From Watson Lake to Skagway & Juneau, Alaska
Our first stop to the Yukon is in Watson Lake, a small town located south east of the Yukon and the main gateway from the South. We stop shortly at the visitor center to admire the Sign Post Forest. It's quite amazing how many signs have been brought over the years.
There is also the Northern Light Center but we are too late for the session. Our plan is to go in the direction of Skagway, our first entry point to Alaska and the Lynn Canal.
Our main stop on the way is Carcross, a small town with a lot to offer. The visitor center is located next to a small place with lots of tiny shops. It's lovely and the crafting here is really nice. There are two lakes next to the city and the rest is more or less mountains with another tiny special place, the Carcross Desert, often considered the smallest desert in the world (2.6 square kilometers).
The visitor centers are the best so far. They are so helpful, are open till 8pm and provide a free WiFi for travelers. The Yukon also provides a lot of campsites for only 12$ a night with free access to wood for fire. We spend one night in a campsite further south and go on the Sam McGee Trail the next day. A trail following the infrastructure of an old mine. A nice view from the top for a moderate trail.
Our next stop is Skagway in Alaska, a touristy city which was the main entry point a hundred years ago for the gold rush in the Klondike (North of the Yukon). At the time, people would arrive by boat from the South and follow Chilkoot Trail to the north before the arrival of the train and the steamboats.
It was probably a formidable place in the past but it's only a touristy spot today, where the cruise ships stop on their way to Anchorage.
There is nothing much about the city but the mountains around provide some amazing hikes. The Upper Dewey Lake was one of our favorite trail so far. The hike is quite steep and there is not much of a view on the way but the top is amazing.
You end up next to a beautiful lake in the alpines with the view of the mountains. Such a perfect spot on a beautiful day. You can also rent a cabin to spend the night. A wonderful stop and a must do if you are visiting the area. We also got the chance to spot a grizzly from a distance. Quite a wonderful experience. I also go for a short dive into the cold water, another free bath !
If you are on a low budget and have a car, we do recommend the Dyea Campground, a 25min drive from Skagway. It's free an quite a nice spot to spend a few nights.
We have a boat tour to Juneau the next day through the Alaska Fjordline company. It's more or less a shuttle from Skagway to Juneau with a stop in Haines. They also stop on the way for whale-watching and wildlife in general. We don't have much luck on the way to Juneau. We just spot a couple of Dolphins from a distance.
Arriving in Juneau, capital of Alaska (surprisingly, it's not Anchorage), we quickly realize it's the same as Skagway, a touristy city in summer and a ghost town in winter. We stop for lunch, wander the city and do a short hike to Mount Roberts Alpine Loop Trail. We only have 4-5 hours in total before the bus takes us back to the boat. The trail has nothing special and the top can be reached by gondola. There is a lot of people and there is not much time to enjoy the view before the bus.
So far, the day is not as good as expected and we kinda regret spending the money on this "tour". Luckily, we spot lots of wildlife on the way back. A few humpback whales with a jump (but no photo :(), a colony of seals, a sea otter and some dolphins. Enough to make us feel better before going to sleep.
The Alaskan experience was not the best but we will remember the Upper Dewey Lake Trail and the marine life we had the chance to see. Haines would be a much better town to visit. No cruise ships are stopping there and that's basically where the people from Skagway and Juneau live during the winter.