Dyea wharf

Joe is standing next to one of the pilings of the old Dyea Wharf, the means by which stampeders got their gear to shore.

Steamers would bring materials as close to shore as they could (this inlet, formed by the Taiya River, is very, very shallow), then transfer them to lighters (shallower draft vessels). Lighters would bring goods to the pier, where they could be transferred to the beach or to carts.