A Walk In The Woods - Denver Glacier Trail, Skagway, Alaska

After 5 or 6 days onboard our Alaskan cruise ship, and a little over indulgence on the plentiful food and drink, it was good to have the opportunity to get some exercise on an organised trek up the Denver Glacier Trail close to Skagway. To get to the start of the trek we boarded the White Pass and Yukon Route (WP&YR) Railroad which dropped us at the trail head about 5-6 miles north of Skagway.

The WP&YR Railroad was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. This narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a designation shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

The WP&YR railway was considered an impossible task but it was literally blasted through coastal mountains in only 26 months.

The $10 million project was the product of British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting. Tens of thousands of men and 450 tons of explosives overcame harsh and challenging climate and geography to create “the railway built of gold.”

The WP&YR climbs almost 3000 feet in just 20 miles and features steep grades of up to 3.9%, cliff-hanging turns of 16 degrees, two tunnels and numerous bridges and trestles. The steel cantilever bridge was the tallest of its kind in the world when it was constructed in 1901.

The 110 mile WP&YR Railroad was completed with the driving of the golden spike on July 29, 1900 in Carcross Yukon connecting the deep water port of Skagway Alaska to Whitehorse Yukon and beyond to northwest Canada and interior Alaska.

White Pass & Yukon Route became a fully integrated transportation company operating docks, trains, stage coaches, sleighs, buses, paddlewheelers, trucks, ships, airplanes, hotels and pipelines. It provided the essential infrastructure servicing the freight and passenger requirements of Yukon’s population and mining industry. WP&YR proved to be a successful transportation innovator and pioneered the inter-modal (ship-train-truck) movement of containers.

The WP&YR suspended operations in 1982 when Yukon’s mining industry collapsed due to low mineral prices. The railway was reopened in 1988 as a seasonal tourism operation and served 37,000 passengers. Today, the WP&YR is Alaska’s most popular shore excursion carrying over 390,000 passengers during the 2012 May to September tourism season operating on the first 67.5 miles (Skagway, Alaska to Carcross, Yukon) of the original 110 mile line.

The Denver Glacier Trail begins from the flag stop at miles 5.8 on the WP&YR railroad. From the caboose cabin, the trail parallels the south bank of the Skagway River through spruce and hemlock forest. After about two miles the trail turns south up the outwash of the glacier. The route continues south, but slippery footing and thick brush make access difficult. Winter is a good time to explore the valley on snowshoes or skis because frozen rivers are easier to cross and the brush is buried in deep snow. Avoid the area in March and April when avalanche danger is high.

The walk was easy along a well defined path passing through some magnificent tall conifer trees. The forest and undergrowth was lush and green and along the way we could see a wide variety of wild mushrooms, ferns and berries. There were many types of berries including blueberries, raspberries, cloudberries, lingonberries, high-bush cranberries, salmonberries and crowberries. Our guide pointed out baneberries which were bright red berries with a small black spot and were highly poisonous.

The path eventually came down close to the east fork of the Skagway River and on the other side in the distance we could see the high jagged peaks known as the Sawtooth Range.

As we walked this trail we were always aware that we were very much in bear territory but luckily we did not have an encounter. It is always amusing to read the recommendations about what to do if you have a bear encounter ..... usually number 1 recommendation is to stay calm!

On our return trek we had time to spend some time down close to the river which was very scenic although the clouds were low masking the jagged peaks of the Sawtooth Range.

We had to hurry in the last part of the return trek as we were now getting close to the time of our return train back to Skagway. As we exited the forest the train was already there with guard shouting for us to hurry and board. A gentle ride back down the 5 miles or so and we were soon back in Skagway after a very pleasant trek through some very beautiful Alaskan wilderness.

