Skagway, Alaska

Costs (I spent):

Hostel: $15/night

Food: $20/day
Transportation: $119 Train/bus out of Skagway to Whitehorse.

Skagway is a small town but is host to many cruise ships. When there is no cruise ship in port the town is eerily quiet. When cruise ship have unloaded the passengers the town goes into full swing, there are people in costume, stores trying to sell diamonds and jewelry and other tourist trinkets. The cruise ship Skagway can be a little annoying in my opinion. Fortunately there is an escape in the form of a great day hiking trail that climbs the mountain on the eastern border of the town. This trail known as the Upper Dewey Lake trail goes to a beautiful alpine lake, be prepared for a tough climb. From Upper Dewey there is a really cool extension to the Devil's Punchbowl which is even more difficult hike but definitely worth doing.

Skagway has everything a backpacker needs: There is a good and inexpensive hostel. The hostel in Skagway is known as a home hostel which basically means a hostel is operated out of someones home. Although kinda weird at first the concept works thanks to a great owner. The mixed dorm (cheapest option) is located in a cabin just a few feet from the main building, if travelling there in winter keep in mind going to the bathroom will require putting boots on. In that case its probably worth it to spend the couple extra bucks for one of the other dorm rooms. There is also a campground near the ferry dock, however it costs $25 per campsite and therefore if travelling alone it is cheaper to stay in the hostel. There is also an new hostel in Skagway that I know little about.

Skagway has a couple cool coffee shops and pubs (especially the Red Onion).

Grocery store in Skagway is small and limited, food is slightly more expensive than larger less remote areas.

From Skagway there is only two possible directions of travel:

South to Juneau (see post).

North to Whitehorse, Yukon. Going north backpackers can take the bus which is the cheapest option and is very scenic. Most drivers will also give some history and stories as they go through the valley and up to the mountain pass. The bus is also the fastest route. The other option is the Train-Bus combo. The train is a narrow gauge railway restored from the gold rush era. Best part about this is they let you stand outside on the platforms as the train travels through the valley and over the mountain pass. I don't want to be a downer but I can't believe they allow people to do this. The only thing preventing people from falling out of a moving train is a waist high rail and at many points the train passes along rock cliffs where a rock could easily fall on a passenger standing outside. So hold on and be careful when taking pics. Regardless, its fun as hell. Train meets the bus in Fraser, BC and passengers continue to Whitehorse. Train is more expensive and takes a bit longer. Be prepared to cross the border and go through customs for either option. http://www.wpyr.com/