Virtual Alaska - Day 4: 09-26-99

I spent the morning doing souvenir shopping and walking around town getting more familiar. After today most shops will be closed for the winter, so if I want souvenirs, today is the day to get them. The last cruise ship of the season arrives tomorrow, Monday.

After lunch I headed for the trail to do some hiking. I began my hike on the east side of town at the base of the mountain which forms the east wall of the valley in which Skagway is located. I chose the trail to Lower Dewey Lake for my first hike. The trail began as a moderate climb. The trail is well marked. The first part of the trail has a few switchbacks and offers several fairly spectacular views of Skagway looking west. The trail levels off and follows the west shore of Lower Dewey Lake. The lake lies at the base of the mountains and from on point I was able to photograph the reflection of the mountain in the mirror- still water.

From the south end of Dewey Lake I walked to the trail toward Sturgill's Landing on the Taiya Inlet, the northern most inlet on the Lynn Canal, which is the Pacific Ocean. I walked to a rock outcrop which offered a spectacular view of the snow-capped mountain across the inlet where I'm sitting now writing this entry. I'll linger here for a while, then head back to the lake, probably finding a different way back to Skagway. By the way... Even though this trail gets hiking traffic daily (I've met four others in two hours), compared to trails in Ohio, the forest seems virtually untouched by humans. There are a few spots which show evidence of human habitation. I've seen two old cabin foundations; one even had remnants of an old iron cook stove and other iron artifacts laying about.

I've walked for two hours since my last entry. I'm back on the switchback portion of the trail heading back down the hill to town. I've stopped on a rock, maybe 500 feet up the mountainside. I'm looking down on the town and the Taiya Inlet and the mountains and the sun is shining brightly. For weeks, I am told, the sun has not been seen in Skagway, but today it is beautiful. Today it is both unseasonably sunny and unseasonably warm. I feel very lucky. I could sit on this rock for hours. It's so peaceful. I'm able to relax here and clear my mind in a way that I cannot back in Ohio with all there is to be done and so many distractions.

I walked back to town, across the footbridge over the Skagway River, then took the trail to Yacutania Point. From the big rocks on the point one can see northwest to the end of the Taiya Inlet at Dyea. Looking south it seems that I can see forever down the Lynn Canal toward Haines and Juneau.

Back to the hostel where a new group of folks have joined the old. Dave and Meredith (sometime managers of the hostel) are cooking up a great Italian feed for supper. Ten of us will gather around the table for a family style dinner. Among us will be two young women from Switzerland, a man from Australia, a fellow from England, two guys from Texas, one from Niagra Falls, Canada, Dave and Meredith from right here in Skagway, and me. The hostel is a great place to stay because at the end of the day a person has friends to return to. I like it so much better than a hotel or motel...and it's only $15.00 per night!




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