Hiking the Chilkoot Trail

Woke up to a wet tent and drizzle, despite thinking we’d get lucky on the last morning and not have to pack up a wet tent. No matter; I was in good spirits thinking about getting back to showers and beds and real food and wine tonight. Enjoyed / endured the last: breakfast, mocha, communal toothbrushing over the gray water pit, dressing in a tent, packing wet items into bags, etc. Final day on the trail was definitely poignant.

Hiked a fairly easy, straightforward, 6 km back to Bennett – a few good solid up-hills, which I loved. I haven’t felt winded at all on this trip, which has been a nice surprise and a good affirmation of my fitness level. The most difficult challenge by far was my balance. Endurance, cardio, joints, even feet felt really good the whole way (no blisters!).

Coming into Bennett felt a little surreal – it felt like a long time since we’d last been there. It was bittersweet taking a “we did it!” photo at the Chilkoot Trail sign. Felt a great sense of accomplishment mingled with a longing to continue adventuring.

Such a journey, in all the ways one can journey. I feel really proud of what I did, and what we did as a group. Everyone was really rooting for everyone else. Happy to be off my tired feet, but sad to leave this alternate reality of no phones, no media, no news, no crap. Just like when we were on the Pacific Grace, life gets pared down to its basics, and there aren’t a lot of situations in today’s world where that is true, unless you deliberately create or seek them.

Back in a drizzly Bennett Camp, we had strawberry jam on five-day-old bread (still yummy… still outdoor eating!) and waited to see if our float planes would come for us. Fog and clouds made the rides questionable, but shortly after 1 PM we heard via sat phone that three planes would be on the way shortly.

The half-hour flight back was so magical – a certain sense of awe and wonder seeing all that land from above and knowing we had just spent six days in the heart of it. The other two planes passed right by ours in mid-air, which was so cool to see. Saw a HUGE bear from the air – hooray!

Arriving back in Whitehorse, we encountered one last hiccup of the trip. Our rooms hadn’t been properly confirmed, and therefore had been given up to other guests (there had been a wildfire evacuation from a nearby town the day before). All worked out in the end, with two groups staying at a different hotel just down the road.

Sean bought us a lovely bottle of bubbly while I showered. Oh bliss, feeling scrubbed clean! Everyone was in such good spirits at dinner, and at the ‘afterparty’ in Kellie and Matt’s massive suite, Laurie read a poem she had written about each member of our group and our trail names. So, so good; funny and sweet and heartfelt. The Chilkoot Trail has awoken something in me. I will miss all of this.