The Chilkoot pass was originally one of 5 trading routes used by local First Nations Tlingit peoples. In the summer of 1897, news of the Klondike Gold strike sends a flood of desperate prospectors over the pass in all seasons, even the dead of winter.

Scores of families, inexperienced, disorganized and unfamiliar with wilderness living flooded the trail. Canada’s Northwest Mounted Police set a mandate requiring each individual to carry 1 ton of gear – enough for 1 year survival. We stopped complaining about our own packs after hearing that!

Our hiker’s itinerary began in Whitehorse, Yukon. We drove to Fraser BC where we boarded a train to Skagway, Alaska which was near our trailhead in Dyea. The hike was a total of 6 night and 7 days, and had a high variety of terrain! We travelled through coastal forest, past the Irene Glacier, headed into Alpine terrain and eventually into beautiful sub-Alpine meadows. The hike had a bit of everything; eisurely walking, a wet snowy climb and some strenuous trekking. One of the best parts was the natural history from the gold rush era; people’s belongings from the early 1900s are strewn about the trail – it’s a walking museum!

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