As your ship approaches Skagway, you'll see the town resting peacefully at the base of a river valley bordered by the Coast Mountains. The mountains, ranging from 5,000- to 7,000-ft. in height, seem to rise straight up from the saltwater fjord. Once on land, the streets of Skagway draw you back over 100 years, when this idyllic native fishing village was overrun by hordes of prospectors. Today, wooden sidewalks, old-fashioned saloons, quaint gift shops and horse-drawn carriages serve as reminders of the Alaskan Gold Rush days. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862. However, the population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with more than 900,000 visitors.  The port of Skagway is a popular stop for cruise ships, and the tourist trade is a big part of the business of Skagway. The White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad, part of the area's mining past, is now in operation purely for the tourist trade and runs throughout the summer months.  The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska with Whitehorse, the capital of Canada's Yukon Territory. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad.  The railway still uses vintage parlor cars, the oldest four built in 1881 and four new cars built in 2007 follow the same 19th century design. At least three cars have wheelchair lifts.