{"id":19890,"date":"2026-07-22T17:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T21:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/?p=19890"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:18:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:18:22","slug":"alaska-trip-2026-part-the-third","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/archives\/19890","title":{"rendered":"Alaska 2026: Part the Third"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Going to jump around here a bit; we&#8217;ll come back to Glacier Bay and College Fjord.<\/p>\n<p>Our third stop on the cruise was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelalaska.com\/destinations\/cities-towns\/skagway\">Skagway<\/a>. For many, this was the starting point for those who were part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/klgo\/index.htm\">Klondike Gold Rush<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>A look at the trail should give you a good idea of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/klgo\/learn\/goldrush.htm\">the insanity that was part of this dream of striking it rich<\/a>. Take a look at the &#8220;Golden Staircase&#8221; up which men had to carry the ton of goods they were required to have before being allowed into Canada.<\/p>\n<p>As fascinated as I am by history, I am more interested in nature, so we did a hike up part of the Chilkoot trail and a float back down the Taiya &#038; Chilkoot rivers.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55408277735\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_011\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55408277735_757e0c5a02_c.jpg?resize=533%2C800&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" alt=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_011\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55407889636\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_054\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55407889636_96e501918f_c.jpg?resize=533%2C800&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" alt=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_054\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Things I learned: they really don&#8217;t want you to fall into the river, as it&#8217;s a glacial river and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncei.noaa.gov\/access\/coastal-water-temperature-guide\/all_table.html#alaska\">average June temperature is about 48<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55407889621\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_049\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55407889621_b75187ae32_c.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" alt=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_049\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The other thing I learned is that glacier rivers are not good to drink from.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55408004953\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_064\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55408004953_b0b55db484_c.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" alt=\"2026-06-17_Skagway_064\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That green color you see? It&#8217;s from the glacial silt suspended in the water, which is not particularly good for your digestive tract.<\/p>\n<p>After the cruise portion of our vacation ended, we rode the train from Whittier to Talkeetna, which was a shorter train ride than I had really wanted, but still a good way to see the sights.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55377840672\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Whittier_871\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55377840672_a90d6df24f_c.jpg?resize=800%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Whittier_871\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alaska.org\/destination\/whittier\">Whittier <\/a>is an odd place, accessible only by boat or through the 2 1\/2 mile single lane tunnel. We had zero chance to explore as we immediately got on the train to go north.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55379175585\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Train_898\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55379175585_879323c2bc_c.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" alt=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Train_898\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>But as I said, the views from the train were incredible.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55377840692\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Train_905\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55377840692_c4c921655c_c.jpg?resize=800%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Train_905\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It was about 6 hours to travel 174 miles, surrounded by mountains and passing rivers and marshes and towns.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55377840722\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Train_891\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55377840722_4542679a2f_c.jpg?resize=800%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Train_891\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The visit to Talkeetna was a melancholy one for me. <\/p>\n<p>When we visited in 2011, it was soon after my cousin Ben had climbed Denali. Talkeetna is the starting point for climbers, so we discovered we&#8217;d hung out in some of the same places he had while preparing to climb.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/random_michelle\/55377840762\/in\/dateposted-public\/\" title=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Talkeetna_926\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55377840762_f4683609e4_c.jpg?resize=800%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"2026-06-20_Alaska_Talkeetna_926\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It was also the anniversary of the day my mother died, and I&#8217;d managed to wrench my back while on the train, so I was relatively miserable. Yet the views were amazing and it was impossible not to appreciate the surrounding beauty.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Skagway<\/strong> (June 17):<br \/>\nSunrise 3:42 AM<br \/>\nSunset 10:23 PM<br \/>\nTemperature 51 &#8211; 56 F<\/p>\n<p><strong>Whittier<\/strong> (June 20):<br \/>\nSunrise 4:22 AM<br \/>\nTemperature 49 F<\/p>\n<p><strong>Talkeetna<\/strong> (June 20):<br \/>\nSunset midnight<br \/>\nTemperatures 58 &#8211; 72 F<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Going to jump around here a bit; we&#8217;ll come back to Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Our third stop on the cruise was Skagway. For many, this was the starting point for those who were part of the Klondike Gold Rush. A look at the trail should give you a good idea of the insanity [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1059,22,1058],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alaska","category-photos","category-travel-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pefxA-5aO","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19890"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19910,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19890\/revisions\/19910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/notreally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}