From Rail to Ice: Hiking to Laughton Glacier

June 19, 2022 · Skagway, Alaska

On the approach to Laughton Glacier.Photo: Steven Pierson

When I think back on our stop in Skagway, two things come to mind. One is standing next to Laughton Glacier. The other is watching our trail guide put my sister-in-law’s hiking shoe back together with duct tape.

A trailhead you get to by train

We started aboard the historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. The ride to Glacier Station was about 14 miles, with waterfalls, river canyons, and coastal mountains out the window. The train curves enough in places that you can look ahead and see the cars rounding the bend. The ride alone would’ve made for a good day in Skagway.

A bend on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway on the way to Glacier Station.Photo: Steven Pierson

We got off at Glacier Station and headed into the Tongass National Forest with our guide. For the first part of the hike, we followed the Skagway River through the old-growth forest. The woods were green clear down to the forest floor, and where the trail opened up you could see the river rushing over the rocks.

The first stretch of trail led us through the Tongass National Forest.Photo: Steven Pierson

The Skagway River alongside the trail.Photo: Steven Pierson

A field repair on the way to the ice

Somewhere along the way my sister-in-law’s hiking shoe came apart. Our guide got out the duct tape and taped it back together. We’d come all the way to Alaska to hike to a glacier, and one of the things I can still picture is a shoe being repaired on the trail.

Farther up, the trees gave way to the moraine and boulder fields. We climbed across rock the glacier had left behind, and eventually we were standing right next to the ice. From there I could see the blue under the gray surface and the stones piled up around it. I’d seen glaciers from a distance on this trip. Walking up to one made its size sink in.

A closer look at the blue ice beneath the rock-streaked glacier surface.Photo: Steven Pierson

A photo together by Laughton Glacier.Photo: Steven Pierson

My watch recorded just over six miles for the hike. What I remember most is how much changed over those miles. We started in the forest beside a river and ended up close enough to see the layers in the ice. Add the train ride at either end and it’s still one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done.

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Field Notes

• Route: White Pass & Yukon Route Railway to Glacier Station, then the guided Laughton Glacier hike
• Rail segment: approximately 14 miles from Skagway to Glacier Station
• Hike: 6.02 miles and about 4 hours 36 minutes, as recorded that day
• Companion story: Alaska: Glaciers, Gold Rush Towns, and Geocaches