Annual Hike?

The Camino de Santiago may be out for a few more years, but what about making our trips an annual thing?

On one of our recent hikes Loda, Amanda, and I decided that we needed to do this again next year. I'm sure if Blythe were there she would have agreed, too. Amanda suggested Resurrection Pass Trail/Historic Iditarod (Crow Pass) Trail, a 26-mile trail running from Girdwood to Eagle River. It takes only a few days to hike it. Maybe we'll even be able to get a few other people to travel with us!


Here is some very general information about it from the Chugach State Park website. There you can also find a historical guide and a map of the trail.

Historic Iditarod (Crow Pass) Trail 
Access: Eagle River Nature Center, or from Girdwood take Crow Creek Road to road end and Crow Creek Trailhead (managed by Chugach Nat'l. Forest).
 
Travel Means: Foot only.
 
Distance: 26 miles or 50 kilometers one way. See Special Features for shorter hike options along this trail.
 
Elevation Gain: 2500 feet or 762 meters to pass from Crow Creek Trailhead, 3500 feet or 1067 meters to pass from Eagle River Trailhead.
 
Difficulty: Easy to difficult.
 
Special Features: Trail follows historic Iditarod supply route. Mining ruins, spectacular views of peaks, glaciers. Much wildlife. Excellent day hikes from either end or spend a few days and hike trail length. Unabridged stream and river crossings can be difficult. Shorter hikes from Nature Center include: to Echo Bend (easy), 3 miles one way; to Heritage Falls (easy, large falls across river), 4.5 miles one way; Twin Falls (moderate, stream crossings, beaver ponds, waterfalls), 9 miles one way. This area closed to hunting, rich in wildlife - moose, beaver, bears, sheep, eagles. Hikes from Crow Creek include: to mine site (moderate, steep) 2 miles one way; to Crystal Lake and USFS cabin (moderate, steep, spectacular, reservations required for cabin) 3 miles one way; to pass and Raven Glacier (moderate, spectacular) 4 miles one way.
 
Winter: From Nature Center to Eagle Glacier or Ford site: Skiing on river surface, gravel bars up valley is often very good, avalanche free, overflow prone. From Crow Creek to Eagle Glacier or Ford Site: Very avalanche prone. Not recommended.

Hiking Schedule

Amanda was kind enough to plan out a hiking schedule for us from now until "T-Day" ("Trail Day"). Even though this has been sent to everyone (and a few others who like to hike), I thought it might be a good idea to put it here just in case anyone needs to reference it and doesn't want to go through their emails. This schedule will be updated as needed, since Blythe will be coming to visit in early June and some of the hikes are still TBA.

Sunday May 20 - Murphy Dome - Meet at my house at 11am for a 1-2 hour hike involving a big butt-busting climb. 

Thursday May 24 - 7pm - Moose Creek Bluff with the Fairbanks Hiking Club. 

This hike is about 2 hours and goes through forested areas over the bluff and across the flood plain. NEW MEETING PLACE: Due to road construction on the Richardson Highway, we will meet at the parking area off of Lawrence Road before the entrance to Chena Lakes REC area. From Fairbanks head south on the Richardson Highway, through North Pole, and take the Busby Road offramp. Turn left under the highway and immediately right on the frontage road following the signs to the Chena Recreation Area. Shortly after passing Nelson road (on the left) the road makes a sharp curve to the left, look for a parking lot on the left just after the curve.  

Saturday May 26 - Hiking club at Granite Tors. They are doing an overnighter but day hikers are welcome. 10am at the trail head for a day hike. I think we should meet at Bobbi's house at 8:45am and car pool. 

Thursday May 31 - Ester Dome at 7pm. Meet at the intersection of Ester Dome Road and Upper Henderson Road. Follow Sheep Creek Road to Ester Dome Road, then up about 3 miles to Henderson. This hike lasts about 2 hours and has some great views of the Tanana Valley. 

Saturday June 2 - Tentative - 10am gear check and hike on Murphy Dome - to the top - 6 miles - OR - Wickersham Dome if gear check to happen June 10.

