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The Chilkoot Trail is a 33 mile (53 kilometer) trail in the Chilkoot mountains in Alaska that leads from Dyea, Alaska in the United States to Bennett, British Columbia in Canada through the Chilkoot Pass in the Coast Mountains.
History
[edit]The trail was long used by the Tlingit as a trade route and was used in 1897 - 1899 by gold prospectors who disembarked at Dyea and crossed into Canada in order to reach the Klondike gold fields.
Pre-gold rush history
[edit]Klondike
[edit]Tramways
[edit]Post-Klondike
[edit]Park membership***
Current status
[edit]Currently the Chilkoot Trail is in high demand especially among residents of the Southeast Alaska and Yukon Territory, but also among tourists from across the planet. It is very common to come across non-English speaking backpackers on the trail. To manage this new-found demand for the route, to prevent overuse, and maintain the remoteness of trail, together the National Park Service and Parks Canada agreed upon a limit of 50 backpackers crossing the pass per day. Because of this and the high demand for the spots, many reserve early to ensure they snag a spot. There is also an assortment of fees for both the US and Canadian sides. Both charge flat rates and there is also a fee on nights spent in the park.
In return for these fees, both countries have full-time trail crews working on the trail, established ranger/warden stations, built extensive campgrounds, and created numerous plaques adjacent to notable historical places and objects.
The "official" hiking season (when rangers are on duty and trail crew is working) runs varies, but usually begins around late May and ends in early September. However, the days of highest demand and peak operations by park staff are from June through August. Often, late May and early June still have some avalanche danger as well as large snowfields that slow progress and September brings rain and colder weather which discourages would-be hikers.
Route and attractions
[edit]The route begins in Dyea, which is a 15-minute ride away from Skagway. Dyea no longer exists as a city, merely as an historical site, campground, and host to a few Skagway-area residents. One must take a taxi or a designated shuttle service to get to Dyea, or, if one is ambitious, trek over to Dyea. Once at the trailhead, the trail, after an intial rise and fall in elevation is relatively flat in the delta area of Taiya River. Partly due to this terrain, it's muggy with little breeze and the mosquitos are horrible. This trail runs on or near former logging roads for much of this area, transverses beaver dams, and flits through some private property. After 4.8 miles (7.7 kilometers) the first campsite, Finnegin's Point, is achieved. For this first stretch, the time made should relatively be very quick as it consists of flat terrain and no substantial obstacles.
Namesake***
After Finnegin's Point the terrain evolves into forest with cool drafts swooping from the snow and icefields in the mountains. There are also numerous streams tumulting down the mountainsides that are excellent water sources and natural mosquito repellents. The trail becomes a trail (and not the remnants of a logging road) and explores modest elevation changes on the walls of the Taiya River valley. This stretch probably has the least amount of artifacts visible to the hiker but makes up for it with a beautiful views of mountaneous forest and run-off streams. At mile 7.5 (kilometer 12.1), or a quick 2.6 mile (4.4 kilometer) hike from Finnegin's Point, is the Canyon City campsite. Many hikers, especially those who are aiming for a more modest pace on the trail or those who have a late start on the trail, stop here for the first night. The cabin in the campsite also houses many gold rush-era artifacts still in relatively good shape.
A miniscule .3 miles (.4 kilometers) after the Canyon City campsite are the Canyon City ruins. Canyon City used to be a tent city during the gold rush and the ruins are still visible. To get to the ruins one must cross the river on a suspension foot bridge. You'll find the foundations on many buildings, a restaurant stove, and a large boiler -- all remnants from the gold rush.
After the Canyon City ruins the trail significantly seperates from the river for the first time as the river becomes rapids in a small canyon (giving Canyon City its name). The trail climbs up the side of the valley and explores some very nice sub-alpine forest, although the thunder of the river below is still quite audible. For many sections of the trail, old telegraph and tram wires are exposed right next to the trail and great views of the mountains on the other other side of the valley are plentiful as well. For the gold rush prospectors, this section was the worst part of the trail. While in the winter, when the Taiya was frozen, they could travel up it, in the summer it was described as "the worst piece of trail on the road, fairly muddy with many boulders and with some short, steep ascents and descents in and out of small gulches."
