www.joandonaldsonyarmey.com
I am so happy to say that
some of my children and grandchildren will be joining me in hiking the Chilkoot
Trail-the trail the Klondikers took to get to the Klondike gold field at Dawson
City in the Yukon. My husband and I hiked the trail in 1997, on the hundredth
anniversary of the gold rush. We were in the Yukon and Alaska so I could
research the state and territory for my travel book Backroads of Alaska and the Yukon.
Many of the first men and women who went to
the Klondike in the first year starved and froze because they hadn't brought
along enough supplies. To combat that, the Northwest Mounted Police decreed
that the prospectors had to have 907 kg (2000 lbs) of provisions in order to cross the border from
Alaska into British Columbia and then onto the Yukon. The NWMP set up a scale
to weigh each person's supplies before letting them climb the Chilkoot Pass.
My husband and I each carried about 16kg.
(35 lbs) on our five day hike up to and over the pass.
The following is what I wrote in the book about
my hike. I imagine there have been many changes in the twenty years since and I
am looking forward to making a comparison of the differences between my two
hikes. And there have been a few changes with me. I am twenty years older and twenty pounds heavier. I'm looking forward to making a comparison of my abilities and endurance between the two hikes.
Hiking The Chilkoot
The Chilkoot Trail was called
the `poor‑man's route'. It ran from Dyea to Bennett Lake following an old
native path. Because of the isolation and cold winters the NWMP decreed that
each man had to have at least 907 kilograms (2000 pounds) of supplies before
they would allow him to enter the Yukon and continue on his journey.
The men had to haul those supplies up and
over the summit. Some were able to hire natives to help but many had to do it
themselves. They would carry as much as they could up the `Golden Stairs'
(steps cut into the solid snow of the pass), then slide back down to their
cache and begin again. Most made 40 trips to do so. Once a miner got onto the
steps he didn't dare get off until the top. If fatigue forced him to step out
he seldom managed to make it back on.
By the spring of 1898, three trams had
been built to help haul the loads up the Chilkoot. Also in the spring the
people who had made it over the pass during the winter and had camped at
Bennett Lake made boats from the trees around the lake. Over 7100 crafts set
sail down Bennett Lake beginning the 900 kilometres (560 miles) journey to
Dawson City. Records show that about 30,000 people travelled from Bennett Lake
to Dawson City in 1898. By the time they got there the best claims had been
staked by the prospectors who already lived in the area.
The trail closed in 1900 when the White
Pass and Yukon Route Railway was completed.
The 53 kilometre (33 mile) long Chilkoot
Trail is called the `Longest Museum in the World'. There are 10 campsites along
it so when you book your time you will have to decide how many kilometres you
wish to hike each day.
Most of the people who started for the
Klondike were Cheechakos, a native word for `greenhorn'. It was after a person
had spent a winter in the north that he or she became known as a Sourdough.
The trail starts out with the Taiya River
to your left. You will be continually climbing and descending beside it until
you reach Sheep Camp. And until Sheep camp you are walking through a rainforest
with tall trees creating a nice, cool shade on hot days.
You will climb over tree roots, stumps and rock and in places there is a
drop so make sure your pack is secure and doesn't wobble. You cross a number of
bridges, made of metal, split logs, planks or boardwalks. If you are here in
June or early July there is two places where you will want to put on your
sandals. One is to cross some water over the path and the other is through a
mud bog.
For about 1.6 kilometre (1 mile) you will
be going through private land. There are signs up so watch for them. On the
private land you will come to the remains of an old vehicle and a building. The
trail is as wide as a single lane road for a short distance.
Soon after leaving the private
land you reach Finnegan's Point, the first campground on the trail. It is 8
kilometres (5 miles) from the beginning. There is a shelter where you can dry
out your clothes if it is raining and cook your meals. Once you have washed
your dishes drain the water down the screened in pipe for gray water and scrap
any food particles off the screen to be put in your garbage. Make sure you
hoist your food and garbage up on the bear pole to keep it from attracting
bears into the camp. Never keep any food with you in your tent.
