Chilkoot Trail - An amazing journey with great people, weather, and views!

Check out the amazing weather we had as we got over the pass - absolutely phenomenal.

Naoko and I completed the Chilkoot Trail (Skagway Alaska to Bennett British Columbia) just this past week, yep just two weeks before our next journey to Hokkaido - it was a great.  Every Canadian should take the opportunity to go through this trail - not many of us Canadians truly realize the huge impact the Klondyke Goldrush had on not just Yukon, but the majority of Western Canada.  It is baffling to think how many gold seekers set out to get to Dawson City in those two years (1897-98) and how that created an opening up of Northern British Columbia, Yukon, and parts of Alberta.  Being able to hike the area where 30,000+ gold seekers passed over 100 years ago was humbling.  The various environmental ecosystems that you pass through as you wind your way through the pass is also the highlight of the trail.  We weaved through lush Alaskan rain forrest, high alpine, and then desert like forrest - when we got towards the end and started to see those spindly pine trees, I felt like I was being welcomed home!  Now it's back to reality packing up our home over the next week and my last gasp attempt to get all my paperwork done at work and get things tidied up.  To think in two weeks we shall be taking off to Japan.

Check out some of the photo's from our Chilkoot journey:

Taiga getting ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's prior to the trek.

The Sourdoughs getting ready for the big hike. 

(I should mention our eldest member was 71 years old, my friend's mother - we didn't have to worry in the least about her keeping up with us; she was nipping at my shoes for most of the journey!!)

Naoko may be half my size, but she carried her fair share of the load.  She was a true stampeder by lugging almost the same weight of goods as me!

Working out way closer and closer to the dreaded "Golden Staircase"

                

Heading up "the Golden Staircase" - thankfully in summer and not like original stampeders in winter.  It really wasn't as hard as it looks.  Though I'd be lying if I didn't say the journey was a "challenge"; was glad I decided to get into shape the last couple months.

The End of the Trail - Bennett British Columbia

All our crew made in one piece and we were rewarded with a warm meal of beef stew at Bennett Train Station; we then took the hour and half train journey back to Carcross Yukon.

An awesome journey.  Any friends out there who would like to do it, let me know, would love to do the trail again. I can't guarantee the weather is going to be as nice as it was for us; if it had been piss pouring rain, I may not be wanting to do it again.