Thursday June 7 - TBA - Hiking club or trails off of Ballaine Road - Meet at the end of Meadow Mouse Lane at 7pm. 

Sunday June 10 - Tentative - 10am gear check and hike on Murphy Dome - to the top - * If gear check has already happened then Wickersham Dome (Meet at Bobbi's House at 9am and car pool. )

Thursday June 14 - TBA

Saturday June 16 - Donnelly Dome. We could drive down early in morning. It's about three hours away. Or we could sleep at our cabin at Summit Lake on Friday night and try and bang out this hike first thing Saturday morning.

Thursday June 21 - Birch Hill or Ester Dome.

Saturday June 23 - * Overnight hike* Mt. Healy trail and camp at Denali Park. Or Wickersham Dome, which involves an 8-mile hike to a shelter and again in the morning. 

Thursday June 28 - Isberg Trails - 7pm - Park at the pullout on the right about a mile down Isberg Road from Chena Ridge Road. Follow Chena Ridge Road to Isberg Road, then Isberg Road to the pullout on the right at about 1/3 mile.

Saturday June 30 - TBA - overnight?

Thursday July 5 - We leave for the Chilkoot Trail.

Chilkoot Dreams

I had a strange dream while in Anchorage that I thought I'd share with the rest of you. Amanda had pointed out that it might be anxiety over the upcoming hike. Anyway, let's see what you think:

We were getting ready to hike, but the Chilkoot Trail looked more like the Himalayas. Drifts of snow were everywhere and it was pretty cold. I was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and my backpacked looked more like a day-runner's pack. There were 20 of us waiting to go up the hill, but as we started to line up to get moving, I realized that we had forgotten our permits. And then I realized that I had forgotten my passport. I started freaking out and fretting about not being able to pass the border.

All in all, it was a rather silly dream and I woke up more amused than frightened or worried. Anyone else having crazy hiking dreams? 

Notes on the Chilkoot Trail Presentation

I attended a presentation at Beaver Sports called "Hiking the Chilkoot Trail". Don Kiely from the Fairbanks Hiking Club was the speaker. He's gone on the Trail numerous times.

His presentation was mostly about logistics and securing permits (which we've already done), but there were a few gems that I found useful:

1) Break in your hiking boots (or whatever shoes you take). Don did say that while you didn't necessarily need hiking boots since most of the trail was, in fact, a good trail lacking rocky spots, the shoes you did wear should be broken in. He also recommended sandals for bumming around the campsites.

2) Bring a 30-foot bear rope. The campsites supply the bear canisters. Remember to read up on Canada's bear spray regulations. He said that encounters with bears were few, but that you should still be prepared.

3) The train is an awesome experience and well worth the money. This is the first year that the train is only running 2 days a week - it used to run 3. The train leaves Bennett at 2pm Alaska time, so we'll need to remember that when we cross the Canadian boarder. There are float planes that will fly you from Lake Bennett back to Skagway for a modest fee. Maybe next time, ladies?

4) Don recommended taking your time on the trail and exploring the area. He said that there were a lot of artifacts along the trail that were fun to see. He also suggested reading up on the history of the trail before going, just to appreciate more the historical aspects of the trail.

5) Don stressed the importance of everyone in the group being present in order to pick up the permits to hike the trail. They will no longer allow groups without all of their members to pick up permits. He said that if you've made reservations you can pick them up the day before you hike. Since we've got a pretty full morning the first day of our hike, we may want to consider doing this.

6) The trailhead begins in Dyea (pronounced Die-eee). I will no longer sound like an idiot when I try to say it!

A copy of the handout from the presentation is here. It's got a good list of books and websites to check out about the Trail. Let me know if you have trouble linking to it and I will email it to you.

