My Return From The Chilkoot Trail

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to have the chance to hike the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail with 6 friends that I have gotten to know since arriving in Skagway 5 weeks ago. It was an incredible weekend; not only was it rejuvenating to escape from the busy port of Skagway for a few days, but it was incredible to hike this historic trail that thousands of stampeeders poured over just 100 years ago.
We left bright and early Friday morning, with the intention of hiking 13 miles to Sheep Camp, where we would then attempt the most treacherous section of the trail aptly named 'The Golden Staircase." The weather didn't exactly provide for an enjoyable first day; it poured all day. Despite the harsh conditions, we kept a good pace (maybe to keep from stopping too long in the rain) and even had a chance to get out of the rain at the warming shelter at Canyon City. But the time we arrived at Sheep Camp, it was about 6 pm and we were exhausted. Since the camp was full, the back country ranger there let us set up our tents on the heli-pad landing, with strict orders to move as quickly as possible in the event of a medievac. Fortunately, no helicopters blew away our tents in the night and we awoke to drier, albeit not much more welcoming, skies.
The next morning, we packed up our tents and began the 3 mile hike up Long Hill, to the base of the Golden Staircase. I almost had a hard time moving forward because I couldn't stop looking up; with every 5 minutes we seemed to gain entirely new awe-inspiring views. We hiked along the undulating geography, stopping to admire the cascading waterfalls and azure glacier pools. We took a brief snack break before beginning the 45-degree climb to the summit. The climb to the top involved scrambling up a half mile long boulder field, where the mountain is too shear for any plants to take root, let alone any soil to develop.
At the summit of the Chilkoot Pass, we were greeted by a Canadian flag, marking the boarder, and a 25 degree temperature drop. We enjoyed some hot tea before descending across several slick snow fields to our next camp, Deep Lake.

Along the trek to Deep Lake, the terrain was dotted with several cirques, glacier-fed lakes and babbling streams. It was surreal how quickly we transition from the temperate rain forest surrounding Skagway to alpine tundra. In a mere 17 miles, it was as if we had entered a whole new world.
It was incredible to be surrounded by hanging glaciers- it almost made the 10 strenuous miles we covered that day a little easier, as each step forward yielded more scenic vistas. By the time we got to Deep Lake for the night, we stayed awake just long enough to cook dinner and lock up our food before collapsing into our sleeping bags. I have never felt so comfortable sleeping on the ground!
One the third day, noticed a small patch of blue sky while cooking breakfast, which raised all of our spirits for another 10 mile day. Fortunately, the terrain was a little more forgiving on the third day, and we transitioned into yet another new ecological zone, boreal forest. We even briefly crossed an area that is categorized as glacial desert, but it just seemed to be a sandy patch to me.
We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a sheltered lake, where we laid on the sun-warmed rocks and listened to loons in the distance. We covered 4 more miles before finally reaching the end of the Chilkoot Trail, at Lake Bennett in British Columbia. We were so exhilarated that we jumped into Lake Bennett, which is the origin of the Yukon River. Needless to say, it was ice cool and we all ran right back out. We spent the night playing cards and relaxing on the somewhat sandy shore of Lake Bennett, enjoying the seemingly endless night until the sun finally set just after midnight.
The next morning, we explored the lake before boarding a train back to Skagway. The train ride was really unique- the tracks ran along a precipitous cliffs and crossed thousand-foot chasms. It took us home across the White Pass, which served as an alternative route to the Chilkoot Trial at the time of the 1887 gold rush. We were all slightly delirious, happy to be returning home, exhausted from lack of sleep, and overwhelmed by the endless mountains.
After walking back into town to drop our packs, we immediately went right back out the door to go to the Skagway Brew Co. for celebratory cheeseburgers and veggie burgers. A perfect ending to a perfect getaway.

More Wildlife

Fortunately, I have seen a lot more bald eagles this summer than bears, which I am very thankful for! This bald eagle was hanging out along the Tiaya River for a few days, which indicated to all of us that the salmon runs were going to begin any day. We watched him for much of our lunch break, scouting for pink salmon.

