Alaska Day 7, Because...Stephen King of Course

 Day 7

Friday June 8, 2018

   After the previous day’s exertion, my legs were feeling a little stiff.  I would eventually put some good miles on them throughout the day, but there would be minimal climbing involved.  There’s a three mile loop trail beginning a few blocks away from the hotel, behind the airport.   That seemed perfect.

     Crossing the Skagway River…

     Ah, a nice, level trail…

     The view from Yakutania Point

      The view from Smuggler’s Cove.

      From here, I had a few choices.  I could head back to town, or continue on.  Five and a half miles up the road sits the town of Dyea. 

     I would have liked poking around what’s left of the town.  I’d be walking along the road, so it should be an easy walk. I really didn’t trust the sky, so I turned back. 

     I had seen a few trail side signs and for some reason felt compelled to stroll through the town’s pet cemetery. I blame Stephen King. I wouldn't have gone out of my way, but I passed right by it on the way back into town. Humming a certain Ramones song, I passed through.

     My decision to head back to the hotel was a good one.  I sat sipping some coffee in the lounge when the rain began.  It was pretty steady and lasted about a half hour.  Soon after, the sun came out and I went off exploring again.

     

    Two miles from the hotel, back behind the rail yard sits the cemetery from the gold rush era. Not all the graves have names and many are simply marked unknown.  As the story goes, one of the unknown was a drifter who came to town.  He tried to hold up the bank with a gun and some dynamite.  The teller saw the dynamite and ran.  Somehow he had managed to light the fuse and blew himself up.  There wasn't enough left to identify.

      The most famous is a local hero.  Frank Reid was working as a surveyor in 1898.  He confronted a local conman by the name of Jefferson “Soapy” Smith.  Smith had become such a problem, a vigilante group had formed to take care of him.   Smith and Reid wound up in a gunfight.  Smith was killed and Reid died of his wounds a few days later, a hero to the community.

     A short walk from the cemetery sits Lower Reid Falls, named in his honor.

     This sign sits at a trail junction.  Obviously the trail to the right heads back through the cemetery.  The trail on the left just takes you back to the parking area through some woods.  Hmmm…

     Back in town, I paid another visit to the brew pub.  The lunch menu was exactly what you’d expect.  I tried their Blue Top Porter with lunch and it was perfect. 

      I lingered over some more coffee and just spent the rest of the afternoon walking around downtown.  I considered the trail up to Lower Dewey Falls.  It’s a half mile of up to the lower lake.  Considering I knew exactly what was in store, I passed.

      Feeling restless, I made one last walk around town before calling it a day.

  I heard music as I walked out of the hotel.  By now you all know that’s something that gets my attention and often draws me.  Two blocks away I came across Kelly Chudler, Michael Conway and their dog.   They played while their dog greeted every passerby with enthusiasm.  Here's their video for their song "Shadows Follow You."

      When I woke up this morning, I found out that Anthony Bourdain had died.  I never met him personally.  But, a few years ago, I met a guy who did.  It was that long weekend in Austin, Texas.  I was in line at Franklin Barbecue.  This is a place that routinely ranks among the very best barbecue in Texas.  The line forms hours before they open and goes down the street and around the block.  People stand for hours.  Anthony Bourdain and his crew showed up to do a segment on the place.  He chose to get on the end of the line and wait his turn.  He chatted up everyone as the line inched forward.  He could have cut in line.  He simply chose not to.   

Coming Up,

Heading back to Juneau