Accommodations:

I checked out the Skagway.com web site for places to stay.  I only looked at accommodations with real beds.  I am not sure about your feelings on where to stay before and after the trip but i would prefer a nice bed since i will be sleeping on the ground for four days.  I was also thinking we would stay together so i researched places that would take on a small group.  In some cases, prices would be per person (i.e. bunks) and others we would share beds and split the costs of the room or rooms.  The prices (pre-tax of course) ranged from $15 to $50 per night.  Not all locations had a clear cancellation policy and some only took cash.  I tried to annotate these the best i could.

My pick is the Alaskan Sojourn for its price, bunks, and atmosphere.  My second choice Cindy's Columbine cabin.  Again, not too expensive, private with its own bath, and it can accommodate all of our party.  We can even do a combination of places.  Please check them out and let me know your top three choices.  I will research them further.  If you would rather camp, find a better location, or would rather have a private room, let me know that, too.

Once a decision is made, i will follow Bobbi's lead and pay for the rooms or deposit.  If you would like your own room, again, please let me know and i will leave it up to you to make the reservation.  

Bobbi:  I think i will be flying down and either meeting you in Juneau or Skagway depending on your route.  Please let me know your itinerary so i can schedule the rooms for the appropriate date.

Skagway Home Hostel and Gardens (Currently Closed/No online Reservations)

• Community Kitchen
• Hot Showers
• Dorm Style Rooms
• Help with Cleaning Duties
• $20 or $15 for Coed

Alaska Sojourn

• Two gender specific dorm rooms (bunk beds)
• One co-ed dorm (bunk beds)
• Bunks ~ $25.00 /night
• One Private Room
• $75.00 per night for private room. (2 people max)
• Free linens (we don’t allow use of personal linens or sleeping bags)
• Conveniently located, just a few blocks walk from downtown.
• Free Coffee and Tea freshly brewed every morning!
• Cash Only

Cindy's Place - Cabins

The Columbine Cabin

• No credit cards.  $50 Deposit
• Private Bathroom
• Queen Bed and two Twin Mattresses.
• Microwave, toaster, coffee maker
• Continental breakfast foods plus fresh baked goods
• Rates are $125/double with food or $105/double with just hot beverages, $5 more for a double with separate beds, $15 each additional person with food, or $10 each additional person without food.

Historic Skagway Inn

• Deposit on one room only.  Reservations cancelled 30 and more before arrival, refunded.  After 30 days only if able to rebook room. 
• Complementary Transportation to/from the Ferry, Train, Bus, or Airport
• Full Hot Breakfast (Eggs, Bacon or Sausage, Potatoes, Muffins, Cereal, Yogurt, Toast, Fruit, Milk, Juice, Herbal Teas, and Ravens Brew Coffee)
• WiFi
• Alice and Flo Rooms: Queen and two twins $200
• Dottie: Twin Beds and 3/4 Bath $159
• Ida: Two Twin Beds and shared bath $119
• There are other options.  If you considered this option, please check out website.

Morning Wood Hotel

• Eight private with Double Beds and two shared bathrooms $75

Sgt. Preston's Lodge

• Color Televisions with cable tv - DVD players available upon request
• Private baths, some shower-bath combinations
• Micro-waves and Refrigerators available upon request ( depending on room)
• Complimentary Coffee, Tea or Hot Chocolate available in lobby
• Small Room - Queen and Shower $90
• Standard Room - Two Doubles and bath $100 plus $10 per extra person
• Deluxe Room - Two Queen Beds and bath $115 plus $10 per extra person
• 72 hour cancellatioin

Planes, Trains, & Ferries: Prices and Schedules

For those who will not be driving, the trip (minus the hike itself which will be using feet only!) can be broken down into 6 major segments. Likely, these will be 1) flight, 2) flight, 3) shuttle, then hike, 4) train, 5) flight, 6) flight. Large planes cannot fly into Skagway, the town nearest the trailhead so a person must first fly to Juneau on Alaska Airlines and then from Juneau to Skagway on one of two smaller airlines. There is also the option of taking a ferry either one or both ways from Juneau to Skagway. In addition to traveling to and from Skagway, there is the short shuttle ride from Skagway to the trailhead (which I am not including below) and the train ride from the Canadian end of the trail in Bennet back to Skagway.