This point was named after Pat Finnegan
and his two sons who set up a ferry service here in 1897. Later they built a
road through the damp, boggy areas and charged a toll. This worked only in the
summer because the prospectors pulled their goods on sleds on the frozen ice in
the winter. This point was also used as a cache where the stampeders left their
first bundles of supplies while they went back to Dyea for the rest.
There is a spot on the Taiya River here
for you to relax, take off your boots and soak your feet if you wish.
4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from Finnegan's
Point you come to Canyon City campsite. The shelter here is log and it has a
verandah with a table for you to eat outside on a pleasant day.
To reach the actual site of
Canyon City, continue down the trail 0.8 kilometre (0.5 mile) past the camp
until you reach a sign with the distances to places: Canyon City Shelter 0.5
mile; Dyea 8 miles: Sheep Camp Shelter 5 miles; Chilkoot Pass 8.5 miles.
Follow the path to the left, cross over
the wooden bridge and then the suspension bridge and you will reach a sign that
states: Canyon City Historical Site. You are now walking where Canyon City
stood over 100 years ago. You will pass an old, rusted, cook stove and come to
a huge, rusted boiler. This 50 horsepower steam boiler was used to operate an
aerial tramway between here and the Chilkoot Pass. It cost 16.5 cents per
kilogram (7.5 cents per pound) to send goods over this tram and not everyone
could afford it.
Stamped on the boiler is: Union Iron Works
SF 1886.
Pleasant Camp is 4.5 kilometres (2.7
miles) from Canyon City. The climb out of the canyon between the two camps was
thought to be the worst part of the trail by some stampeders.
A little ways past the camp
you cross a suspension bridge over a series of cascades. And in 2 kilometres
(1.2 miles) you reach Sheep Camp beside the Taiya River. At this camp, the last
stop before the Chilkoot Pass, a ranger gives a talk about the conditions of
the pass at 7:00pm Alaska time. Other words of advice are to leave by at least
7am, drink 2 litres of water on the trail and expect to take 10 hours to reach
Happy Camp.
When you leave Sheep Camp the ground is
level for the first ways and you come across a building that looks almost like
a train station. After you begin climbing there is an old log building with
glass windows, little patio and cooking utensils hanging on the wall. You are
climbing mainly on a path but sometimes over boulders and you start to come out
of the trees and into alpine meadows.
When crossing the boulders watch for the
piles of rocks on them that mark the trail. If you keep your head down and
don't watch you could get off the trail and become lost.
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SIDEBAR Helpful Hints
You can expect snow, rain,
wind, sun, mist and cloud no matter what time of year you hike the trail. When
travelling over snow bridges undo the belt on your pack so that if you fall
through you can get out of your pack easily. Do not walk close to the boulders
sticking out of the snow. The sun heats the rock and the snow beneath the top layer
melts leaving an overhang near the boulder. This overhang will collapse if you
get too close. Stop near a boulder and listen. You will hear the water gurgling
around it.
When a group is walking through an
avalanche area spread out.
Bring sandals to wear around camp and also
to put on when crossing wet areas or streams to keep your boots dry. Have a
rope for hanging your food and garbage out of reach of bears. Carry an extra
set of clothing in case you get wet or cold. Never wear blue jeans as they will
chafe your legs and prevent freedom of movement.
The bears like to use the trail so if you
see one on it get far off into the trees and let him have the right of way.
Some who have hiked the Chilkoot Trail and
climbed the Chilkoot Pass have loved it, while others stated that it was the
worst trail they had ever been on. You will have to decide for yourself.
_________________________________________________
Up until mid‑July and beginning in
September, you could be walking on snow the higher you go. It is a 6.8
kilometre (4.2 mile) climb to the Scales. This is where the prospectors who had
hired professional native packers had to reweigh their goods. The packers
wanted more money, up to $2.20 per kilogram (1 dollar per pound) to carry the
supplies up and over the pass. Consequently, many items were left behind and
some still can be seen today.
