Day 8 – Continental Divide Campground, BC, to Skagway, Alaska - 239 Miles (July 7th)

The Cont. Divide campground office/gas station/restaurant/grocery store/pub/etc.

Looks just like a tourist stop in Northern MN!

They make delicious homemade rhubarb pie.

We made it to Alaska: 2909-miles later!!!

Remember your history? I didn’t so I read up on it a bit.

There was an indigenous population in Alaska before it was “discovered” by the Russians in 1648.

It remained under Russian rule from 1783 until 1867

when Secretary of State, William Seward,

encouraged its purchase from the Russians.

US Congress agreed to buy Alaska for $7.2 million or about 2 cents an acre.

The American public thought it was a waste of money and called it “Seward’s Folly.”

Alaska became our 49^th state in 1959 under President Eisenhower.

Today’s only wildlife viewing occurred during our 15-minute road construction wait!!

Pic #1 taken along the S. Klondike Hwy from Carcross, BC to Skagway.

Pic #2 taken along the S. Klondike Hwy from Carcross, BC to Skagway.

Pic #3 along Summit Lake on the S. Klondike Hwy.

Tourist cairns better described as “rock piles.”

Wm packing for his three day hike on the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail,

an old Gold Rush route from the late 1890’s near Skagway.