10,000 Chinook salmon released

Every year the Whitehorse Fish Hatchery releases thousands of Chinook salmon.

The fish hatchery is owned by Yukon Energy which runs Whitehorse’s hydroelectric dam. While the dam has a fish ladder and other measures to prevent fish death, it’s believed to have an impact as it blocks the migration way.

Releasing new fish is a way to offset this.

The fish are released at the Wolf Creek Campground outside Whitehorse and children are encouraged to take part.

Chilkoot Trail: The Golden Stairs

 

  

 

(Notice the two hikers in this image….click to enlarge. They are on the snowy section)

The Chilkoot Trail includes a summit crossing from the US to the Canadian side.

The day begins at Sheep Camp and most climbers will take more than 8 hours to arrive to Happy Camp.  Those climbing are advised to be walking by 6am due to avalanche risk in some seasons and also to mitigate any delays.

The scenery changes from forest to moss-covered rocks with snow. Planning for the Chilkoot includes carrying some cold-weather gear. At some points the climb is at a  45-degree angle over large angular boulders which resemble the long-settled results of a rock slide.

Climbers are welcomed by the Canadian flag and a Parks Canada cabin at the summit.

This climb was the 3rd day of the itinerary.

Chilkoot Trail: Artefacts left behind

Walking along the Chilkoot trail you see historic artfacts: pieces of metal, old shoes, horse bones and other detritus.

Seeing these items makes you reflect on the mindset of the pioneers who tried carrying these heavy items across the trail and *gave up* right there. Some artefacts are a monument to failure.

Other artefacts are leftovers from cable-cars, telegraph lines and even tent cities that were installed during the 1898-99 stampede.

Chilkoot Trail: Into the forest

This August I welcomed my good friend Nick from Ottawa and we hiked the Chilkoot Trail.

This historic trail was used by aboriginal people for unknown hundreds or thousands of years. It suddenly gained a lot of traffic (at gunpoint) in the 1890s as prospectors rushed towards the Klondike gold fields.

The history of the Chilkoot is one of misery, greed, and people hauling tonnes of gear across a craggy and slippery landscape.

Today the Chilkoot is maintained by the US and Canadian parks service. You need a passport to cross as the trail begins in Alaska and ends in the Canadian province of British Columbia. (From which prospectors would continue to Yukon)

The first day began in Skagway Alaska. A person must register with the parks service and is given checkpoints for every night. Our first day’s trip was a short hike from Dyea Alaska to a camp called Finnegan’s point. At this stage and the following day, the forest is thick with moss and roots.

Our second day’s walk took about eight hours to Sheep Camp.

Here’s the elevation map for the 5-day hike.