White Pass Railway & Laughton Glacier Hike Excursion Help

[all4hockey54r]

We are stopping in Skagway on the Quantum of the Seas, June 1st. We were extremely interested in the White Pass Railway & Laughton Glacier Hike through Packer Expeditions but they said it wouldn't work out timing wise. Ive checked Royals website and there are no hiking excursions. Would it be possible to do this on our own. Any suggestions?

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, all4hockey54r said:

We were extremely interested in the White Pass Railway & Laughton Glacier Hike through Packer Expeditions but they said it wouldn't work out timing wise. * * * Would it be possible to do this on our own.

It is not clear who the "they" is, who "said it wouldn't work."

 

According to the Royal Caribbean International website, the Quantum of the Seas will be in port at Skagway on Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The White Pass Route has not published its finalized timetable on its website yet. As well, the White Pass Route website is not entirely accurate or precise with its schedule times. Nonetheless, based on services and schedules from prior years, you should expect that the trains between Skagway and Fraser will depart from Skagway at, or about, 7:40 a.m. and 12:40 p.m., and return to Skagway at, or about, 12:20 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. (Persons destined for Laughton Glacier ride one of the two Fraser trains as far as Glacier station--about 14 miles from Skagway--alighting there for the hike; these persons then hike back to Glacier station and board one of the two trains returning from Fraser back to Skagway.) Based on these times, you should be able to do this trip on your own, provided that the vessel docks in Skagway timely and you're able to make it from the dock to the railroad station (less than one-half mile) in time for the morning departure to Fraser. The afternoon departure from Skagway would not be practicable because the train would not return to Skagway prior to the vessel's departure at 5:00 p.m. I imagine that Royal Caribbean International would not offer this trip to its passengers because of its likely inability to assure that all of its passengers could get from the vessel to the railroad station timely (larger groups of people take longer to walk, and will include people who walk very slowly), but as an individual, you could do so. Nonetheless, you would need to be prepared to miss the departure from Skagway should anything go awry . . . it would not be guaranteed that you could make it on time. So the answer to the question is, yes, it is possible.

[don't-use-real-name]

The WPYRR trains that pick-up passengers at the Railroad or Ore docks are the simple

round trips to the Summit and back. No walking into town and the Depot.

For other trips going to Fraser - cruise line guests walk*** to the WPYRR Depot (about any

where from 2 - 4 block walk) in Skagway - board a shuttle bus that takes the guests to

a track siding about 10 or so blocks away {close to the WPYRR maintenance terminal.}

*** The excursion operator may make arrangements for the shuttle to pick-up guests

at the gangway and take the guests directly to the train.

Ask specific direct questions about this !

 

The Fraser shore excursions take the same tracks the Summit trains do - but at the

Summit continues on to Fraser. This is a Passport required excursion !

 

[GTJ]

On 11/30/2022 at 7:26 PM, don't-use-real-name said:

The Fraser shore excursions take the same tracks the Summit trains do - but at the

Summit continues on to Fraser. This is a Passport required excursion!

Some clarification may be helpful. Passengers who travel aboard the trains to or from Fraser require a passport . . . only if those passengers cross the international border between the United States and Canada. Passengers who travel aboard the trains to or from Fraser but do not cross the international border, such as those alighting at Glacier station and doing the Laughton Glacier hike, do not require a passport. In other words, the requirement for a passport is based on a passenger's crossing of an international border, and not merely boarding a train that will cross an international border. (In this regard, the Fraser trains operated by the White Pass Route are much like Vancouver trains operated by Amtrak . . . even though the trains from Seattle cross the international border, you don't need a passport to travel on these Amtrak trains from Seattle to Bellingham, Washington, because you don't cross an international border in doing so.)

[cw2go]

I believe there may be port time issue, Packer Expeditions have time restraints to work with the cruise lines. I am booked on this tour with Celebrity and its is a 7/8 hr excursion. So without knowing how long you're in port for no one can answer. Also I believe this tour is train up, hike then bus back. So without having travel arrangements back after independently hiking, not sure how you'd do this. 

 

Patty 

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, cw2go said:

I believe this tour is train up, hike then bus back.

No. It would huge hike, going from the glacier back to the highway (where there is no established trail and where one would need serious hiking equipment and experience). I have never heard of anyone attempting such a hike from the glacier to the highway, I would doubt most cruise line passengers being able to do so timely. Perhaps you have confused the Laughton Glacier with something else?

