| Revision as of 08:07, 15 November 2005 editJonathan.s.kt (talk | contribs)13,249 editsm →Canyon City: Sp, reword← Previous edit | Revision as of 08:07, 15 November 2005 edit undoJonathan.s.kt (talk | contribs)13,249 editsm →Finnegan's Point: RewordNext edit → | ||
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| ====Finnegan's Point==== | ====Finnegan's Point==== | ||
| Finnegan's Point is located right next to the Taiya River while the valley is still relatively flat. The mosquitos are very bad at Finnegan's Point partly due to its locatation and the abundance of standing war |
Finnegan's Point is located right next to the Taiya River while the valley is still relatively flat. The mosquitos are very bad at Finnegan's Point partly due to its locatation and the abundance of standing war in and around Finnegan's Point. The campsite itself features one canvas warming and cooking shelter complete with mosquito screens and a bear pole and a bear-proof food storage locker for safekeeping of food overnight, an outhouse, and an ample amount of tent sites. | ||
| ====Canyon City==== | ====Canyon City==== | ||
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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
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.
Indigenous use
Klondike
Tramways
Post-Klondike
Park membership***
Current status
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 entering the trail a 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 sites and objects.
The "official" hiking season (when rangers are on duty and trail crew is on-site) 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 still possesses 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
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 designated shuttle service to get to Dyea, or, if one is ambitious, trek over to Dyea on the road. Once at the trailhead, the trail, after an intial rise and fall in elevation known as Saintly Hill, 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 at their worst. 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, Finnegan's Point, is achieved. For this first stretch, the time made should be relatively very quick as it consists of flat terrain and no substantial obstacles.
Finnegan's Point often takes in very few hikers because of its proximity to the trailhead and most parties make it to Finnegan's Point within a few hours. However, for slower parties and those getting a late start on the trail Finnegan's Point of often the campsite of choice. It receives its name from Pat Finnegan, proprietor of a short-lived toll bridge before he was overrun by stampeders. Besides the bridge Finnegan's Point also consisted of a "huddle of tents surrounding a hard core of blacksmith shop, saloon, and a restaurant"
After Finnegan'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 Taiya River and ais 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 of the trail as well as the final resting stop before the Chilkoot Pass. 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 hikers collect physical and mental resources for the push across the peak and into Canada.
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 seven and a half to ten hours for a group to travel from Sheep Camp to Happy Camp barring any complications so most hikers don't take chances.
Just after leaving Sheep Camp and before the US ranger station, the trail passes through a large avalanche chute 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 the narrowing Taiya River valley. The higher the trail goes the more 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 this portion of the trail 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 were 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 required 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 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 option, but one still 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 the warden or U.S. ranger 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, 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 strategic 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 the trail crosses the run-off stream from Long Lake and 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 the turquoize-colored Lake Lindeman comes into view and soon the trail concludes its descent at the Lake Lindeman campground, the base of Canadian trail operations.
Lake Lindeman is 26 miles (41.8 kilometers) from the trailhead and 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. The campsite sits next to confluence of Lake Lindeman and the outlet river from Deep Lake but also contains a large number of relics. The campsite is located on the site of what used to be Lindeman City during the gold rush and a small trail leading from the campsite takes hikers to a period cemetary for those less-fortunate prospectors of the era. A quick walk through the surrounding woods also reveals numerous foundations of now non-existant buildings, former fire rings, old latrine holes, the former main drag of Lindeman City 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 running 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 and beautiful location offers a great location to reflect on the trail.
After Bare Loon Lake the trail diverges. One branch splits off to meet the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad and then follows its tracks south to Log Cabin where the trailroad converges with the Klondike Highway and where hikers can arrange pick-ups with either a scheduld bus or an acquaintence with a car. The other branch slowly descends the aforementioned bluff overlooking Lake Lindeman and passes a still-operating trapper's cabin and begins running parallel to an now-defunct 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 in the official hiking season, most hikers take the White Pass and Yukon Route back to Skagway with a one-way fare.
Campsites
There are a total of nine designated and maintained campgrounds on the Chilkoot Trail:
Finnegan's Point
Finnegan's Point is located right next to the Taiya River while the valley is still relatively flat. The mosquitos are very bad at Finnegan's Point partly due to its locatation and the abundance of standing war in and around Finnegan's Point. The campsite itself features one canvas warming and cooking shelter complete with mosquito screens and a bear pole and a bear-proof food storage locker for safekeeping of food overnight, an outhouse, and an ample amount of tent sites.
Canyon City
Canyon City is the second largest campground on the American side of the trail. It too is conviently located right next to small offshoot of the Taiya River that allows comfortable dishwashing and filling of water bottles. It features a spacious log cabin complete with a wood stove, numerous shelves full of artifacts, several bunks (although sleeping is not permitted inside park shelters), and several shelves for cooking. It also has a small porch ideal for hanging up gear to air out or dry and some wooden chairs to sit in. Canyon City features over 30 campsites and two outhouses as well as food lockers and bear polls.
Pleasant Camp
Pleasant Camp is the smallest of the campsites on the American side of the trail. It is located next to a sandbar in the Taiya River and features a canvas warming and cooking shelter, a spattering of campsites, and a bear poll. Pleasant camp usually serves as a backwater for when Sheep Camp is full. There is a sign near the cooking shelter notifying backpackers whether Sheep Camp is at capacity or can still take bacpackers.
