White Pass and Yukon Railroad, Canada

White Pass and Yukon Railway Car in the Yukon Territory, Canada.

I had to bring my passport because of the strange geography of the borders up here in the Yukon. I was going on the White Pass & Yukon railway, which was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush.

The route I was taking started in Fraser, B.C. and ended in Skagway, Alaska, so one provincial line was crossed and one border, each way. The map is pretty wonky in terms of where each jurisdiction starts and ends (and I had no idea there was also a one-hour time change from the Yukon to Alaska- the things you learn).

Regardless, I was happy to take a short drive through my hometown of BC before hopping on the White Pass & Yukon Route. The trains are a mix of restored and reconstructed cars that are all built to recreate the heritage experience of the turn of the century.

Interiors are basic, with large windows to peer out from. There are tiny platforms in between each set of cars, which unfortunately leaves photo opportunities to those who can muscle their way to the front. Everyone that was on my car was very good about shifting and ducking out after they had taken their photo, but there were many spots that came and went pretty fast and I wasn’t able to get any photos.

White Pass and Yukon Railway Train on a Tressle in the Yukon, Canada.

As the train headed south, we passed into Alaska at the White Pass Summit, which took us to 873 metres (2,865 feet). The scenery was filled with heavy rocks with resting lakes and pools of water in between. As we went along, the terrain softened up and there were trees as far as the eyes could see, with giant mountains and a bright sky filling up the rest of the space. 

Next up was the Trail of ’98 that men used as a primary route to get from Skagway to the goldfields. The actual trail was still visible and the narrowness of it was exasperating. The cliffs and drop off valleys along this route are steep, to say the least.

I loved going through the two tunnels. I stood out on the platform and all went pitch black. The squealing of the wheels echoed through the tunnel and drips of cold water fell onto my arms. It was weirdly creepy and gave me the tiniest glimpse into what it would have been like creating tunnels through thick rock. Claustrophobic workers need not apply.

We also passed a steel bridge, which was constructed in 1901 and was the tallest cantilever bridge in the world. Dead Horse Gulch was where the stampeders lost 3,000 pack animals in their quest to get through the area. Small stations like Glacier and Heney were passed, with their quaint little wooden buildings; a black cross commemorates two men who were buried under a 100-ton granite rock in 1898 just after Bridal Veil Falls. We picked up a few hikers along the way, too, who hike along the many trails and then catch a ride the rest of the way back.

Staff Member at Fraser, BC Train Station for the White Pass and Yukon Railway, Canada.

Then it was onto Skagway, Alaska, where the train stops and everyone gets out for some shopping and touristing (that’s a word I made up, by the way). You can read what it means in my next post.

What I Liked:

• True to the Yukon, the White Pass Yukon train ride was more focused on the outdoor scenery than trying to impress you with sleek train cars or extra little things (there was water to fill up your water bottle, but nothing else). The staff were extremely friendly and everyone chatted happily with their neighbours as the glorious mountains drifted past.
• With the deep valleys and enormous mountains, the landscape is as about as dramatic as you can get. Then the train will skim along a patch of lush grass or seemingly through a quiet brook, making an ever-changing terrain to marvel at.