I bought a T’shirt that had a picture with the words, “let someone else climb the corporate ladder”, words that I thought fitting. Skagway is known for the Chilkoot Trail, one of the Inuit Trails that was later used by the Gold Rush crowd to get up to the headwaters of the Yukon River, where they then clear felled all the trees to make rafts to move their mandated by law one (1) ton of food and gear to raft to the Klondike area near Dawson City in the Yukon. People offered services from Skagway from shops to buy the required food and gear, porterage to help carry the one (1) ton of gear up the Chilkoot and of course there were some famous women that provided other services. So tourists to this area know of the Chilkoot Trail, a 33 mile 3-5 day trek. Last time we were here, Josh and I did a days walk at the bottom, beginning end of this hike.
However, we were armed with another hike for this trip, Lower and Upper Dewey Lake and Devils Punchbowl. This trail starts behind Skagway, so we parked the RV downtown to allow Linda and Tayla to have a walk around the shops, not that many were open, since there were no Cruise Ships in today.
I’m glad I didn’t read the trail notes until I was along the trail, as this was the steepest and most difficult trail hike I had ever done. Coming close second is the start of the ‘Walls of Jerusalem” hike in Tasmania and the climb up Spicers Peak on Main Range National Park, Queensland, but on both of those I had an overpacked backpack of gear. This hike was much more difficult with only a day pack, it would have been impossible for me and my current fitness for a full pack.
The trail starts at sea level and proceeds up to the towns reservoir, then Lower Dewey Lake. This part is ok, a little steep, graded as ‘moderate’. It has sufficient elevation to provide the water for the towns first Hydro-electric powerstation, which began in 1902 and is still running today.
Then the going gets very difficult, up to Upper Dewey Lake. Over two miles in track length, you gain 2,600 feet to it’s peak of 3,100 feet = 945 metres. The track is a series of switch backs that follows a cascading waterfall, but unlike tracks in Oz, where the track is moderately inclined, this track is about 70 degrees of the Azimuth, that is off heading directly up the mountain. The trail itself is rocky and wet peat bog, with tree roots everywhere. It is more like a set of irregular stone stairs than a path.
We came across one lone lady on her way back down, it was obvious she was training for the annual race next weekend, where they race to the top and on offer is a $30 helicopter ride back down. At the top we met four young ladies who had taken a helicopter to the top the day before and overnighted in one of the two cabins, one for rent from Skagway Town Council and the other older (original) one on a first come first served. The girls were to be picked up at 4.00 pm today. Josh and I had made good time, we had left at 11.00am, and taken three hours to get to Upper Dewey Lake, our original goal.
The cabin girls inspired us to continue on to Devils Punch Bowl, “an hours return from the cabin/lake”. This part of the trail follows the ridge line out toward the Lynne Canal. This whole area overlooks the Harding Ice Field. The hike out took us to our peak of 3,700 feet (1,130m) that meant we had climbed one (1) kilometre up and in total, taken 13k’s to do it, but that leg in the middle, up the waterfall, was a killer.
The hike down was faster but much harder on the knees. There is only one level part, a four metre long bridge over the waterfalling creek. When we hit that, our muscles didn’t know how to walk on level ground, it was an unreal sensation. We past the girls just before their helicopter was to arrive, and got a photo of it soon after. Then pasted two women, one from a Fur Store I had spoken too yesterday, enroute up, and when I told them a helicopter was about to arrive for the cabin girls, they rushed to seek a ride back, to no avail. Then we past a European girl hiking solo up, and it was getting late.
We bugged out at 6.30pm and it was a struggle to drive the RV back to the RV Park, where we both enjoyed sitting, for a long time.
Linda and Tayla explored the Cruise Shipdock area and found all sorts of bits and pieces dropped by the tourists, and enjoyed the township in a more ‘ghost town’ type scenario. What a difference having no cruise ships makes.
Weather: Wonderfully a high fog like cloud all day, until after sunset.
Low: high 30’s High: low 60’s.
Wildlife: Cabin Girls
O/N Bugger, didn’t grab it. Skagway.
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