August 20, 2015 at 08:08PM by advodna_dave

Coming to Dawson both closes a loop geographically as we head back down to the AlCan but also historically as we reach the destination sought by the 100,000 or so fortune hunters who arrived in Skagway in 1897 (where we arrived in early June!) as news of the Klondike gold strikes spread. They traveled the brutal Chilkoot Pass, making as many as 40 trips trips to ferry the one ton of food, clothing and equipment each man was *required* to have before being allowed to proceed, before the White Pass & Yukon Route railway (that we visited in Carcross and drove along side) was complete. Still only a fraction made it. When the Yukon River thawed in Spring of 1898, steam paddleboats that had made the 500 mile journey downstream through a few intense rapids unloaded men and equipment day and night until the small native fishing village had grown to 30,000 people almost overnight, making it largest city north of Seattle and west of Winnipeg. Dirt streets, wooden sidewalks and many original buildings, along with tons of historical photos posted around town, can only begin to help you envision the hope, ambition, desperation, corruption and innovation that flooded theses streets. We, on the other hand, visited playgrounds, went to the hardware store, had tacos at Klondike Kate's and Greek food at the Drunken Goat, ate baked goods at Cheechakos and did laundry. Some parts were still pretty hard. #dawsoncity #yukon #airstreamtoalaska #fulltimetravel