Although I am living in the town of Skagway, I am spending about 50% of my time here working in the town of Dyea. Dyea is only 9 miles from Skagway and was once a competitive harbor were gold-seeking settlers began their journey to the Yukon Territory between 1897-1898. Once the White Pass- Yukon Railroad was completed in Skagway in 1899, Dyea died almost as quickly as it bloomed. Today, nature has reclaimed most of what once made up the town and isostatic glacial rebound has changed the landscape significantly. It is by far more "wild" than Skagway and offers a different type of Alaskan beauty.
View of Chilkat Mountains from the historic Dyea townsite (above).
Wild iris now cover the former townsite (above).
The tidal flats, pictured above and below, were once part of the Pacific Ocean floor. As the glaciers retreated, significant pressure was removed from the land, as a result, the land expanded out, essentially causing a rise in sea level. This trend is termed "isostatic rebound."
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