From the Scales you can see the Chilkoot
Pass down the valley and you cross alpine tundra to reach the base. On the
other side of the Chilkoot is Peterson Pass, a longer but easier alternative to
the Chilkoot which was used by some Klondikers.
Those who travelled the trail in the
winter climbed the 'Golden Stairs' cut in the ice and snow up the side of the
pass. Those who came in the summer, when the snow was melted, had to traverse
over the huge boulders and loose rock left from a slide. This is what you will
be climbing on.
The climb is steep and you must lean
forward. If you straightened up the weight of your pack could pull you over
backwards. Some people go slowly working their way from solid rock to solid
rock, while others hike up it like they would stairs.
Watch for mountain goat either across the
valley or beside the slide and for the Rufous hummingbird flitting about. It is
attracted to red clothing. If you are not afraid of heights, stop and look down
to see how far you have come.
Near the top you reach a plateau, then you
climb a bit more to the top. On the plateau look up to your right and you will
see a cairn marking the border between Alaska and BC.
When you reach the summit you have climbed
823 metres (2700 feet) from Sheep Camp. At the summit is a shelter and
outhouse. Stay only long enough to warm up and eat because it is still a 6.4
kilometre (4 mile) hike to Happy Camp and storms can come up suddenly at the
top.
As you hike down the Canadian side of the
summit you have the most magnificent view of Crater Lake, alpine tundra and
mountains. The wind blows almost constantly here and there are a lot of streams
to cross. Some have rocks to hop on while at others you just have to look for
the shallowest spot. Again, depending on the time of year you could be walking
on snow in places.
Watch for the short colorful flowers‑‑purple,
white, red, yellow, pink‑‑and the grasses of the alpine tundra. Don't walk on
the tundra; it is not easy for the flowers and grass to grow here.
At Stone Crib there is a pile
of rocks that anchored the cables for an aerial tramway on this side of the
summit. Here also is a large saw blade from a sawmill that someone decided he
didn't need any more.
If it was cloudy on the Alaska side of the
summit look back as you are walking and you will see the gray cloud hanging
over the summit as if it was stuck there. It doesn't get any closer but
sometimes mist rolls this way from the summit.
Happy Camp is on a river between Crater
Lake and Long Lake. The food cache here is inside a section of the shelter. For
a short distance after Happy Camp you will be walking on loose gravel. When you
reach a sign pointing for Deep Lake turn in that direction. You will climb and
soon be up above Long Lake. There were ferries on Crater, Long and Deep lakes
for those who could afford the price.
You hike up and down hills then suddenly
you'll come over a rise and see a lovely lake, a bridge over a river, trees,
and a camp in the centre of the mountains. You cross that bridge and reach Deep
Lake Camp. A wagon road ran from here to Lindeman City and you can see some old
sleigh runners.
When you leave Deep Lake Camp as you walk
beside the lakeshore watch for a metal boat frame. After you leave the
lakeshore you follow along Deep Lake Gorge.
The further you go the more trees there
are. It is very beautiful and peaceful in here as you walk through the tall
pine trees and reach Lake Lindeman Camp (4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from Deep
Lake Camp. There are two campgrounds‑one close to the lake and one further
away. You might want to take the one further away because the wind coming off
the lake can be strong and cool.
The Klondikers set up a tent city here and
some built boats during the winter for sailing across Lake Lindeman. At the
other end they portaged around the rapids between Lindeman and Bennett lakes.
Others carried their supplies along Lindeman Lake and built their boats at
Bennett Lake.
Do not disturb the historic sites at
Lindeman and plan to visit the tent museum near the river. As you are leaving
Lindeman Camp, there is a small, roof‑covered panel with a drawer. Inside the
drawer is a book for you to record your name, the date, the number in your
party, the number of tents and where you are going from here. This is so the
wardens can keep track of who has passed through in case of an emergency.
Watch for the Rufous hummingbird along
this part of the trail. If you are wearing red, one might come and hover over
you then dart off to sit in a tree. Keep your camera handy.
