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Gas-powered
winch on the Chilkoot Trail
Photo: Dick Postma |
Prior to the arrival
of European and North American traders, the Chilkoot Trail served
as a trade route to the interior for the coastal Tlingit Indians.
Native control of the trail by the Chilkoot tribe of the Tlingit weakened
in the latter half of the 19th century as the entire Tlingit trading
system came under pressure from the Hudson's Bay Company and American
traders. By the 1880's, the Indians were allowing prospectors and
exploration groups to make limited use of the Chilkoot route.
It was the lure of Klondike gold that led thousands of fortune
seekers to travel the Chilkoot Trail, rising from dockside in Alaska
to Lake Bennett in Canada's North. Although numerous routes to the
gold fields were available to the stampeders, the Chilkoot Trail provided
the shortest and cheapest way to the Klondike. Consequently, the Chilkoot
attracted the majority of the gold seekers. So arduous were the conditions
on the trail and in the Klondike, and so unprepared were the prospectors,
that the North West Mounted Police sent to monitor the pass turned
back anyone who did not carry a year's worth of supplies.
The Klondike Gold Rush had an immediate and lasting impact on Western
Canada and the United States. Seattle became a major staging point
for fortune hunters headed north, a steady stream of rail cars doubled
Vancouver's size, and Edmonton's population tripled overnight. The
legacy left the Yukon with most of its present day settlements including
Whitehorse, Dawson City, Haines Junction, Watson Lake and Carmacks.
Klondike fever left the route strewn with boots, shovels, picks, wagon
wheels, pot-bellied stoves and other artifacts of a time long past.
Unfortunately, like many of the Chilkoot's treasures, they have been
plundered over the years. Numerous items have since been distributed
to various museums.
Today, the Chilkoot Trail is as demanding on hikers as it was on gold
seekers 100 years ago. Summer weather and modern backpacks ease the
strain, but adventure seekers must still be prepared for the challenges
that mother nature dishes out. Even in the middle of the summer, a
hiker needs to be prepared for just about any kind of weather at the
summit, including snow. Today's visitors aren't rewarded with gold,
but rather a hike through history. In fact, the Chilkoot Trail is
the largest National Historic Site in Canada.
The entire hike takes from three to five days. The Chilkoot Trail
is recommended for intermediate to advanced backpackers only. Hiking
with a partner, or with a small group, is preferable. The maximum
group size allowed is 12. The trail is isolated, strenuous, physically
challenging and potentially hazardous. The glaciers, which surround
the west side of the park, were instrumental in shaping the present
landforms. The highest elevation along the trail, 1122 m (3680 ft.),
occurs at Chilkoot Pass. Interesting geomorphologic features in the
park include braided streams near Stone Crib and the alluvial fans
at the south end of Mountain and Lindeman lakes.
The
Golden Stairs
Photo: Dick Postma |
Not only do modern
hikers enjoy the benefits of a well-maintained trail, they also avoid
some of the challenges the stampeders faced. For most backpackers,
direction of travel over the Chilkoot route is not an issue - they
want to follow in the stampeders' footsteps, starting at the coast
and ending at the headwaters of the Yukon River. Trekkers usually
go from south to north; it's easier and safer. The most famous, and
the most dreaded, portion of the trail has always been the nearly
45-degree ascent that became known during the Klondike era as the
Golden Stairs.
Climbing up the Golden Stairs is more of a cardiovascular workout,
but descending this rocky slope places a much greater strain on knees
and ankles, and is more treacherous, especially in wet, windy or foggy
conditions. The timing of travel over the pass is also better for
northbound hikers. Another factor is the weather. Almost all summer
storms flow inland from the Pacific Ocean, blowing up the valley and
over the mountains in a northerly direction. Therefore, no matter
how bad it gets, if you're heading north you can nearly always count
on the wind and rain being at your back. This is an important consideration
for the one-third of the trail that is above the treeline and fully
exposed to the elements.
The trail is also extremely rewarding, with great natural beauty and
spectacular mountain scenery as you climb through lush coastal rainforest
to high country atop the pass. The boreal forest beyond attracts modern-day
outdoor enthusiasts wishing to replicate this historic journey.
A world of recreational opportunities awaits, whether you're a weekend
adventurer or a trail-hardened backpacker. People who go out unprepared
into this wilderness, however, don't come back. Ignorance and arrogance
in the face of nature are the surest ways of getting yourself killed.
Come prepared, and enjoy the rich and varied wilderness, a place where
people are scarce, but the exploits plentiful.
The
Church in Bennet City, the end of the trail
Photo: Dick Postma |
You also need to
register at the ranger station located at the trailhead in Dyea, Alaska.
Every person using and hiking the Canadian portion of the Chilkoot
Trail requires a permit. Day hikers remaining on the US portion of
the trail do not require a permit.
The Chilkoot area is subject to cool, wet weather during the visitor
season (June to September). Strong winds blow through the valley all
year long, and waterways are ice-free for about five months of the
year, however snow can be expected at higher elevations in any season.
The Chilkoot Trail is maintained cooperatively by the Canadian and
U.S. parks services - half in the U.S. and half in Canada. The trail
is accessed from the town of Skagway, Alaska. By car or bus, Skagway
is a scenic drive from Whitehorse on a paved road known as the Klondike
Highway. Otherwise, access is by ferry or air from Juneau. The Alaska
Marine Highway System, runs ferries from Bellingham, Washington, and
Prince Rupert, British Columbia, up the Inside Passage to Skagway
and Haines. Three local airlines fly daily between Juneau and Skagway.
If you are not taking your own vehicle to Skagway, a number of local
operators run shuttle buses or taxis to the trailhead at Dyea.
The White Pass and Yukon Railway, which was completed in 1900, runs
an historic train in summer from Skagway up through the White Pass
on the Canadian border and on to Bennet Lake. It also runs a hiker's
shuttle for those wishing to hike the Chilkoot Trail.
The
Chilkoot Trail: The Ultimate Hike - by Dick Postma (A personal
account)
For more information
on hiking the Chilkoot Trail, contact:
Parks Canada
Suite 202 - 300 Main Street,
Whitehorse,
Yukon, Y1A 2B5
Canada
Toll free for North America only: 1-800-661-0486. |
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