A more personal account of hiking the Chilkoot and paddling the Yukon

Wednesday, 21 July 2010 17:59 Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 18:14 Written by Amy Voytilla

Dave and I just spent four days hiking the 33 mile Chilkoot Trail, following in the many footsteps of eager stampeders who followed the same route during the Klondike gold rush between 1897-98. As we hiked, we tried to imagine what the journey must have been like over 100 years ago. While the route seemed difficult at times, we were thankful that we only had to do it once with our lightweight Granite Gear backpacks, nutrition-packed Macro Bars, warm yet breathable ExOfficio clothing, and modern hiking footwear.

I emphasize that we only had to do it once, because the stampeder back in 1897 or 98 had about a ton of food and supplies to get over the pass. To see a list of what they were required to carry, check out http://www.nps.gov/klgo/historyculture/tonofgoods.htm. Some people hired packers. Some used horses. Some traveled in the summer like us. Later on several tramways were built, allowing those who could afford it to have their gear hauled to Crater Lake for about 7 and a half cents per pound. Aside from the tramway, the easiest way to haul the supplies was in the winter, because you could dogsled up the frozen river and then the Golden Stairway consisted of steps cut into the snow.

Since we were hiking in July, we didn't have a frozen river or steps in the snow up the Golden Staircase. Our first day was 12.8 miles from the trailhead to Sheep Camp. This was our farewell to the temperate rainforest. As we gained elevation, we watched the ecozone change before our eyes. The second day was 8.5 miles through the subalpine an then the alpine environment of the Chilkoot Pass itself. We spotted a few mountain goats and a pica before reaching The Scales.

The Scales is the spot where people would stop to re-weigh their loads, jettison unnecessary stuff, and packers would go on strike demanding a higher wage per pound. Just past The Scales, the trail got steep. We switched from hiking to scrambling on all fours up the steep slope of loose rock. To keep things interesting, the trail crossed several 50 meter-long stretches of snow. I was super cautious (and probably looked a little ridiculous) on these snowy sections and Dave patiently waited for me before continuing the scramble up the rocks.

On top of the pass we breathed a sigh of relief in the 38^o F air and took a look around. Our view was limited to our immediate surroundings, as a thick blanket of fog prevented us from peeking down into the valley below. Oh well. We were able to see the plaque honoring those who traveled the pass during the Klondike gold rush along with debris left from that crazy time. A wheel from a tramway, some tattered canvas from a half-baked scheme to sell prefabricated wooden canvas boats, the occasional remnant of a boot. Despite the presence of these artifacts, I had a hard time imagining this desolate place bustling with people, trudging in a line like ants up and over the pass or the piles of gear cached at the summit as the owners were en route to get more. For now, the pass was a cold, damp, windy spot where 26 hikers trudged across the bare rock.

We sought shelter in the small warming hut that the park service provides near the top. Upon opening the door I was a bit surprised to hear the cheer of the 9 Boy Scouts who had been hiking/scrambling just ahead of us. As Dave and I made our lunch and warmed up, I couldn't help but chuckle as the same cheer arose every time the door opened.

The mood was lighter heading down to Happy Camp. We hiked across several larger expanses of snow, enjoying our downward trajectory. Crater Lake was amazingly blue, with one large iceberg still floating in it. This and the subalpine stretch to Lindeman the next day were incredibly scenic. As we hiked to the Bare Loon campground, our environment changed into familiar surroundings. The small lake near this campground could have been a lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We spotted a pair of loons on the lake and as we drifted off to sleep, we heard the familiar sound of their call.

The 4 mile hike to Bennett Lake was a breeze. We scheduled day 4 to be short because we had a train to catch. Well, sort of. We weren't getting on the train, but our kayaks were arriving on the train. You see, the kayaks took the other popular route, over the White Pass. The railroad was built toward the end of the gold rush and previous to that many men, women, and horses struggled to shuttle supplies along the White Pass Trail. It was a bit longer than the Chilkoot, but not as steep.