If you like the haunting call of the loon
plan to stay at Bear Loon Camp 5.1 kilometres (3 mile) from Lindeman Lake Camp.
Shortly after Bear Loon is the cut‑off to the tracks of the White Pass and
Yukon Route Railway. Many hikers only go this far along the trail and hike
along the tracks to Log Cabin. Although this is a popular way of getting off
the trail, the railroad warns that you should not walk on or beside their
tracks. If you do decide to walk to Log Cabin find out the schedule of the
train. And even if there is no train scheduled, watch for speeders carrying the
maintenance crews.
Bennett Lake campground is 6.4 kilometres
(4 miles) from Bare Loon. This was where the two long, tired columns of
Klondikers met and spent the winter. And an instant tent town was established.
In the spring the stampeders built boats for the sail across the lake and down
the Yukon. Bennett grew after the railway reached it from Skagway in 1899 and
it had warehouses, shipping offices and steamer docks.
The St. Andrews Presbyterian Church was
built in 1898 by volunteer workers and it is the only gold rush building still
standing in Bennett. There is also a train station here.
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SIDEBAR 907 Kilograms (2000 Pounds)
There was a list of items, deemed
necessary by the NWMP, that the Klondiker needed before being allowed into
Canada to continue his journey to the gold rush. Depending on what you read the
lists vary as does the amount of each food item. The following is an inventory
without the weights.
Clothing: flannel over shirts, pants,
sweater, stockings, wool socks, underwear, overalls, mitts, leather gloves,
coats, vest, mackinaw, moccasins, rubber boots, high land boots and stiff brim
cowboy hat.
Sleeping accommodations: sleeping bag,
wool blankets, waterproof blanket, rubber sheet and tent.
Food: beans or split peas, flour, bacon,
rolled oats, butter, rice, sugar, cornmeal, condensed milk, coffee, tea, salt,
pepper, baking powder, baking soda, yeast cakes, mustard, vinegar, beef
extract, ground ginger, hard tack, Jamaica ginger, citric acid and evaporated
peaches, apricots, apples, onions and potatoes.
Cooking Utensils: coffee pot, pie plate
(for eating off, not for baking), cutlery including large spoon, fry pan, cup,
saucepan, pail and sheet iron stove.
Toiletries: wash basin, soap, towels,
toothbrush, medicine chest, handkerchiefs, mirror and comb.
Panning Equipment: pick and extra handle,
shovel and gold pan.
Building Equipment: axe and extra handle,
axe stone, nails, pitch, chisel, tape measure, rope, single block, rivets,
saws, plane, files and hatchet.
Miscellaneous: canvas sacks, matches,
buttons, needles, thread, pack straps, knife, compass, candles, candlewick,
dunnage bag and mosquito netting.
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Making Arrangements
The Canadian government has a
policy of limiting the number of people to cross the border into Canada via the
Chilkoot Trail to 50. This was done to preserve the fragile tundra on the
Canadian side. When you register you will be charged a reservation fee and be
told where you can pick up and pay for your back country permits which you will
need before starting the trail.
There are many options for
getting to the trailhead and getting back to your vehicle once you have
completed your trek.
1. You can leave your vehicle
at the Dyea campground and at the end of the trail take the charter boat across
Bennett Lake to Carcross. From there you can catch the highway bus to Skagway
and take the shuttle bus back to Dyea campground.
2. You can leave your vehicle
at the Dyea campground, make your hike and then follow the railway tracks out
to Log Cabin where the shuttle bus will take you back to your vehicle at the
campground.
3. You can leave your vehicle
at Log Cabin and ride the shuttle bus to the Dyea campground. When you hike out
to Log Cabin, your vehicle is waiting for you. (Remember that hiking the tracks
is not recommended by the railway.)
4. A fourth option is to find
out when the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway train is making a scheduled
trip to Bennett Lake and arrange your hike so that you will be at Bennett Lake
when the train arrives.
