G-O-L-D — a substance that historically has driven people to the very edge of their mental and physical limits. When gold was discovered in Yukon’s Klondike region, it attracted more than 100,000 prospectors, insects to a golden flame (and even more likely to be toasted by it). Unlike the San Francisco gold rush a half-century prior, the Klondike was not nearly as accessible. Prospectors had just two options to get to the headwaters of the Yukon River: hike the White Pass route from Skagway, Alaska, or take on the shorter, steeper, and cheaper Chilkoot Trail. Since nobody wants to dawdle when there’s gold to be found (it is a gold rush, after all), the Chilkoot Trail from Dyea, Alaska, became known as the Poor Man’s Route to the Klondike.
Before the Gold
The Tlingit were the first to use the Chilkoot Trail as one of five trade routes into the interior. Different clans would manage the trade routes, with the Raven clan in charge of the Chilkoot. The Tlingit traded furs, fish, and clothing with the interior tribes, until European fur traders arrived and became valuable new trading partners. The U.S. Navy later negotiated with the Tlingit so that prospectors could use the trail, with the Tlingit initially profiting from packing services before being unable to keep up with demand.
Many of these prospectors had more ambition than sense. After several tragedies, the North-West Mounted Police insisted that prospectors (also known as “stampeders”) only enter Canada if they had at least one ton of gear. Pack mules, aerial tramways, and porters were utilized to schlep this gear from campsite to campsite, crossing coastal rainforest and treacherous high alpine passes to get to the valley below. With some 40 cache drops, it was tough going. Leading up to the Chilkoot Pass, the trail elevated almost 300 metres in the final 800 metres alone. These were the intimidating Golden Stairs, 1,500 steps cut into the ice and snow, leading to riches or misery. The mere sight of the pass was enough to send many a defeated stampeder retreating in the opposite direction. In April 1898, unstable weather caused avalanche conditions, and despite warnings from trail guides, prospectors insisted on moving forward. A series of avalanches claimed the lives of more than 60 people in just one day. The following year, the trail became obsolete with the introduction of a railway running along the White Pass. That year also signalled the end of the Klondike gold rush, as prospectors in Dawson City found no opportunities, and the media hype shifted to the Spanish American War. The boom was over, but the Chilkoot Trail was far from finished.
Each summer, the 53-kilometre trail attracts hikers from around the world, drawn to the spectacular scenery, a rugged challenge, and the enduring draw of history. It constitutes the largest National Historic Site in the country, and in partnership with the United States, is known as the Klondike Gold Rush International Historic Site. Maintained by Parks Canada and the U.S. National Parks Service, just 50 hikers are allowed to enter the trail each day, and due to high demand, reservations are essential. In the ghostly wake of shoddy tent cities are well-maintained campgrounds, interpretative signs, and warden patrols. Noting its slippery, snow-covered rocky terrain, Parks Canada leaves no doubt this is a demanding trail: “The Chilkoot should only be attempted by persons who are physically fit and experienced in hiking and backpacking.” They bold that, to show they’re serious.
The Dyea trailhead is accessed via Skagway (a three-hour drive from Whitehorse), with hikers collected at the Bennett, B.C., trailhead by the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, or by charter plane. It generally takes between three to five days to hike the trail, depending on your pace. Taking on the Golden Stairs and crossing the pass from Sheep Camp to Happy Camp is typically a 12-hour haul. Once you’re over the pass, it gets warmer as you enter the boreal forests, arriving at the gem-coloured Lake Lindeman, and onto Bare Loon Lake and finally Bennett. Today’s Chilkoot Trail attracts hikers chasing a different type of gold, although one that I’d argue is no less precious. The gold of the great outdoors, the gold of a physical challenge, and the gold of ticking off an unforgettable experience on the Great Canadian Bucket List.
START HERE: canadianbucketlist.com/chilkoottrail