Gold-panning and the
White Pass Railroad
in Skagway, Alaska - May 27, 2004 |
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Skagway was incorporated
as a borough in Alaska on the Alaska Panhandle on June 25, 2007. It
was previously a city in the Skagway-Yakatut-Angoon Census area which
later became the Hoonah-Anbgoon Census Area, Alaska. The population
of Skagway doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with
more than 1,000,000 visitors each year because it is a popular stop
for cruise ships. Skagway can also be reached via the Alaska
Marine Highway ferry system.
The name Skagway is derived from sha-ka-gei, a Tlingit
idiom which figuratively refers to the rough seas in the Taiya Inlet,
which are caused by strong north winds. |
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Klondike Gold Dredge |
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In 1999, The Klondike Gold
Fields moved and restored a 1937 Gold Dredge from its working claim
in the Klondike Gold Fields of the Yukon. The Dredge is a 350 ton
gold sifting machine brought back from the Klondike and reconstructed
piece by piece on the shores of the Skagway River.
Short videos and audio presentations let them view the people and
places affected by the Gold Dredge during its 60 years of operation
plus tour the living museum on the shores of the Skagway
River and discover how the Klondike Gold Dredge unearthed over 8 million
dollars in gold form the Klondike Gold Fields.
Karen and Lee Duquette enjoyed seeing images of the Dredge in action
while hearing the voices of hardy old-timers who toiled under the
Midnight Sun for the tons of recovered Gold. |
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Below: In addition to the
Dredge, Karen and Lee Duquette enjoyed a funny, informative gold panning
demonstration from a friendly sourdough character. |
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Then everyone
tried to pan gold in warm water gold troughs, and any gold found was
weighed in the Gold Shack. |
Below: Sandy panning for gold |
Weighing the gold |
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Karen and Lee Duquette
experienced The White Pass Summit excursion |
Originally built in 1898
for the stampeders headed for the Klondike gold fields, the White
Pass and Yukon Railroad is part of the area's mining past. It is now
in operation purely for the tourist trade and runs throughout the
summer months for a 1-hour and 45-minute train ride. |
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Below: At the top of the
steep climb at 2,888 feet is White Pass, which is also the international
boundary between the United States and Canada. |
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Below: Time to go back
to the ship - The Norwegian Sun |
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The
LIFE of Lee and Karen Duquette 