I am quoting prices for people traveling in groups of two for the purpose of including companion fare discounts and 2 berth rooms on the ferry. Using the information below, one can easily estimate cost and then book reservations. Train reservations should be made at least 2 weeks in advance and flight reservations as soon as permits are secured, in early 2012.

Fairbanks to Juneau and Juneau to Fairbanks PLANE: $282 or 15K mi

Alaska Airlines

*Round trip flights the entire month of July are the same rate $465 pp w/o companion tickets or $282 pp including $99 companion fare. Flights the entire month of July cost the same miles: 15,000

*Flights from Fairbanks to Juneau can be made directly, but will probably have to stop in Anchorage on the way from Juneau to Fairbanks

*Flight time is about 3 hours

Juneau to Skagway and Skagway to Juneau PLANE: $250 pp

Air Excursions

Wings of Alaska

*Flights are not yet available but are predicted to be around $125 each way or $250 round trip

*There are about 5 flights every day and if a flight is missed, there is not fee for changing to to the next one or for cancelation, if necessary.

*Maximum baggage weight is 70lbs pp (which won't be any problem at all)

*Flight time is about 45 minutes

*They say it's a pretty flight

*There are not any discounts available

Skagway to Juneau FERRY: $32.50 pp

Alaska Marine Highway

*Ferries from Juneau to Skagway and vice versa always stop in Haines and the total ride is about 7 hours

*Friday and Saturday, July 13th and 14th, ferry times are about 4:15pm (Skagway) to 11pm (Juneau). There is not a ferry on Sunday, July 15th.

*One-way ferry rates are $50pp, $55 inside berth, or $65 outside berth ($32.50 pp for the latter)

*There are not any discounts available

*There are cafeterias on the ferries :)

Bennet (Canada) to Skagway TRAIN: $95-$119 pp

White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad

*Tuesdays and Fridays (Friday is the most likely day this group would board the brian), trains run directly from Bennet back down to Skagway, about 1:00 to 4:45 ride for $95

*Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (if perhaps the group has to ride Saturday), the train runs in the opposite direction, north, from Bennet (BC) to Carcross (YT) and then a motor coach is taken from Carcross to Skagway, about 11:45 to 4:30 ride total for $119. Note that most of this trip would be on road, not train track.

All dates, times, and prices were obtained from calling each individual company and speaking to customer service representatives so of course are subject to change as time passes.

A Few Tips for Hiking the Chilkoot

When I signed Arthur up for the library's reading program last summer, one of the librarians casually mentioned that she would be hiking the Chilkoot Trail. I made a mental note to ask her about it and I finally did, just last week. She had some excellent advice, which I am now passing on to everyone else.

1) Take as much time as you can to experience as much as you can. Her family did the hike in 5 days and they were really glad they did. They thought that taking more time enabled them to check out some of the other smaller trails and enjoy the picturesque scenery. We will also be taking 5 days - mark your calendar for July 9-14th!

2) Make your reservations early. Reservations also need to be made for campgrounds. There is also an orientation that everyone must attend before hiking. If one person in your group is missing or if you are late to the orientation, you must wait until the next one.

3) As for equipment: wear good, waterproof hiking boots. Bring gloves to protect hands from rocky areas. Hiking poles were a good idea. Do not wear jeans.

4) Our group must travel together when we reach Canada. The boarder guards will not let us pass unless all of our group is present. If we have super hikers, they will have to wait at the boarder for all of the stragglers.

5) She also said that the meal at the end of the trip was totally worth it: stew, bread, apple pie...I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about it.

6) In the campgrounds along the trail, one side was stocked with toilet paper and the other side wasn't. She couldn't remember if it was the Alaska side or the Canadian side, however. Bring some T.P. and hand sanitizer just to be on the safe side.

7) The best piece of advice, however, was that the Trail was not as difficult as she thought it would be. That's very promising, isn't it?