More Than History - A Real Backpackers Delight
“Yukon” Johann and “Moose” Lee prepared to leave the ranger station. The lower portion of the hike was wet as we traveled through the lowland rain forests, not unlike what we have done numerous times in the North Cascades of Washington. There is one major difference though, the trail was littered with bear scat. At times, very deliberate steps had to be taken to avoid stepping in it.
As we ascended from the rainforests into the sub alpine zone we saw many artifacts. Many pack animals were treated harshly and left for dead.
The area known as the “Scales” was perhaps the most dramatic of these scenes.
Only 50 people are allowed on the trail at any given time and folks must camp in designated sites. Each site contains a very nice enclosed cook shelter. This is a nice touch as the weather is usually damp, windy and cold.
A small group ahead of us ascended the pass first. The picture here gives a hint of the steepness of the legendary “Golden Stairs”. It was a bit daunting from a distance and we were told that the day before we left that two packers slipped on the ice and had to be medi-vac’d out to Juneau. An ice axe and cramp-ons would have be an extra layer of safety. A side benefit of following this party was the fact that they scared some Mountain Goats over towards us. We saw Nannies, Kids and a couple of Billies acting as sentries.
“Yukon” Johann made the climb without incident and I was the proudest papa in all of the world when we reached the summit.
At the border, just before the summit, there was a monument. We were told that there are numerous remains of buildings and artifacts here, but the snow covered them.
The landscape quickly changed into an arctic-like environment. It was quite surreal.
From here the weather got warmer and warmer as we descended into deep lush forest.
Overall the trip was impressive and we had excellent weather...a rarity we've been told. The trail provides for a very scenic pack trip. The historical significance provides insight as to how this country was settled. We didn't see any bears, but signs of them were all over. We were told that the day before we arrived in one camp someone was pepper sprayed by accident as moments before a black bear was investigating a tent and screams were heard.
This was truly one of the best backpack trips ever. However, I would not recomend it for beginners.
Did I mention we are experiencing 19 hours of daylight now!
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