The Real Bigfoot

After learning about how many bears are spotted in the Dyea townsite, I have now resolved to participating in every Ranger-led tour when I'm out there, to avoid being a sitting duck at the picnic tables. While I have come to learn their dialogue nearly verbatim, I do learn something new each time. Or at least observe something new, and this morning I happened to notice I was shuffling along the same path a black bear had moseyed along earlier that morning.

Sourdough

Today I officially became an Alaskan "sourdough," as I finally saw my first grizzly. From what I've heard around town, apparently the same day we embarked on the Chilkoot Trail, the salmon began to run upstream. This trend of running upstream is a phenomenon in which salmon leave the frigid salt water they have spend much of their adult lives in to return to the fresh water streams where they were born to spawn, before passing on in the circle of life. This usually begins in late July and continues through August, with several types of salmon including Chinook (King), Sockeye, and Pink. They return upstream in droves, making them an easy meal for grizzlies, wolves, and eagles- it's even common to see a lucky escapee fish with a bite out of his side fighting his way upstream.

With the salmon came the bears, and I finally got a chance to see a cinnamon-hued grizzly scouting out dinner on the Tiaya River of Dyea, Alaska. Although the Ranger I was working with that day claimed he was small at only 300 pounds, he still appeared massive to me. We watched him explore for about half an hour until he crossed the river, after which we high-tailed it out of there.

Our Classy Bathroom

Much of my time in Alaska so far has been spent trying to avoid seeing bears. I talk to the woman who works at the reception desk at the Skagway gym about how I run indoors to avoid seeing any brown bears. I talk to the guy at the post office about how lucky I've been to have not yet crossed paths with a brown bear. I always breath a sigh of relief when my roommates sullenly report that they didn't see any bears while out on their tours.

Well, I've spent so much time avoiding bears that karma has come full circle. Today, I walked into the bathroom one the first floor of our house after yet another day of successfully dodging grizzlies to find this posted on the back of the door. Nice.

Devil's Punchbowl

It is rare to have a blue-sky, sunny day in Skagway. It is even more rare to have a blue-sky, sunny day on the weekend, when I don't have to be working. Earlier today, I hiked up to a glacier cirque alone because I couldn't convince any of my roommates to take advantage of our good fortune and go with me. But I didn't know if I'd get the chance again and was so curious to see this glacier-fed tarn. So I after leaving a detailed plan with my roommates, packing bear spray, and filling my pack with more than enough food, water, warm clothing, and medical supplies for three people, I rode my bike over to the trail head. Even though I was scared the entire time that I was going to get mauled by a bear, and when I finally arrived, it was breath taking. All my fear was gone. I read that John Muir once described Alaska as looking like it "remains at the time of Creation," and I feel like that is exactly what I witnessed today.

View from Upper Dewey Lake (you may recognize the name from a previous hike, but the view today made it feel totally new).
Hiking from Upper Dewey Lake to Devil's Punchbowl; all above the treeline.
Again, Upper Dewey Lake; entirely fed by glaciers.
View of Upper Dewey Lake from the ridge line leading to Devil's Punchbowl.
Feeling a lot of respect for mountain goats.
Devil's Punchbowl; a tarn nestled in an alpine cirque, just 4.04 (strenuous!) miles from my apartment.

I think I also might have set a record on this trail for fastest ascent and descent, covering 8.08 miles in a mere 2 hours 47 minutes up and 2 hours and 23 minutes down, while singing Lady Gage and Cat Stevens (I prefer singing as an alternative to yelling "hey bear" every hundred meters).

The Chilkoot Trail

One of the most esteemed hikes of Southeast Alaska is the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail. Once described as "little better than hell on earth," the trail was originally used as a trade route between the Tlingit tribes of the southeast with the Natives of the Interior before the prospectors of 1898 claimed rights to the trail. Today, many still make the journey from Dyea, Alaska, to Bennet, British Columbia, trekking through what some consider to be the largest museum in the world.

