Daily Didactic
The day started at the convenient but noisy Pullen RV Park and Campground right next to the docks in downtown Skagway. This particular morning the sounds of a crew re-roofing a warehouse nearby may have actually been louder than the cruise ship horns and trains rumbling by. At least that was Todd and Cori's impression from the tent. We headed into town to find some breakfast, only to find that the only two places we remembered had gone out of business in the last four years. After circumnavigating Skagway, we eventually asked a local and ended up practically back in our campground at the Stowaway eating a very good breakfast.

We spent the rest of our day exploring the town of Skagway. We are big fans of Skagway, which seems a little odd because it is a pretty Disney Landish kind of place. The main tourist street is a collection of mostly cruise company owned jewelry, t-shirt and knick knack shops, done up with facades to look like turn-of-the-century storefronts. However, mixed into all of this tourist fodder is some great history, some neat museums, and a few really good places to eat. We've taken to staying at the Pullen RV Park, not because it is particularly nice and in spite of it's noise, because it is right on the waterfront and is in easy walking distance of everything. After touristing we headed back to Pullen to get packs and food ready for a morning start on the Chilkoot Trail. After getting our gear in order, we headed to the Skagway Fish Co. for a good meal and then followed Brian's faulty recollection a way up the tracks to find the Pioneer Cemetery. After realizing the cemetery was a lot further away than Brian thought, the evening's alternate hike turned into Lower Dewey Lake.

We called it a relatively early night in anticipation of an 7:30 ride to the trailhead.

Morning at the bustling Pullen RV Park and Campground		Todd and Brian, both clearly not on the internet with their phones
Skagway, all dolled up for the tourists		The nice and modest city museum
Skagway, keeping up appearances		One of our favorite blocks with the AB hall and the Red Onion
We're big fans of the Red Onion		Beautiful mountains and big ships
The Stowaway, where we finally found a really great breakfast		The White Pass Railroad, in a week it'll be our ride out of the woods
150 lbs. bacon, seems almost worth it		Brian, misidentifying the border as the White Pass trail. You really don't want him out front
National Park Service funding seems to be unaffected by the economy		Heading into the Trail Center to pick up our permits and receive guidance
Gotta love number eleven, that's for the helicopter evac out		Mmmm... Bacon
The book store, for some afternoon trail entertainment		The Mountain Shop, our last chance to buy whatever it is we've forgotten
Downtown Skagway, the cruise ships haven't unloaded yet		Pioneer art
Rations for the hike, living large on Mountain House and jerky		We get it
The Fish Co., dinner surprisingly close to breakfast		Hippie Fuel
The Wine Of Our Country, we passed on this one		An evening hike to Dewey Lake, just in case there won't be enough walking in the next five days
Watershed conduits		Lower Dewey Lake in the evening

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