Glacier Trail. Trina is of Indian origin while Bruce is from Wales. They both live in Vancouver. We became friends and decided to keep in touch. Hopefully, we will follow through.
After that short trail, we went on another along Slim’s River. There are lots of long hikes including one that takes you to an observation point above Klaskawulsh Glacier. That is 19 km round trip and takes 1-2 days. So, we walked on it a little bit and then went to an observation point above Slim’s River. The view was quite magnificent, but again smoke prevented us from enjoying full beauty of the place. We were also concerned about bears, especially after seeing a sign saying that Grizzly bear had killed someone on the trail a few years ago. Meera made a makeshift noisemaker out of our metal water bottle and a carabineer. The noise was supposed to alert any bear and keep him/her away.
We did two more things around Haines Junction. One was to visit the beautiful Kathleen Lake; the other was to kayak in Pines Lake. These two events were connected because we met Jess, the woman who runs the kayaking business while she was ending a tour at Kathleen Lake. Meera talked to her and decided that two hour kayaking in Pines Lake would work for us.
That was the best kayaking we have ever done. The lake was mirror smooth and located among mountains. We glided on that lake at a leisurely pace.
Jess is an interesting character. A rebellious daughter of a Montreal based family, she lives a nomadic life. For a while, she was living in a yurt in the grounds of Mount Logan Lodge, where we stayed one night. Now she lives in a campground. A very pleasant and articulate person, she was a wonderful guide and provided us a window into the lives of folks who have given up the comfort of fancy big cities to live in a community of 900 people.
After kayaking, we spent a little bit of time in a First Nations Cultural Center called Da Ku before heading to Whitehorse, ending our loop.