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Montana's most intact ghost town wasn't built to last. Enterprising miners were more interested in extracting riches below ground than building above. As a result, buildings grew quickly, most lacking foundations. They were small and easy to heat.

Yet, a century after Garnet emerged, remnants of town stayed hidden high in Garnet Mountain Range east of Missoula. It was named for semi-precious ruby-colored stone found in area.

Garnet was a good place to live. The surrounding mountains were rich in gold-bearing quartz. There was a school. The crime rate was low. Liquor flowed freely in town's many saloons. The bawdy houses did brisk business. Missoula and Deer Lodge were just close enough for necessary supplies.

In 1860s miners migrated north from played-out placer mines in California and Colorado. The Garnet Mountains attracted miners who collected gold first by panning, and then by using rockers and sluice boxes as free-floating gold diminished.

Placer mining of gold or other minerals is done by washing sand, gravel, etc. with running water, but by 1870 most area placer mining was no longer profitable. Although miners had located gold-bearing quartz veins, lack of decent roads and refined extracting and smelting techniques made further development unfeasible at that time. Silver mines elsewhere drew miners out of Garnets.

In 1895, repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act set off a panic throughout region. Silver miners closed, and within weeks thousands of unemployed miners were on move. This event, combined with improved technology, led to a renewed interest in gold mining in Garnets. Miners began a steady trickle back.

At head of First Chance Gulch in 1895, Dr. Armistead Mitchell erected a stamp mill to crush local ore. Around it grew town of Garnet. The town was originally named Mitchell, but in 1897 it became known as Garnet.

Soon after Mitchell erected his mill, Sam Ritchey hit a rich vein of ore in his Nancy Hanks mine (first photo above) just west of town. The "boom" began. By January 1898 nearly 1,000 people resided in Garnet. Four stores, four hotels, three livery stables, two barber shops, a union hall, a school with 41 students, a butcher shop, a candy shop, a doctor's office, an assay office, and thirteen saloons, comprised town. Eager miners and entrepreneurs built quickly and without planning. A haphazard community resulted. Most of buildings stood on existing or future mining claims. About twenty mines operated.

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After listening to mountain biker across aisle on my Alaska Air flight from Seattle to Anchorage tell me in detail each biking trail he has ever been on, liked to be on, or read or heard about, I knew serenity of Prince William Sound on CruiseWest's Spirit of Glacier Bay was antidote.

After a night in imposing Sheraton Anchorage hotel overlooking pioneer Anchorage Memorial Cemetery, Prince William Sound was better envisioned.

The same company that owns CruiseWest also owns AlaskaSightseeing, staffing a guest desk inside Sheraton for planning complimentary dinner shuttles, tours, or Anchorage Museum of History and Art, four blocks away.

Other Anchorage Anchorge tour options include: Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Performing Arts Center, and Alaska Experience Center. Bike coastal trail around Anchorage from Downtown Bicycle Rental (279-5293) for $20 half day or $30 full day.

THE ALASKA RAILROAD ADVENTURE -

The next morning I am met by a CruiseWest tour representative and we jumped on a bus for short ride to rail station. The rambling, rumbling reminiscent 1920's era rail cars slip out of station for two-hour, 51-mile jaunt to Whittier. A naturalist on board for duration of tour and cruise details natural elements we pass, including second largest tidal bore at 40+ feet in Turn Again Bay (2nd after Bay of Fundy tidal bores), and flats where many fishermen get trapped and drowned, sucked into glacial silt unable to pull out before next tide rolls in. Days before a lucky fisherman was saved from this fate by Anchorage fire department.

Three trains depart Anchorage daily: Whittier or Seward southbound, and Fairbanks northbound. The Glacier Discovery to Whittier train didn't rate as a panoramic domed liner, but it did have an expansive dining car in entourage, featuring Alaska gourmand choices of McKinley Breakfast, Bird Creek Chicken Sandwich, and Reindeer Sausage, Indian River Sandwiches, or Bristol Bay Grilled Pan-fried Salmon Filet.

Many passengers are taking pictures from caboose's rear open-air smoking platform. Rail service to Whittier is from mid-May to mid-September, with southbound leaving at 10 a.m. and arriving in Whittier at 12:30 p.m. Hand carry luggage only. The rail voucher is included in your CruiseWest trip, or call 800/544-0552. Round-trip is $51 and one-way is $26 if booked without a cruise.

The Alaska Railroad winds around Turn Again Arm Bay, named by Captain Cook on his 1779 voyage. He had to "turn again" to avoid sandbars, spits, glacial silt, low water and mud. Nothing much has changed across barren low tide mud flats. Fishermen along creeks casted flies amongst salmon heading up stream to spawn. There are five types of salmon in Alaska: chum, coho, silver, pink, and king.