As we unloaded the contents of our backpacks into our kayaks, I thought about the stampeders loading their 2,000 lbs onto their newly made boats. Many boats were leaky or tippy, since this was the first boat building experience for many folks. The next plan was to paddle through the series of lakes into the Yukon River. A stiff tailwind pushed us much faster than expected halfway down Bennett Lake. We decided to stop at an island that the train conductor recommended. It was a good time to stop anyway, because the tailwind had increased to a rather wild ride. This island held the graves of two people who fell through thin ice during the gold rush. We also spotted a collection of artifacts near the campsite.

Just north of Carcross we passed a surreal scene. A bit north of Windy Arm on Tagish Lake a couple of zodiacs were buzzing around. As we got closer to a point on the western shore, we spotted two funky looking rafts loaded down with supplies and topped by canvas tents. A ragtag looking group of people sat on the shore. Dave paddled past and waved and some of them responded with a hesitant wave. It turns out that this group of people is reenacting the gold rush for a French Canadian reality TV series. The people in zodiacs must have been the film crew. We had caught wind of this on the Chilkoot Trail, but didn't think we would catch up to them so soon. All I can say is: surreal.

At the south end of Marsh Lake, we camped in Tagish and ate the biggest cheese burgers either of us have ever seen. The next day was our first taste of genuine hot summer weather. The last few miles on Marsh Lake were excruciating because our nice tailwind switched to a strong headwind.

Our first campsite on the river really felt like home. Moose tracks and scat were abundant not far from the clearing where we set up our tent. In the morning we awoke to the chatter of red squirrels. And to top it off, we spotted five beavers in about ten minutes after launching.

As we approached Whitehorse, I was kind of glad that Miles Canyon was just fast flowing water and the Whitehorse Rapids no longer exist because a large hydroelectric dam has been built. It was not uncommon for boats to tip or wreck in these rapids during the Klondike gold rush. Our only challenge was to portage around the dam. While the dam eliminated the rapids, the ecosystem has been affected. The construction of the dam in the late 1950s had a detrimental effect on the migration of the Chinook Salmon. Now, the world's longest wooden fish ladder can be seen, extending 366 meters along the east side of the dam to aid in the migration of this amazing fish.

Dave and I are now in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory preparing for the next phase of the trip. The next few days will be full of preparations as we outfit our Wenonah Cascade whitewater canoe with North Water spray cover and pack food at the NOLS base. When we head out again, we will continue following the route of the Klondike gold rush, down the Yukon River to Dawson. Five new team members from the will be on the water with us from Whitehorse to Carmacks.

Getting Ready to Paddle the Yukon

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 15:34 Written by Dave Freeman

Thanks to our connection with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, we are thrilled to have five people join us for the paddle from Whitehorse to Carmacks.  They will get here in a few days and we can’t wait to get on the water with them!  In the meantime, they went for a paddle on the Chicago River and provided us with a great blog entry:

The team is preparing to travel to Whitehorse, YT, Canada to paddle 200 miles down the Yukon River. We are all excited to see one of the premiere wilderness spaces in the world, and to explore it in a low impact way. To prepare for our trip we decided to canoe the Chicago River a little closer to home. As we rode the bus to our destination, Kelsey noticed the temperature in Chicago was a steamy 89 degrees, with 53% humidity – like a sauna. In comparison, the temperature in Whitehorse today was 68 degrees, but it was raining, so it felt much colder – about 48 degrees! Quite a difference, and most of us are pretty happy to be taking a long paddling trip in the wilderness with more cooler temps.

As we arrived at the Chicago River canoe launch, we noticed a strong unpleasant odor of sewage. The Chicago River is, after all, in the middle of one of the largest cities in the U.S., and lots of people means lots of waste. The Yukon, in contrast, is located in one of the least populated parts of North America. Whitehorse's population is only 35,000. We think the smell will be much different!

One thing that we think the rivers will have in common is the abundance of wildlife. We were pleasantly surprised to find lots of water birds, including three different kinds of herons (green, night, and great blue), two kinds of turtles and a groundhog/woodchuck.  