The next landmark is Pleasant Camp at mile 10.5 (kilometer 16.5), a quick 2.7 miles (4.4 kilometers) from the Canyon City ruins. Pleasant Camp marks the reunion of the trail and the river and a lightly used campsite. From Pleasant Camp, a mostly flat trail weaves through trees and over small creeks and, for the most part, relatively banal terrain.
Soon the trail arrives in Sheep Camp, the last campsite on the American side. Sheep Camp is 11.8 miles (18.9 kilometers) from the trailhead and 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) from Pleasant Camp and is without doubt the largest of the campsites on the American side of the trail. Here people collect physical and mental resources for the push across the peak and into Canada.
Sheep Camp***
Many leave early in the morning -- as early as 4AM occassionally -- to make the summit push into Canada. During the official hiking season the park ranger stationed just above Sheep Camp will come down and give a quick presentation on the pass, what to expect, and weather and snow conditions. They recommend sevena and a half to ten hours for a group to travel from Sheep Camp to Happy Camp barring any complications so people don't take chances.
Just after leaving Sheep Camp and before the US ranger station, the trail passes through a large avalanche slide on the trail. The slide has wiped out all previously existing forest and leaves a young brushy and alder-dominated landscape. However, because of the lack of tall trees views of several waterfalls on the valls walls make themselves available. Just a little distance after the ranger station there is a small museum of gold rush-era artifacts in an old cabin. Soon after leaving the cabin the sub-alpine forest slowly degrades into alpine revealing a grand and bouldery view of narrowing valley. The higher the trail goes the moral informal it becomes although there are yellow markers in snowfields for pathfinding. In the early hiking season there can be danger of breaking through snow bridges when the snowfields are plentiful and runoff streams are hidden beneath.
At mile 16 (kilometer 25.7), within sight of the pass and the Golden Stairs, the trail encounters The Scales. The Scales are only 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers) after Sheep Camp but includes a lot of elevation gain and some of the harder terrain thus encountered on the trail. The Scales receive their namesake from hired packers who would reweigh their loads and often, in lieu of the imposing visage of the Golden Stairs, negotiate a higher rate. The Scales was also a tent city of storts sporting six restaurants, two hotels, a saloon, and many freighting offices and warehouses. The Golden Stairs didn't just serve as a cause for higher packing rates, but they also caused many people to turn around, often leaving their ton of equipment to sit and decay. Partially because of this, but also because of the snow and cold temperature's preserving properties, artifacts are much more prevelant at that altitude including remnants of wooden structures.
After The Scales is the final push to the peak -- the fabeled Golden Stairs. The Golden Stairs garnered its name from the steps that prospectors painstakingly carved into the snow and ice of the pass and it has retained the name ever since. For hikers, especially in the mainstream season, the Golden Stairs are often completely snow free so climbing up the 45-degree angle jumble of boulders is the only choice, but one gets an inkling of what the prospectors endured. There are several false summits after the Golden Stairs but are all quite small in comparision. At the top there is a warming cabin, the U.S.-Canadian border, and a part-time warden station. Occassionally if a party is not making time quick enough they will offer the warming cabin at the peak as an overnight shelter as to not risk them being caught somewhere in the baren and exposed landscape between the pass and Happy Camp. There are also many artifacts on the Golden Stairs as well as the ridges surrounding the pass including a cache of still intact (canvas, wood, etc.) prefabricated boats on the southeastern side of the pass. The pass sits at mile 16.5 (kilometer 26.6), just .5 miles (.9 kilometers) after The Scales.
Just after the pass is Stone Crib at mile 17 (kilometer 27.4). Stone Crib was the terminus of the Chilkoot Railroad and Transport Company's aerial tramway and consisted as a huge rock repository to counterbalance the tram. It is still readily apparent today with even the wooden structure still well preserved by the snow. After Stone Crib is a long solemn stretch of alpine trail passing by a series of deep mysteriously blue lakes.
First is Crater Lake (Canada), then Morrow Lake, and then Happy Camp at mile 20.5 (kilometer 33), which is 3.5 miles (4.6 kilometers) after Stone Crib. Happy Camp gets its name from the relief prospectors (and hikers) experience when coming across the first outpost after the pass. It's still entirely in the alpine and rather small, but receives heavy use because of its location.
After Happy Camp the trail continues down the run-off stream that drains Crater and Morrow Lakes to circumnavigate the very majestic Long Lake (Canada). After Long Lake it crosses the run-off stream from Long Lake and trail finds itself on the northern side of a watershed for the first time. The Deep Lake campground is located just after this unique landmark and also sits right in the midst of the returning tree line.
