May Day in Skag-Way

44F and a fine drizzle to you today! First Saturday in May means two things in Skagway: Kone Kompany opens up and Skagway holds its annual Community Garage Sale. I'm making this as two not-to-miss events. Why just me? It's Mike's first day of working. He got dressed in business casual to go out and meet the other drivers, have orientation, get a fuel card and start learning what he's to do around town. So I have the day to blog, um...and reconcile the bank account (mentioned days ago and not done), attend the two events and get to the grocery store.

But we've been busy since last blog, too. The day Mike went out to throw rocks in the creek gave him adventures that he wanted to repeat the next day with me. So yesterday we first took a wee hike out to Yakitania Point. This is on the western fjord of Skagway Harbor...nice views. We watched the slow-assed Le Comte ferry come into port...it seemed like hours. It's one of the older, slower, but more reliable of the Alaska Marine Highway fleet.

A quick stop back for a sandwich at our room and we were off to explore Dyea. It's very interesting when you think of a gold rush, you think of it lasting awhile. But they don't. For the Klondike it was only 1897-1898. While there continued to be commercial enterprises for years, the rush or stampede was just those two years. Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park has 4 locations with one of them being in Seattle. Of the 2000 mile trip to the Klondike fields, only about 45 miles are on land and those miles started either in Skagway or around the point in Dyea. Skagway won out as THE location to start the journey and ended up becoming a town that has survived the years.

Why? Skagway had a deep harbor and the path the miners took was over the White Pass which, while longer is lower and more easily accessible. Dyea is a town of tidal flats and the ships had to anchor out in deeper water while lighters (small boats) ferried miners and their goods into town. The miners took the Chilkoot Trail, some of which we're looking forward to hiking or backpacking (if there are enough days off). Between Skagway winning out with its deeper harbor and the end of the gold rush, Dyea went from a town of 8,000 in 1898 to 3 by 1901. Yes, that's three.

Today, the ghost town of Dyea is administered by the National Park Service. Most of the lumber to build the town was taken away and reused soon after the town's population dwindled, but there are still some pieces of wood lying about to indicate a warehouse and a false front (more recently propped up), and a mature pine forest of 110 years of age. There is also the Slide Cemetery where originally 70 people who were killed in the Palm Sunday Avalanche on April 3, 1898. To identify, they only had what recent manifests existed. No one knows today how many and who exactly is buried there as some have been disinterred by families and reburied back home. This particular avalanche was so violent and so fast that some bodies were found frozen in a running position.

The woods were quiet and rather deliciously spooky. Moss covers the rocks and lichens abound. On the trip back we stopped and spotted three harbor seals. How cool is that? Seabirds are beginning to mass up for the spring run of eulachon, also known as candlefish. Eulachon are small fish that have been used by the Tlingit people. They would gather these fish and either render them for their oil or simply dry them, add a wick and burn them as candles that way. How cool would that be to dry a fish, wick it and light it up? Probably somewhat malodorous, but cool to try...outdoors.

We ended up going out to dinner for only the second time since arriving...again at the Red Onion Saloon for a great pizza and great beer. The pizza is large enough to give us two more dinners, so the price is right. Although the prices of the beers sort of offset the bargain. Better we pick up the take and bake from there next time.

The Community Garage Sale: how fun this was! Since I was going to the grocery store, I'd taken two canvas tote bags with me...easier to carry and more ecofriendly than plastic...though we need some plastic bags for garbage. Anyway, I got there 15 minutes before the doors opened because I'd been told that people line up for this. Hmmmm...must be some event! There were about a dozen ahead of me and in the next 15 minutes, cars were pouring in, people were walking over. Old, young, local folk and summer help people.

Once the doors were opened, you can see that the tables had been set up in categories. I headed over to kitchen supplies specifically and only seeking two plastic plates and a carafe for the coffee maker. Score on both (actually got 4 plastic plates). As a bonus I was looking for eating utensils. I had a handful of them with a rubber band and a young woman with a baby next to me sighed. I asked her if she needed them and she said, "kinda, I do." She said she didn't mean to guilt me into giving them to her, but it was much more of a want for me rather than a need. We have plastic utensils. So I contented myself with an odd assortment of 2 dinner knives, 2 steak knives and 2 spoons. No forks available. Odd.

Well, now...the place is bustling and I'm already there...so time to look around. Computer speakers...score. Fleece-lined wool hat...score. Black pants for Mike...score. Book...score (yes, only one). Two tops...score. And a fleece-lined rain jacket with hood...good quality...score. The price for all this booty? Well, the speakers had been marked $2 for the pair. But when you enter they give you a plastic bag and it's $5 for whatever you can stuff in the bag. I told the girl at the cash register I had the $2 item and she just charged me for what was in my two canvas (bigger than the plastic) bags...TEN DOLLARS for all. A similar hat is in the outfitter store for $39. The jacket is a minimum of $100, probably more like $150. Score!!!!! Aren't small towns great?

The Kone Kompany has had signs up all week for its grand opening (that happened at noon...one minute ago). There will be free samples and 28 cent hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. What truly makes this an anticipated annual event are the half dozen kids who show up at midnight in their sleeping bags outside the store to be the first ones in. Right now I'm sure they are enjoying themselves. I'll finish the blog and check a couple of other things online, before I go to my 28 cent hot dog lunch and go grocery shopping. Aren't small towns really great?

Mike stopped in to get more clothes and was he ever happy to put on the new rain jacket...and away he went. I really will wash everything before I use any of it. There was a flour sifter for sale there that still had flour in it. Lord knows what's in anything else.

Tonight is trivia night at the Red Onion Saloon. In a few days, the wait staff dons their corsets and tours of the restored upstairs brothel begin. In the old days there were a line of levers with dolls on top of them. When a girl had a customer, the lever was pulled down so the doll appeared to be laying down. When the gent left, the lever with the doll went upright. That way patrons could see if their favorite strumpet was busy or available.

I think Mike chose a good location this summer. And I promise, really I do, to get some photos up in the blog.