We don't think we'll see those same animals – it's too cold that far north for many reptiles to live, but we're looking forward to raptors, like bald eagles and water birds. We're all hoping to see caribou. It might be a bit harder to find animals along the trip, as the Yukon River is much wider than the Chicago River (ranging from 400 ft to just over a mile), and we're not sure how close we'll get to the banks.

We also hope while we're in the Yukon we don't find much of what we found in the Chicago River – trash. In fact, there are signs all along the river banks warning you about not getting into contact with the river water.

We saw beer bottles, plastic bags, fast food wrappers, milk cartons, coffee cups, aerosol cans, and pool toys. It was a great reminder to us to think carefully about what kind of packaging we purchase, and how we can properly dispose and recycle of garbage. We think that once we leave the Whitehorse area, we won't see much trash. However, even though we won't see garbage, there are plenty of things to watch out for that we can't see – especially if we are going to be eating fresh fish! PCBs and other pollutants from industry, mining and boat transportation are in many of the world's waterways. That's one unfortunate thing the Yukon River and the Chicago River have in common.

The evidence of human habitation will probably be a lot different. On the Chicago River, we passed houses, boat docks, electric plants, train tracks, people walking their dogs, etc. As we researched the Yukon history, we learned about the Gold Rush time during the late 1800's, and the numerous abandoned mines, homes and towns that dot the banks of the River. We did see a shipwreck in the Chicago River. We expect to see more shipwrecks on the Yukon, as it was a very important and busy transportation corridor before the Alaska Highway was built. Also, Chicago is a great patchwork of different cultural heritages, as is the Yukon Territory. There are a lot of First Nations tribes that live in the Yukon Territory. There is evidence of human habitation in the Yukon that indicates First Nations peoples have used that area for thousands of years. In the 19^th century additional settlers of the area include Russian, American and British fur traders. We expect that the cultural influences combined with modern day life will be different in such a sparsely populated territory. We hope to visit the museums and walk around Whitehorse before we start our trip to better understand the city. We're also looking forward to trying some regional food dishes, like salmon and Northern game, such as bison, caribou or musk ox!

After our Chicago River canoe trip everyone was even more excited about our Yukon River trip, which leaves next week! We're all finishing packing and getting ready to be on the river for almost two weeks. Who knows what new discoveries we will make?!

Hiking Back in Time on the Chilkoot Trail

Monday, 19 July 2010 18:24 Written by Dave Freeman

Dave and I just spent four days hiking the Chilkoot Trail, following in the many footsteps of eager stampeders who followed the same route during the Klondike gold rush between 1897-98. As we hiked, we tried to imagine what the journey must have been like over 100 years ago. While the route seemed difficult at times, we were thankful that we only had to do it once with our lightweight Granite Gear backpacks and modern hiking footwear. 

The Chilkoot trail existed long before the Klondike gold rush.  It was used by the Tlingit people as a trade route into the interior of Canada.  The Tlingit people would trade their goods from the coast with other First Nations people from the interior.  They would exchange their coastal goods like fish, seal oil, and seaweed for moose, caribou hides, and other plant materials available only from the interior.

All those who traveled over the Chilkoot Pass were required to carry a year's worth of food and supplies. The Canadian government required this to prevent starvation and make sure that those heading to the Klondike were prepared to be self-sufficient. The food weighed about 1,150 lbs. With the additional required supplies, each party heading over the pass had to carry about a ton in total. Some people hired packers. Some used horses. Some traveled in the summer like us. Later on several tramways were built, allowing those who could afford it to have their gear hauled to Crater Lake for about 7 and a half cents per pound.

