July 21, 2009 by Rae

Chilkoot Trailhead to Finnigan’s Point

Last post left us at the trailhead in Dyea. Let’s pause for a bit and talk about who ‘we’ are. ‘We’ are a group of seven, five guests and two guides, Mark and Victor, from Sea to Sky Expeditions, based in Delta, BC (near Vancouver). There are only a handful of outfitters with permits for the Chilkoot Pass and I picked Sea to Sky for two reasons:

1) They are the only outfitters who start in Whitehorse and return guests to Whitehorse. All others start in Skagway and return to Skagway;

2) Their itinerary provides an extra night on the trail so the trip is less rushed.

I was extremely pleased with my experience with Sea to Sky and look forward to taking another trip with them in the future!

Back to Dyea:

Our guides made sure we started off on the right foot by feeding us a fabulous breakfast of fresh blueberries topped with vanilla yoghurt as well as muffins. Hot drinks were up to us, with hot water provided first thing each morning. When filling out our pre-trip paperwork, we had to state what sorts of hot drinks we wanted and I had asked for coffee in the morning and herbal tea in the evening so I did not have to go into caffeine withdrawal on this trip. 🙂

We set off at about 8:30, with a quick stop at the Chilkoot trailhead sign for a group photo and then the adventure finally began!

The meanest miles in history show their true colours just a few feet from the trailhead with challenging ‘Saintly Hill’ (ha!) that tests hikers even before they are warmed up. Once up that slippery mass of earth, roots, and rocks, it’s fairly easy trekking through marshland to the first campground, Finnigan’s Point, where we had lunch.

the group, minus our guide Mark who has hiked this trail at least 19 times!

the summit of Saintly Hill

walking on water

obviously not a gold rush relic 🙂

typical shelter at a US Chilkoot campground (used only for eating or getting warm in bad weather, not for sleeping)

Irene Glacier seen from Finnigan’s Point

July 21, 2009 by Rae

Dyea, Alaska (Chilkoot Trailhead)

Gold rushers had a choice of two land routes to the Klondike, the White Pass from Skagway and the Chilkoot Pass from Dyea. Thanks to the White Pass Railroad, Skagway has survived while Dyea has passed quietly into history. Today, there is little to see in Dyea and we arrived too late to explore the area.

a hint of the scenery to come

another hint of the scenery to come

Home sweet home. There were two of us in that thing. At least, we each had our own door and covered porch. 🙂

Getting water, probably my favourite ‘chore’ on the trail

the biggest and most beautiful outhouse I’ve ever seen (also one of the stinkiest)

July 20, 2009 by Rae

Skagway, Alaska

Skagway is an odd narrow town sandwiched on three sides by tall mountains and penned in on the forth by the ocean. It is a port city where cruise ships arrive in the hundreds during the summer season. The town appears, at first, to look a lot like Dawson City, very quaint and beautiful, but it soon becomes obvious that it is Disneyfied. The buildings on its streets are little more than façades hiding one kitschy tourist shop after another. But there is a Skagway to discover, if you care to, and I had four and a half hours in which to do so. I took a walking tour with a park ranger, visited the Klondike Park museum, and strolled through this small community. At the end of the afternoon, the group met up again for one last taste of civilization, superb Thai food at the Starfire restaurant on 4th Avenue. Skagway is obviously more than meets the eye.

looking down Broadway towards the cruise ships

remember this name…

façades on Broadway (and our nice ranger guide on the walking tour)

close up of a false front

home of William Moore, founder of Skagway (historical colours!)

one of several cruise ships docked that day

you know you’re in the middle of nowhere when…

the Chilkoot info centre, check in here for trail conditions, permits, and info

one of the oddest buildings I have ever seen

July 20, 2009 by Rae

Fraser to Skagway on the Whitepass and Yukon Railroad

The Whitepass and Yukon Railroad spelled the end of the Chilkoot trail’s usefulness, providing an easy route into the Klondike. Today, the railroad is renowned the world over for its gorgeous vistas.

We boarded the WPYR in Fraser, British Columbia, and rode it all the way into Skagway, Alaska, 40 odd miles through some of the biggest and most beautiful country I’d seen so far.