Today we went on a bike ride from Skagway to the town of Dyea (die-ee). This was one of the other tours we set up prior to departing for our adventure. We made our reservations through Klondike Electric Bicycles website. Not only were their prices reasonable and the website easy to navigate, the owners were there to welcome us the morning of our tour. We signed up for a Self Guided e-bike Tour to Dyea – with lunch. The reason we chose the self guide tour was so that we could explore at our own pace, and for those who know me – include a meal and I am all in.
Our first stop on this over 26 mile bike ride was Gold Rush Cemetery. Walking through the cemetery leads to the Lower Reid Falls which is a short hike to an amazing water fall and feels somewhat spiritual due to it’s proximity to the cemetery. Along the way we saw the Skagway River, stopped at the Pioneer Cemetery and Nakhu Bay where we walked along the beach examining all the amazing flora and fauna. We also chatted with a couple of tour guides who were enjoying their day off. They gave us all kinds of “inside” information of what not to miss along our way.
Eventually we made it to the Chilkoot Trail Outpost where they were expecting us for lunch. We had the choice of either a Halibut Melt, Salmon Melt, or Chili Dog. Braxton and Mike had the Halibut Melt. Braxton enjoyed it so much he ordered a second one. I had the Salmon Melt – hold the melt. I just can’t eat cheese on my salmon – can you? What are your thoughts on fish and cheese? It can get pretty controversial in our house. Braxton topped off his lunch with an ice-cream sundae.
The Chilkoot Trail Outpost was a really popular spot on the Historic Chilkoot Trail. Post-pandemic it’s been pretty rough as the trail crosses the border and the border has been closed.
After lunch we headed to the Historic Dyea Townsite. Dyea was a booming town back around 1897/1898 during the Gold Rush because of it’s proximity to the Chilkoot Trail. After the railroad was completed, Dyea soon became a ghost town by 1900. Now you can see a few old foundations, the old streets are signed and you can read about the different buildings that used to be in specific locations. Remnants of the old wharf are also visible. If it weren’t for the mosquitoes, we could have spent hours exploring Dyea. It definitely has a different feel about it then the surrounding areas.
Our last stop before heading back to Skagway was Slide Cemetery. There lie those who were lost in what has been called the most deadly disaster of the Klondike Gold Rush – the Chilkoot Trail Avalanche of 1898.
After surviving some dodgy weather during our ride and having some amazing experiences along the way, we made it back to the bike shop.
Words about the bike shop:
Klondike Electric Bikes is a locally owned shop. Owners George and Nicole are welcoming, knowledgeable, local, and very much invested in you having a great time on their bike tours and also enjoying your time in Skagway in general.
Right next door is a bakery. I can’t pass up a bakery. Lucy’s Bakery had some delicious sweet treats – I highly recommend the vanilla scones. They will not disappoint.
After buying our sweets, Braxton headed back to the Airstream and Mike and I headed to Klondike Brewing. The beer was good but a bit pricey for the amount they give you. Because our thirsts weren’t entirely quenched, we headed to Skagway Sprits Distillery. There we enjoyed some Gin cocktails and decided to get a bottle of Gin to take back to home.
We made our way back to the Airstream after stopping at a great locally owned giftshop called Smiling Moose Gifts. It was so fun talking to the owner, Kim. We ended up being there long after the store closed. Stop here if you are in Skagway. Kim sells some great things (and has a wonderful sense of humor). We were certainly happy to be able to support a local business owned by a wonderful and fun person.
We cooked our Yukon bacon and eggs on the Traeger and put them on a salad for dinner.
What an absolute great day.