However, the easiest way to go over the pass was actually in the winter. Dave and I decided that if we had to haul 2,000 lbs over the pass, we would want to use a dogsled for as much of the route as possible. This is what many people did, relaying their gear from one camp to the next, on their way to the summit. The winter was the easier time to haul supplies for several reasons. The first 10 miles of trail are boggy and cross several streams. In the summer, you could be wading through a lot of mud and the mosquitoes would be pretty bad. In the winter, you could travel on the frozen river by dogsled. The famous part of the trail up to the pass, called the Golden Stairs is a tricky scramble over loose rocks during the summer time. When the Golden Stairs were covered with snow in the winter, it was easier for prospectors to cut steps in the snow. Once they deposited their load on the summit, they would slide back down to get more of their supplies. The journey in the winter could be dangerous too. Some people froze to death. An avalanche in early April of 1898 killed 60-70 people.

When we reached the top of the Chilkoot Pass on July 13, there were still large patches of snow and ice. We were glad to be only making one trip up. I am amazed by the willpower of those who would reach the summit only to drop their load and head back down for more. It was hard to imagine making the same trip up and down 30-40 times!

Once the stampeders reached the lakes, they must have been greatly relieved. A series of ferries transported goods on Crater Lake and Lindeman Lake. At Lake Bennett most stampeders built boats. At this point, they were 33 miles into a 600 mile journey. Even though they had many miles to go, many of them thought the hardest part was behind them. Those who arrived in the winter waited for the ice to go out, before beginning the rest of the journey to Dawson. Many trees were harvested in this area to build boats. I thought that the forest looked like it was making a pretty good come-back. However, later I learned that it will take another 200 years for the forest to return to its pre-gold-rush state.

  Instead of building boats, Dave and I waited for the train to deliver our kayaks. You see, the kayaks took the other popular route, over the White Pass (by train). The railroad was built toward the end of the gold rush and many men and women had a similar struggle shuttling supplies along the White Pass Trail. It was a bit longer than the Chilkoot, but not as steep.

As we unloaded the contents of our backpacks into our kayaks, I thought about the stampeders loading their 2,000 lbs onto their newly made boats. Many boats were leaky or tippy. They had to navigate several sets of rapids. Not all of the boats made it. We paddled through the series of lakes into the Yukon River. I was kind of glad that Miles Canyon was just fast flowing water and the Whitehorse Rapids no longer exist because a large hydroelectric dam has been built. Our only challenge was to portage around the dam. While the dam eliminated the rapids, the ecosystem has been affected. The construction of the dam in the late 1950s had a detrimental effect on the migration of the Chinook Salmon. Now, the world's longest wooden fish ladder can be seen, extending 366 meters along the east side of the dam to aid in the migration of this amazing fish.

Dave and I are now in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory preparing for the next phase of the trip. Since we will continue following the route of the Klondike gold rush, down the Yukon River to Dawson, we will be sure to keep an eye out for more artifacts and stories from the gold rush. Who knows, we might even find modern-day prospectors still searching for gold in the same area!

We have paddled 1,120 Miles . . . only 9,880 miles to go . . .

Sunday, 11 July 2010 20:10 Written by Dave Freeman

It is official—Dave and I are done with Stage 1 and today marks the beginning Stage 2 of the North American Odyssey! That's 1,120 miles done, 9,880 to go . . . Another way to look at it: we are about 10% done with the North American Odyssey. In Skagway, we traded in our paddles for hiking boots. We are both looking forward to giving our arms a break and using our legs to hike the 33 mile Chilkoot Trail.

Dave paddles past a cruise ship into the Skagway Harbor.

Fortunately our packs are a bit lighter than the loads carried by the thousands of prospectors who traveled the same route during the Klondike Gold Rush. They were required to carry a year's worth of food and supplies with them. All these supplies weighed about a ton, so they didn't just make one trip over the Golden Staircase.

This is what a prospector’s cache of supplies looked like.

Imagine trudging the same path in the snow with a heavy pack on your back over and over again, with one goal in mind-- reaching Dawson and striking it rich! They endured many hardships. The trail is riddled with evidence of their journey. One park ranger described it to us as hiking through the largest museum in the world. We have great respect for those who traveled this way before us and we are looking forward to learning about the dramatic history of the area.