'The Call of the Wild'. Jack London
Jack wrote and set this haunting story when he was living in Scagway, Alaska, our destination today. George was the lighting director for a marvellous OUDS production of this a couple of years ago.
Critter count:
1 black bear
1 lynx - what joy to see this elusive, beautiful creature.
Today the Shooter's experienced:
2 countries
1 Province
1 Territory
1 State
2 time zones
Semi-arid
Sub-arctic
Coastal rainforest
Not bad for one day!
I have been on many scenic railways all over the world and I have to say that 'The White Pass and Yukon' is up there amongst the most fabulous. Yet another staggering feat of engineering against all the odds completed in record time.
The 'Klondike Gold Rush' only lasted for three years; from 1896-9 Around 100,000 people descended on Scagway to make the seemingly impossible journey up to the the gold fields. About 30-40,000 made it to Dawson City, around 4,000 made a bit of money but only about 400 became rich. Men walked, yes, walked up to 1,000 miles in this climate and over shockingly hard terrain to try to make their fortunes. How desperate, or greedy, they must have been. For most the path only led to disease, despair, destitution and often death.
Many landed at Scagway and from here they had to carry all their supplies for a year north. The railway would have made that part of the journey across the 'White Pass' considerably easier, once it was built, but it arrived too late for most people. Even then the the rest of the way would have been unbelievably hard. We thought that the early settlers in the western states had a tough time but it was nothing on this. From the train today we could see part of the old trail; a tiny, narrow path on the side of a solid granite mountain. Even in July it was cold, snowy and windy. It's hard to see how anyone could have made it then and, of course, countless didn't.
Scagway, on the Alaskan coast, went from a couple of wooden shacks to having a population of around 30,000 then it is now nearer to 500 permanents boosted in the summer by the cruise trade. How grateful they must be for all the ships calling it is certainly the only way that the railway manages to operate.
The town has plenty of ways to remove dollars from tourists - they had some of mine. It only seems to exist for cruise ships. There were five huge ones in town today.
I told Adrian that if, in the exceptionally unlikely event, I ever mention the word 'cruise' he is to whisper 'Scagway', that should do it.
Critter count:
1 black bear
1 lynx - what joy to see this elusive, beautiful creature.
Today the Shooter's experienced:
2 countries
1 Province
1 Territory
1 State
2 time zones
Semi-arid
Sub-arctic
Coastal rainforest
Not bad for one day!
I have been on many scenic railways all over the world and I have to say that 'The White Pass and Yukon' is up there amongst the most fabulous. Yet another staggering feat of engineering against all the odds completed in record time.
The 'Klondike Gold Rush' only lasted for three years; from 1896-9 Around 100,000 people descended on Scagway to make the seemingly impossible journey up to the the gold fields. About 30-40,000 made it to Dawson City, around 4,000 made a bit of money but only about 400 became rich. Men walked, yes, walked up to 1,000 miles in this climate and over shockingly hard terrain to try to make their fortunes. How desperate, or greedy, they must have been. For most the path only led to disease, despair, destitution and often death.
Many landed at Scagway and from here they had to carry all their supplies for a year north. The railway would have made that part of the journey across the 'White Pass' considerably easier, once it was built, but it arrived too late for most people. Even then the the rest of the way would have been unbelievably hard. We thought that the early settlers in the western states had a tough time but it was nothing on this. From the train today we could see part of the old trail; a tiny, narrow path on the side of a solid granite mountain. Even in July it was cold, snowy and windy. It's hard to see how anyone could have made it then and, of course, countless didn't.
Scagway, on the Alaskan coast, went from a couple of wooden shacks to having a population of around 30,000 then it is now nearer to 500 permanents boosted in the summer by the cruise trade. How grateful they must be for all the ships calling it is certainly the only way that the railway manages to operate.
The town has plenty of ways to remove dollars from tourists - they had some of mine. It only seems to exist for cruise ships. There were five huge ones in town today.
I told Adrian that if, in the exceptionally unlikely event, I ever mention the word 'cruise' he is to whisper 'Scagway', that should do it.
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