 | Alaska - Our Last Frontier |
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| Alaska - Our Last Frontier |
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The Chilkoot Trail |
DAY 3: We get an early start this morning. We are on trail by 6:15 am. The sun has been up for over 3 hours and daylight is plentiful. Within a half hour we were surprised by an adult black bear. The bear crossed our path 20 feet in front of us.  By far the largest black bear I've seen. It was just as surprised to see us as we were to see it. He stared at us a few seconds then disappeared into the dense forest. Now we're awake! We trudge on. Sheep Camp and tree line fall quickly behind. This is the last time we walk on soft ground. From here out its rocks, rocks and rocks. Ahead, Snowfields must be crossed, willows negotiated, and boulders scrambled. The weather turns from warm to foggy and spitting drizzle. The remains of tram towers guide the way. The trail is marked with debris of yesteryear and bones of animals. We arrive at the Scales, known as one of the most wretched spots on the trail. Professional packers would carry loads for $1 per pound over the summit. Many stampeders discarded items here instead of hauling them over the pass. This is the site of the Golden Stairs. The weather worsens. Its colder and the fog limits visibility. The terrain requires three point climbing and the rocks are wet and slippery. Tram cables in the narrow corridor indicate the trail. The pass itself is at 3550 ft. It marks the border between the US and Canada. A manned Mountie station is at the summit and This is what we seek. Towards the top, rocks are replaced by snow. The cables are buried but flags mark the trail.  The Mountie station is in sight. We check in at the border and convince the Canadian officer that we were there for pleasure. Really. At that point we were cold and wet. A welcomed surprise was a warming hut at the top with hot chocolate and coffee. We rested for an hour and chatted with other hikers who stumble into the oasis. We leave and descend more snowfields, traversing a steep, avalanche prone hillside towards the turquoise waters of Crater and Morrow lakes. Within a half hour the terrain completely changes. The sky clears and we see the sun for the first time in days. The rain forests are replace by sage and shrubs. The clouds do not clear the pass and yield dry and arid climate on the Canadian side. We proceed to Happy Camp. 12 hours and 8 miles later we arrive. I am ready to set up camp but Bill insists on moving on to Lindeman, another 6 miles.  We slog on. The terrain remains constant, rocky rolling hills. The weather is pleasant but the rocks take a toll on my feet. Blisters are blooming. At 10:00 that evening we arrive at Lindeman. In the summer this lake was used to haul supplies There wasn't a tree left standing for miles after the gold rush. Stumps remain to this day. In the winter this lake became a frozen highway to Bennett. Lindeman is a large area with many campsites, although on this evening only two other parties shared the ghost town. Quite a difference from the 4000 that once populated this area. DAY 4: This is it our last day on the trail. From here out the trail has numerous short, steep rolling hills. Almost stair steps in some cases. Towards Bennett the growth becomes more lush with an abundance of blueberry bushes. Although we did not see any, it seemed like perfect black bear county. I thought we had seen all the various types of terrain possible until we were about a mile out of Bennett. The trail was flat and sandy, sandy like the beach. If you do not have blisters by this point you will soon. The sands slips and slides under your feet and just walking is laborious. The Mecca is near, mile 33. Bennett was the site where stampeders from both the Chilkoot and White Pass trails gathered at. The town swelled to 20000 as they built boats on the shore of the lake and waited for the ice to go out. On May 29, 1898 the ice broke and within a week 7000 boats departed for Dawson. The St. Andrews Presbyterian Church is the only gold rush building still standing today. In 1899 the WP&YR railway reach Bennett from Skagway and the town boomed. Large volumes of freight moved from railway cars to river boats. A year later the rail line was completed to Whitehorse and the town lost its purpose. At this point you have several options to get back to Skagway. You can hike to the road (another several hours) and catch a Greyhound bus that stops for hikers or take the Railroad. The railroad was down for repairs the year Bill and I hiked so this was not an option. Check in Skagway for details and times. Actually, we really Ten days after the stampeders floated away from Lake Bennett, they reached Dawson, turning it into an overnight metropolis that rivaled Seattle in size. They wandered like tourists through the rustic streets, but only a few thousand ever went prospecting. In this feast of irony there was one final joke: They were all too late! The producing claims had all been staked long before news of the strike ever reached the outside world. To this day no salmon spawn at the mouth of the Klondike River. - Eric Belaski For information Contact: |
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didn't know how we were going to get back, but as luck would have it, a young lad with a motor boat gave us a ride about 30 miles up the river to a small town called Carcross. From here we were able to catch a bus back to Skagway. Once in town we a had a great, non-dehydrated, dinner at the Red Onion.