Sheep Camp
Sheep Camp is the largest of the American campsites. It it is located in between a crick of meltwater from the adjacent mountains and some branches of the Taiya River. Occassionally after disruptions upstream such as avalanches, rockslides, or exceptional rains, portions of Sheep Camp next to the Taiya become flooded. Sheep Camp has three seperate canvas shelters, a small cache used by the trail crew, a spattering of outhouses, and over 40 campsites. The only U.S. Ranger Station on the trail is located just a few hundred meters north of Sheep Camp and the ranger during the official season comes down to give a presentation on the history and current conditions of the pass.
Happy Camp
Happy Camp is the only campsite on trail entirely out of the treeline although small shrubs are prevelent. A very small wooden warming cabin and a food closet as well as an outhouse (with refuse depositted into a container that is heli-lifted out as to protect the fragile alpine enviornment) are all located at this campsite. There are a decent amount of campsites but the number is limited due to the rather steady slope the campsite is located on. However, in the spring watching the melt-off streams pour into the small river in front of Happy Camp can be a spectacular sight, spare that your tent is not in the way of some of the streams that happen to run right through the campsite!
Deep Lake
Deep Lake is the only one of two campsites on the trail to be devoid of some kind of protective shelter. Well, unless an outhouse is considered shelter! Deep Lake has an outside cooking area, bear polls, and a small number of campsites and probably amounts to being the smallest campsite on the trail. However, it's view is spectacular. It is situated between the end of Long Lake and the beginning of Deep Lake, both of which hold a most mysterious indigal hue.
Lake Lindeman
The largest campsite on the Canadian side, and possibly the entire trail, is Lake Lindeman. Featuring seperate north and south campsites, a small cluster of buildings for the wardens and trail crew, a makeshift dock and boat for transportation of the wardens (unlike the Americans, the Canadian wardens cannot just hike out to Skagway), a canvas shelter containing a museum of photographs and small library on the outdoors and Klondike history, and a web of trails leading through the remains of the gold rush-era Lindeman City - Lindeman City. The North and South campsites each feature a large wooden cabin that serves as a cooking and warming shelter, numerous bear polls, and several picnic tables. There are more than enough campsites spread out throughout the sparse pine forest and Lake Lindeman laps on the shoreline with reassuring consistancy.
Bare Loon Lake
Bare Loon Lake is the other campsite on the trail without a cooking or warming shelter. Located on a small ridge above Lake Lindeman in spacious pine forest and overlooking the small and rustic Bare Loon Lake, the Bare Loon Lake campsite is one of the most beautiful on the trail. There is a n outhouse, a helicopter pad, and bear polls, but otherwise this is a small campsite for those close to the end of their journey. One can also swim in Bare Loon Lake. Unlike almost every other watersource encountered on the trail thus far, Bare Loon Lake is not glacially-fed, and so, while it may be frigid, it doesn't compare to the Taiya River, Deep Lake, or Lake Lindeman by a long shot.
Bennett
Bennett is the end of the trail and a baby step back into civilization. There are several structures built and maintained by the White Pass and Yukon Route including a museum for tourists, a depot, and housing for employees. There is also the private First Nations residence which is off limits and private property. While Bennett doesn't have a shelter specific for cooking, there is shelter to be found easily at Bennett. The campground is relatively small and boasts of bear polls, picnic tables, and an outhouse. Also at Bennett is the still-standing St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. It is still standing from the gold rush and has since been renovated, but still is beautiful and contains a lot of history.
Safety
While in the summer there are full-time rangers and wardens on both the US and Canadian sides, the Chilkoot Trail is still by no means without its risks.
Bears
Bears are the primary concern in the park. It is very common for hikers to encounter them, but firearms are not allowed in the park . Almost all parties take bear spray and/or bear pells as repellents, but more importantly both sides of the park mandate smart bear practices. It is required to safely stow your food in a bear-safe location whether that be provided lockers or bear polls as to prevents bears from associating humans with food and thus creating "problem bears." There are constant notices and reminders of how to react if one sees a bear and what to do if a bear charges. Because of the well-coordinated bear education campaign by park officials bears remain just a potential for problems and have yet to actually become a problem.
Weather and terrain
Weather and terrain also pose challenges to hikers. While there are very few risks in the forest regions of the trail, once hikers break into the alpine problems become prevalent. Snow bridges in the Taiya River valley before the pass don't really have potential to create serious injuries or situations but are a hazard hikers should look out for to prevent unnecessary bruises and wet gear. A larger problem is hikers not being physically prepared, the weather not being accomidating, or a combination of both of the above and groups not making the jump from Sheep Camp to Happy Camp. Often times the ranger from Sheep Camp sweeps late in the day up to the pass to check for straggling groups and suggests that those who don't look like they'll be able to make it to Happy Camp stay in the warming shelter at the summit for the night instead of risking it on the barren alpine between the summit and Happy Camp.
Another danger in the winter or spring is that of avalanches. While those hikers in the mainstream season don't need worry about this, early-season hikers are often briefed of potential chutes and suggestions of navigating them.
External links
- Official site - United States
- Official site - Canada
- Topographic map of trail
- A hiker's journal (1)
- A hiker's journal (2)