Liu Sanjie - River Light Show - Yangshuo

The stunning scenery of the Li River south from Yangshuo forms what is said to be the largest natural theater in the world for the now famous Liu San Jie Impression Light Show in Yangshuo. The waters of the Li-river set the stage and a dozen beautifully lit karst formations form a natural backdrop. The light show is a creation of Zhang Yi Mou, also director and choreographer of the impressive opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and famous Chinese movies like Raise the Red Lantern. The first light show in Yangshuo was held in 2004 and currently features over 600 locals, mainly from the Zhuang minority, including farmers, fishermen and young girls singing and performing simultaneously in a show that looks different each time as mist, rain and moonlight naturally alter the set of the stage.

The Liu San Jie Light Show is a performance like you have never seen or experienced before. Liu Sanjie is a love story about a young woman called Liu Sanjie, which means “third sister Liu”. Her voice was so beautiful that it touched everyone. The legend is that a warlord falls in love with Liu San jie but she has already fallen in love with a farmer’s boy from the village. The warlord does not accept this and kidnaps her but Liu San jie‘s lover and friends in the village go to free her and the couple escape living happily ever after.

Maybe you have heard of the film 'Sanjie Liu' produced in 1961, which made the Li River famous worldwide. Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the myths and legends of the Zhuang ethnic minority. She is incomparably beautiful, and has voice to match her beauty. In the 'Impression Sanjie Liu', what you can see are the impressions derived from the daily life of the people living around the Li River, rather than the specific details of the stories. From these impressions, you will gain a realistic impression on the background of Sanjie's birthplace and understand the beauty of the folk songs' hometown.

The performance is divided into seven chapters including the preface and epilogue. At the beginning, the lights are all turned off and the image of Sanjie appears indistinctly in the sky with beautiful songs 'Sing the folk songs, here I am singing and there you are echoing...'. As the lights come up, the twelve hills appear in front of the audience; and a small fishing boat is rowed from the hills. This is the Preface - the Legend of Hills and Rivers.

 

The first chapter is the Red Impression: Folk Songs. On the water, many fishermen are rowing their bamboo rafts in a column. Either standing or squatting, they hang the large red silk in the sky and or upon the water. This red picture symbolizes the enthusiasm and praises the labors of the local people.

The second chapter is the Green Impression: Garden. The color green symbolizes nature as well as the vitality. Among the green hills and rivers, the smoke from cooking fires curls upward; herders are heading home with their cattle under the gleam of the sunset. The women, washing clothes beside the water are waiting for their husbands who are rowing the fishing rafts back home. This chapter reveals the peaceful and happy life of the local people.

The third chapter is the Golden Impression: Fishing Lights. Hundreds of bamboo rafts with golden fishing lights are spreading all over the river. The rafts, gently rocking make the golden fishing lights dance upon the waters, the straw rain capes, the frolic cormorants and the hills construct a perfect picture describing the simple existence of the people around the Li River.

The fourth chapter is the Blue Impression: Love Songs. Under the deep blue sky, and on the dark blue water, the performer of Sanjie is singing classical love songs. Then, a crescent-shaped boat with a charming fairy dancing in is flying onto the surface of the water. A group of pretty and young girls, dressed in red or white are bathing around the boat. In this blue world, these beautiful girls seem to become the notes of Sanjie's love songs.

The last chapter is the Silvery Impression: Performance Grand Ceremony. As the 'Wonder of Lijiang Culture', this scenery reflects the traditional ceremony in Sanjie's hometown according to the legend. Over 200 Zhuang girls form a long column across the bridge over the Li River. Their silver dresses make the river shimmer in a mysterious manner.

In the Epilogue, the fishing rafts are rowed farther and farther from the audience while the beautiful songs of Sanjie are still echoing among the hills. The girls on the bridge present their thanks for the audience with their affectionate folk songs.

Except for the perfect seven pictures, the performance also boasts both modern and classical music played by famous musicians of China. Additionally, there are in excess of 600 performers, all of whom are local people of the Li River. They present the reality of life for the people in Sanjie's hometown through their primitive and wonderful performances.