 

Also, the issue is not so much how much time a vessel is in port, but rather how the timing of the vessel in port matches up with the railroad timetable. In the case of the Quantum of the Seas, on Thursday, June 1, 2023, the vessel is scheduled to be in port from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and railroad timetable for service from Skagway to Glacier and return, including the walk between the port and the railroad station, will likely be within that time period, so it is possible to do. It is not yet certain, however, as the railroad has not formally published its 2023 timetable for this service. (Also, there could be delays with the vessel in arriving in Skagway, and with passengers disembarking the vessel, that might, in the end, cause a missed departure from Skagway, but it is possible that the train departure could be met.) Whether it is possible to do so with any other vessel is a question of the vessel's timing on the particular day at issue.

 

Packer Expeditions offers a longer version of the Laughton Glacier trip. It utilizes the first train of the day from Skagway to Glacier, but instead of returning from Glacier to Skagway on the corresponding first train back, their tour remains in the mountains, and does not return from Glacier to Skagway until the second (final) train back. Thus, their overall excursion time is longer than that advertised by the railroad itself.

[cw2go]

2 minutes ago, GTJ said:

No. It would huge hike, going from the glacier back to the highway (where there is no established trail and where one would need serious hiking equipment and experience). I have never heard of anyone attempting such a hike from the glacier to the highway, I would doubt most cruise line passengers being able to do so timely. Perhaps you have confused the Laughton Glacier with something else?

 

Also, the issue is not so much how much time a vessel is in port, but rather how the timing of the vessel in port matches up with the railroad timetable. In the case of the Quantum of the Seas, on Thursday, June 1, 2023, the vessel is scheduled to be in port from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and railroad timetable for service from Skagway to Glacier and return, including the walk between the port and the railroad station, will likely be within that time period, so it is possible to do. It is not yet certain, however, as the railroad has not formally published its 2023 timetable for this service. (Also, there could be delays with the vessel in arriving in Skagway, and with passengers disembarking the vessel, that might, in the end, cause a missed departure from Skagway, but it is possible that the train departure could be met.) Whether it is possible to do so with any other vessel is a question of the vessel's timing on the particular day at issue.

 

Packer Expeditions offers a longer version of the Laughton Glacier trip. It utilizes the first train of the day from Skagway to Glacier, but instead of returning from Glacier to Skagway on the corresponding first train back, their tour remains in the mountains, and does not return from Glacier to Skagway until the second (final) train back. Thus, their overall excursion time is longer than that advertised by the railroad itself.

 

 

Laughton Glacier Wilderness Hike & White Pass Railway

 

Your hiking excursion from Skagway begins with a scenic train ride on the White Pass Railroad, followed by a wilderness hike to Laughton Glacier. Where your railway ride ends, your journey to the glacier begins as you hike a guided wilderness trail along the Skagway River, through the Alaskan forest. Observe an array of wildlife as you reach Laughton Glacier, where you’ll see exposed crevasses and other wondrous glacial sights

 

 

Highlights

• Enjoy a '-hour train ride on the historic White Pass Railway past spectacular waterfalls, rushing rivers, and jagged mountain peaks.
• Enjoy breathtaking views, exposed crevasses, and other forms of wonder that the glacier brings.
• Follow your guide on a 5-7 mile hike along the raging Skagway River on the way to Laughton Glacier.

 

Departs at

 

Day 4

7:30 am

 

Duration

7hr 45 min

 

Activity Level

Strenuous

 

 

 

Went in my cruise planner and this is the tour/info I have booked. 

 

Patty

[cw2go]

I looked at some maps and did bit more reading. It appears we do the hike round trip and train back to Skagway. Still not sure how the Op could do this since I'm not even sure of what I am doing 😆

 

 

Patty

[GTJ]

3 minutes ago, cw2go said:

Still not sure how the Op could do this since I'm not even sure of what I am doing

All may be okay because the railroad, itself, may not be sure of what it is doing! 🙂 Its 2023 timetables are not yet fully published. And even when the railroad has published its timetables in years past, they have been a bit sloppy (meaning that the times advertised on the website may be approximated, and the operating details a bit scant--compared to the precision that would ordinarily be in the employee timetable and train orders--likely as the railroad's efforts not to confuse the majority of their passengers who might not regularly travel by railroad or be intimidated by railroad operating details). I wish the railroad would do better with its website (just as I wish most other North American passenger railroads would do better), but with the railroad now having common ownership with Carnival Corp., I am not particularly optimistic.