At the peak of its use, the Chilkoot Trail served as an alternative route to the longer, albeit less treacherous, White Pass Trail to Dawson City, Yukon Territory, where gold was struck in 1896. Despite its reputation as a dangerous trail, the Chilkoot became to most popular route as it was the most direct and least expensive. The trail was so dangerous, in fact, that Canada's Northwest Mounted Police required all stampeders to carry one ton of goods- the estimated amount of gear to allow a prospector to survive one year. Among the recommended items were 150 lbs. of bacon, 5 yards of mosquito netting, 2 pairs snag-proof heavy rubber boots, 1 dozen heavy wool socks, and, of course, a pan for mining gold. Packing one ton of goods required that each prospector shuttle their goods a few hundred meters at a time, before turning around to make the trip again with another 50 lbs. of material. It was estimated that each stampeder covered the trail between 30-40 times in total after this arduous process was complete.

Most stampeders covered the 33-mile trail in the winter, as the snow cover made the terrain easier to navigate. 16 miles into the trail, prospectors reached "The Golden Stairs," a 45-degree slope that was so steep, the bare boulders were often exposed, posing an additional challenge. In case it wasn't difficult enough, there are two false summits, which often prompted a premature celebration.

I am preparing to hike the Chilkoot Trail this Friday with 7 Park Rangers that I have met since coming to Skagway last month. When they invited me to join them, I hardly hesitated- who better to hike with than a group of well-trained, experienced Rangers? Although, as the trip nears, and as I learn more about grizzly safety, navigating in alpine conditions, and preparing for extreme weather, I am beginning to realize this is going to be a trek unlike any I've ever done before.


Snow covers the trail for most of the year, and while avalanches are rare, much of the trail is above the treeline and is characterized by extreme weather.

We are planning on hiking 13 miles to Sheep Camp on Day 1, 10 miles to Deep Lake on Day 2, and 10 miles to Bennett on Day 3, where we will have the next day to explore before taking the White Pass- Yukon Route Railroad home to Skagway, where warm beds and hot showers will be waiting for us.

Bear Sighting

For some strange reason, everyone around here is dying to see more grizzlies. Well, it was a dream come true for the Natural Resources team when a 400 lb brown bear was spotted in Dyea on Wednesday. I was working only a few hundred feet from where the bear was sighted the following day and I spent the whole day nervously looking over my shoulder. Luckily, all I saw was some rather fresh bear scat, which was enough excitement for me.

Lessons in Grocery Shopping

Well, I guess I still haven't learned my lesson... no eggs, milk, or yogurt until Wednesday.

Stergill's Landing

One of the greatest (or possibly only?) benefits of being exposed to 20.5 hours of sunlight each day is that I have been able to more fully experience the beautiful land I am in. It's a little comical how quickly the atmosphere of the town changes once the cruise ships leave port. It seems as though the whole town is outside, running, biking, or lounging in the lingering sun. Yesterday after work I decided to explore Stergill's Landing, a rocky beach just a few miles from town. After hiking through the lush temperate rainforest, I was surprised to finally arrive at this scenic shore.

Dyea, AK

Although I am living in the town of Skagway, I am spending about 50% of my time here working in the town of Dyea. Dyea is only 9 miles from Skagway and was once a competitive harbor were gold-seeking settlers began their journey to the Yukon Territory between 1897-1898. Once the White Pass- Yukon Railroad was completed in Skagway in 1899, Dyea died almost as quickly as it bloomed. Today, nature has reclaimed most of what once made up the town and isostatic glacial rebound has changed the landscape significantly. It is by far more "wild" than Skagway and offers a different type of Alaskan beauty.

View of Chilkat Mountains from the historic Dyea townsite (above).
Wild iris now cover the former townsite (above).
The tidal flats, pictured above and below, were once part of the Pacific Ocean floor. As the glaciers retreated, significant pressure was removed from the land, as a result, the land expanded out, essentially causing a rise in sea level. This trend is termed "isostatic rebound."

