Trip to the Steamboats!

We were lucky enough to get to borrow a snowmachine for the day, and we took a trip that everyone has been saying we must take before we leave. Apparently, the town of St. Michael, which is only about 12 miles away, used to be a booming goldrush town in the late 1800's. So much so that the town grew to over 20,000 people at one time. There was a hotel (that could sleep over 500 people), as well as other ammenities, all of which are long gone now. There were over 55 companies that sold passage on steamboats that usually went from Seattle to St. Michael. Eventually, a canal was dug, to make the trip shorter and safer. The story goes that a steamboat got caught up in a big storm, and the water level rose significantly. So much so that when the water went back down, the boat was miles from the canal. Another steamboat became grounded trying to save the first one. So, these steamboats, paddles and all, have been sitting on the land since the early 1900's. They are supposedly 200 feet long, by 40 feet wide, and the paddles are still visible. This year, they were mostly covered in snow, but in the past, teachers said that they stood right on the deck of the ship. The goldrush ended in St. Michael when gold was discovered in Nome, and most of the population moved that way. Now the town of St. Michael is only around 200, and the only real signs of the goldrush are some pieces of rusty equipment on the beach.

Getting ready for our trip.....

We left Stebbins in the late afternoon. Damon, Heidi, Vern, Irene, and Robin were all a part of the entourage. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was at least 35 degrees, so it is really warming up around here!
The group by one of the paddles. A lot of the wood has been stripped, but the basic outline of it is still there.

Another shot.............

Robin and Nick, defying gravity, and the tests of time. (The wood did not look real sturdy).

More shots of the paddles.

And More.....

Afterwards, Heidi and Damon broke out the hot chocolate and we relaxed in the snow.

It is really fun to see this amazing part of history. It is really crazy to think that the town we have been visiting all year for groceries, is the same town where 20,000 people were living at one time!