ALASKA Chilkoot trail 5-day
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Overview:
Walk through history on the original route taken by gold seekers during the Klondike Goldrush. The Chilkoot trail will take you from the fantastical temperate rainforests of Southeast Alaska, to the alpine zone where glaciers and mountain goat’s beckon. Crossing the border into the Canadian Yukon at the Summit of Chilkoot pass you will experience alpine lakes, tundra, rushing rivers, streams, glaciers and Boreal Forest, only to end your trip in the complete backcountry where only a train station awaits, where a scenic railroad will deliver you back to the small Alaska town where you began.
*No bear cans required on the Chilkoot as there are bear lockers at every camp site!
Challenge:
Additional Information:
Getting to Skagway: Getting to Skagway involves flying to Juneau International Airport which is serviced by Alaska Airlines and Delta. From Juneau there are two very scenic options traveling up the Lynn Canal, flying with Alaska Seaplanes, or taking the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry. Both allow incredible views of North Americas longest and deepest glacial fjord.
Passports: A valid passport is required for this trip as we will be crossing the border with Canada and then returning back into Alaska.
What’s Included:
A certified and highly experienced Chilkoot Hiking Guide
All meals on trial
Permits for both the Alaska and Canada sides of the trail
Shuttle to trailhead
White Pass Scenic railroad excursion from Bennet Lake to Skagway, AK.
What’s not included:
Gratuities: 15-20% gratuity recommended for guide
Travel to and from Skagway, Ak
Lodging or camping in Skagway, Ak
Itinerary:
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Meet with your guide for a pre-trip orientation to discuss logistics, hand out gear, and talk about what to expect on trail. Meals and lodging will be on your own in Skagway.
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The adventure begins with a Ranger talk required by the park service, and a short 20 minute shuttle to the trailhead, where the hike will start off following the Taiya River through a thriving northwest coastal rainforest. In marshy areas the trail is filled with impressive board walks that take you right along the water’s surface in places and give you close up views to the dams and handywork of beaver country. After 7.7 miles and very little elevation gain, we will pitch camp at Canyon City camp, where we will have access to a park service cabin for cooking, and the opportunity to cross the river on a hanging bridge to access the ruins of a settlement once set up to aid travelers on their way to the Yukon River.
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On our 2nd day of hiking, we will begin our climb up River for a slightly shorter day of hiking. Many splendid views will pop up including a sighting of the epic hanging Saussure glacier to the north. We will pass pleasant camp and make our way to sheep camp, where we will receive a ranger briefing about crossing the Chilkoot pass the following day. We will eat a hearty dinner and prepare for the big day ahead, crossing the pass from Alaska into Canada.
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An adventurous hike is in store. We will climb up and out of the coastal rainforest where an entirely different ecosystem of plants and animals await. We will eventually reach the pass, and climb our way up manageable talus fields to the summit. Views of the mountains around us will open up as peaks and glaciers show themselves. We will look towards the alpine tundra landscape that awaits us in the Yukon and descend past alpine lakes, cascading creeks, flowers and berries to a beautiful valley with a camp called Happy Camp, where we will stay the night and possibly dip in the cool mountain waters.
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A shorter day of hiking will give us time to soak in the beautiful Yukon alpine on our way down to a lakeside camp on Lindeman Lake located in the subalpine boreal forest, an entirely new ecosystem than the trail has offered thus far. We will take time this day to enjoy lunch and snacks in some scenic spots, and soak in the Alaskan backcountry, before our final day of hiking brings us to a mid-day train ride.
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We will continue along the lakes that make up the headwaters of the Yukon River as the trail brings us to Bennet Lake, a historic site, where the gold seekers would build boats to paddle through the lakes and eventually on to the Yukon River, where they would ride for thousands of miles on to the gold fields in Dawson City. Here we will find no roads, but we will find our way to a beautiful train station on the banks of the lake where the scenic railroad will pick us up for a unique train ride which will take us over the white pass and down to sea level at Skagway Alaska.