Outside of the Deep Lake campground the trees return for good and the trail skirts around Deep Lake (although when melt-off is high, the trail may be flooded) and the environment is noticeably different. This Canadian side of the trail is much dryer, as it is located in the rain shadow of the Coast Mountains, and the forest primarily consists of pine trees as opposed to the conifer-based temperate rain forest on the US side of the trail. The trail also is on a pleasantly downward slant as well. Once the trail passes Deep Lake the outlet river runs parallel to the trail for a short distance before careening into a small canyon, and as it happens, many boat related artifacts are visible in this area as well. The the trail continues to lose elevation until turquoize-colored Lake Lindeman comes into view and soon it arrives at the Lake Lindeman campground, the base of Canadian trail operations.
Lake Lindeman is 26 miles (41.8 kilometers) from the trailhead an 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from Deep Lake. Lake Lindeman plays host to a small tent museum containing photographic displays and a small library of books on the Chilkoot, the outdoors, and other Canadian parks. It sits right next to confluence of Lake Lindeman and the outlet river from Deep Lake but also contains a large number of relics. The campsite is also on the site of what used to be Lindeman City during gold rush and there is a cemetery for those less-fortunate prospectors and a quick walk through the woods reveals numerous foundations of now non-existant buildings, former fire rings, and a plethora of artifacts ranging from broken wine and beer bottles to tin cans.
The trail continues on after Lindeman crossing the Deep Lake outlet river and up a steep bluff runing on the southeastern side of Lake Lindeman to reveal an expansive view of the lake and surrounding forest. The trail crews wisely have installed several improvised benches here and they make for superb resting spots for lunch, contemplation, and taking in the glory of the wilderness. The trail continues on this route with Lindeman on the left and a number of small lakes on the right.
Three miles (4.9 kilometers) after Lake Lindeman and 29 miles (46.7 kilometers) from Dyea the trail meets Bare Loon Lake and the Bare Loon Lake campground. True to name, one can often hear loon calls from this austere lake. The campsite is often sparesly populated with backpackers and the quiet location offers a great location to reflect on the trail.
After Bare Loon Lake the trail divides. One branch splits off to meet the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad and then follows its tracks to Log Cabin where the trailroad converges with the Klondike Highway where hikers can arrange pick-ups with either a scheduld bus or an acquaintence with a car. This trail***
The other branch continues slowly descends the bluff overlooking Lake Lindeman and passes a still-operating trapper's cabin and begins running parallel to an old railbed of the White Pass and Yukon Route. Eventually the lake turns into to the one-mile rapids and the trail swerves out of sight of the tumultuous waterway. Soon the trail arrives at its terminus: Bennett.
Bennett is 4 miles (6.8 kilometers) downtrail from Bare Loon Lake and 33 miles (53.1 kilometers) from Dyea -- the entire length of the trail. Bennett consists of a campground the White Pass and Yukon Route depot, several houses (all private property) belonging to White Pass employees or First Nations citizens, the only gold rush-era buildings still standing today: the renovated St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and numerous artifacts. Pilings from piers on the lake are still apparent as is the usual assortment of cans and other metal remains.
From Bennett, if hiking in the official hiking season, most hikers take the White Pass and Yukon Route back to Skagway with a one-way fare.
Campsites
[edit]Facilities*** Ranger/Warden stations***
Safety
[edit]While in the summer there are full-time rangers and warden on both the US and Canadian sides, the trail still has moderately dangerous aspects.
Bears
[edit]Bears***
Weather and terrain
[edit]Avalanche*** Snow bridges*** Wintertime***
External links
[edit]
The modern Chilkoot Trail begins at the Taiya River bridge near the Dyea townsite and follows the river into the Chilkoot pass, then runs through the Chilkoot Pass to Bennett, British Columbia, on Lake Bennett, a distance of about 53 km (33 miles). It is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park on both the United States and Canada sides of the border. From Dyea, the trail ascends at a steep angle from sea level to 3,550 feet from Dyea and then descends to Lake Bennett. The hike usually takes three days now, but the Gold Rush prospectors, who were required by the Canadian government to bring 900 kg (1 ton) of goods, took 40 days to reach Lake Bennett.
The name Chilkoot comes from the name of the Tlingit group that used the trail for commerce.