Many people passed through Skagway on the way to the gold fields during
the Yukon goldrush.
They would often write messages on the rocks at the dock. Then
others who followed would
know who had made it to this spot. This tradition continued until
recently, but has been stopped.
We took this picture from the ship.
The mountains
rise from the sea very quickly near Skagway--and most others towns along
the coast. The miners heading for the Yukon had this type of terrain
to move their equipment across.