The PSL

The Park Studies Lab, of the University of Vermont, was commissioned by the National Park Service (NPS) to work within the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park to determine a better management policy. Since Skagway (the town nearest to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park) is a major port for cruise ships, it is a highly trafficked National Park. As a research team, we are trying to establish a better management plan to enhance the visitor experience in Klondike, while minimizing the natural destruction of the area. I am the "field technician" working under the "principle investigator," Prof. Bob Manning and am thus responsible for carrying out the actual ground work of this study. We are using a multi-media survey to establish indicators and standards of quality within the park, which can be used as benchmarks for how the park is managed. Ultimately, we hope to learn the crowding threshold at which the visitor's experience is negatively impacted. In other words, when does seeing too many other people ruin an individual's trip to the park. This is a two year study that will present its findings to the park and, while it will not create the management plan itself, will help guide the park to craft new management policies (for example, how many concessionaires/operators will be granted permits, how many tours can go out on a given day, how many individuals can be in each tour group, etc.).

Biking Around Skagway

After 7 days straight of cloudy, dreary skies, the sun finally came out in Alaska! As a result, the entire town was out hiking, running, biking around town- and smiling. It was eye-opening to finally have a chance to see where I was!
This was the extent of my bike ride- out to the delta of the Skagway River, where the salmon are going to be running soon (word on the street is pink first and then sockeye)!
Alaksan fireweed is one of the few wildflowers in the area, but it has the most beautiful purple hue. I'm still trying to capture it in a photo, but this is fairly close.
I walked around this whole peninsula yelling "hey bear!" to scare away any grizzlies withing earshot. When I finally stumbled upon a group of 6 people having a bonfire, I felt a little silly, so then I switched to singing to myself. Still not sure which was better.... the bears were probably laughing.
I ended with checking out Yakutanea Point, a short hike of less than a mile from my doorstep. Apparently a baby whale has been frequenting this peninsula. I might be too pretty soon!

Alaskan Radio

I turned on the radio today. As I mentioned previously, we only get one channel. The announcer was reading the personal ads, for people who live in areas without phone service. They included ads such as, "Jim, call Mike," and "Ann is looking to sell a sewing machine. Calls for details."

Spontaneous hiking

Today was a big day off- and I had big plans to spend the day baking, securing a gym membership, and finally finding myself a pillow (it's all about priorities). Those plans were all thrown to the wind when my roommate asked, "If I make banana-buckwheat pancakes, will you help me eat them?" Was she serious? So after enjoying a leisurely breakfast, we decided to tackle Upper and Lower Dewey Lakes, two "rite-of-passage" hikes for anyone living in Skagway.

Although the skies looked a bit foreboding, we reasoned that the clouds had been hanging over town for the past week, so what threat did they really pose? What ensued was one of the most strenuous hikes I've ever done. The trail was a series of switchbacks through the temperate rain forest, yielding few scenic vistas along the way. When we finally reached Upper Dewey Lake, however, I know our arduous climb had been worth it.




We ended the day by making some nontraditional pizzas (including banana-curry, caramelized onion and apple, and crab, kale, and mushroom) and enjoying an early, well-earned night's rest.

Learning to Cook

Today I learned that my roommate is a mushroom enthusiast. No, not what you're thinking; her German mother has instilled an interest in foraging for mushrooms and incorporating them into traditional hearty German cooking. So when one of the park rangers came home with this beauty, it had to be celebrated.
Note how large it is by comparing the mushroom to the cook's hand. Surprisingly, it was delicious! Although, when I'm feeling adventurous in my own eating, I would first trek downtown to Sugar Mama's, rather than go foraging in the woods...

Running in Skagway

Running through Skagway requires a little bit of creativity. I first run down to the cruise docks, beginning a a sign labeled "Mile 0" and run north through town to "Mile 1." I then run another half mile out toward Dyea and cross the Skagway river. It's usually at this point that I get nervous about bears and decide to turn around.
Can you tell it gets really windy here?
I repeat this a few times, depending on how good my playlist is that day, before returning home, where I take off my shoes and ponder the worth of getting a gym membership.
After learning that the salmon are going to begin running upstream in another week or two, I think I'll be first in line to get a gym membership Tuesday morning.