![](\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-tvGLTKlNO5Y\/UepHo7pEinI\/AAAAAAAAirY\/2KOEi87GYok\/s1600\/Indiana+Jones+and+the+Temple+of+Doom+13.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n
Okay, it wasn’t quite<\/em><\/strong> as bad – crossing that “swinging bridge” the first day on the\u00a0Chilkoot Trail<\/a>\u00a0– as it was for\u00a0Indiana Jones<\/a>\u00a0in the photo above. \u00a0(For example, we hadn’t been “cornered by Mola Ram and his henchmen on a rope bridge<\/a> high above a crocodile<\/a>-infested river.”)<\/em><\/p>\n But that second<\/em> day on the Trail was pretty &^%$ bad<\/em><\/strong>… \u00a0In case you hadn’t noticed, this continues\u00a0Part 1<\/a>\u00a0of “On the Chilkoot &^%$# Trail<\/a>!” \u00a0We left\u00a0Part 1<\/a>\u00a0with we three – brother, nephew and I – all having made\u00a0<\/span>Sheep Camp<\/a>\u00a0by 7:30 p.m. on the first day of the hike.<\/span><\/p>\n 13 miles or so \u2013 nobody seems sure how many \u2013 by 7:30 p.m… \u00a0That included crossing the swaying footbridge …\u00a0\u00e0 la<\/a><\/em>\u00a0Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (Reprised<\/a>\u00a0in the photo above right.) \u00a0<\/em>Part 1 also included the tale of a \u201cyoung thing\u201d I managed to insult on the second<\/em> day of the hike – approaching the summit of Chilkoot Pass – and how most or all us hikers met up again – on the fourth<\/em> day – waiting for the 3:15 train back to Skagway.<\/p>\n But I had to cut it short – and make this a two-parter – because I was “approaching the limit of the ideal length for a blog-post.”\u00a0\u00a0(About 1,200 words.)<\/em> \u00a0So\u00a0now, back to Day 1 of the hike.<\/p>\n On Monday August 1, we left\u00a0the trailhead \u2013 near \u201cDie-eee<\/a>\u201d \u2013\u00a0at 9:00 a.m. \u00a0We made Sheep Camp by 7:30 that night, and after getting situated I managed to write a little something in the notebook I’d packed. \u00a0I wrote: \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m shivering as I\u2019m writing. \u00a0I\u2019ve been sweating all day despite the cool 68-degree temps. \u00a0And now it\u2019s turning cool, so I\u2019m shivering.\u201d \u00a0I then added:<\/p>\n There were many times \u2013 many times \u2013 today when I wondered what the hell I was doing here. \u00a0And that this was just too far to go in one day. \u00a0And I like hiking at my own pace. \u00a0Rather than always bringing up the rear\u2026 \u00a0So today was the tough one, as far as miles traveled. \u00a0\u201cOnly\u201d eight miles, but we\u2019ll be climbing the Pass [tomorrow]. \u00a0BTW: \u00a0I just had my fifth swallow of \u201cO be joyful.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n You see, back in the old days of our country, whiskey \u2013 for example \u2013 was used instead of hard currency:<\/p>\n One of the first media of exchange in the United States was classic whiskey. \u00a0For men and women of the day, the alcohol did more than put \u201csong in their hearts and laughter on their lips<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0Whiskey was currency. \u00a0Most forms of money were extremely scarce in our country after the Revolutionary War, making monetary innovation the key to success.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n See\u00a0Why Whiskey Was Money, and Bitcoins Might Be<\/a>. \u00a0So it was in that<\/em><\/strong> spirit \u2013 primarily \u2013 that I took a flask of \u201cO be joyful\u201d along on the Chilkoot. \u00a0Be that as it may<\/a>, after I wrote, \u201cI just had my fifth swallow of \u2018Oh be joyful,’\u201d I then added, \u201cWhich helps a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n (I wasn\u2019t so sure about the \u201csong in my heart and laughter on my lips\u2026”)<\/em><\/p>\n Also on the evening of August 1st, I wrote that the campground was more crowded than I expected. \u00a0And that in the audience \u2013 listening to a lecture by a ranger when we arrived \u2013 there were some cute women, but \u201cromance is the last thing on my mind tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n (Which itself was telling\u2026) \u00a0<\/em>I concluded, \u201c<\/em>Altogether a good day. \u00a0I had my doubts, which were justified in a way, but \u2018we\u2019 came through. \u00a0Albeit with me bringing up the rear the whole day.\u201d<\/p>\n Which brings up the fact that hiking the Chilkoot Trail is sheer torture for someone \u2013 like me \u2013 with only one good eye and and thus no depth perception<\/a>.* \u00a0And that applied even on the relatively smooth parts of the trail, like the section shown at right.<\/p>\n Also\u00a0–\u00a0as mentioned in the notes – anyone hiking the trail is advised that if they have to get airlifted out, the cost will be a cool $28,000.00. \u00a0Which brings up another point rangers make in the process of getting your permit to hike the trail: \u00a0Watch out for the bears!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n For one thing, the general rule is \u201cno chow in your tent.\u201d \u00a0Each camp has a tented-in dining facility,* and there \u2013 and only<\/em> <\/strong>there \u2013 are you supposed to eat. \u00a0Eating on the trail can be messy, and the usual solution for crumbs or spills is to wipe the stuff off on your pants. \u00a0But bears have an extremely<\/em> keen sense of smell, and so some crumbs in your pocket or syrup from a snack-cup on your pants could lead to an extremely<\/em> unpleasant midnight visit.<\/p>\n But for me the message distilled down to this: \u00a0You don\u2019t have to be faster than the bear. \u00a0You only have to be faster than the others in your party. \u00a0(Which of course spelled trouble for me\u2026)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n But once again we digress\u2026 \u00a0The point is that eventually \u2013 in our case, the second day \u2013 we got \u00a0past the smooth parts of the trail and began approaching the summit. \u00a0It got so bad for me \u2013 after we got up and over the summit \u2013 that first my brother and then my nephew left their packs ahead and came back and carried my<\/em> pack for a while. \u00a0Which led to its own problems. \u00a0Much like the\u00a0phantom limb<\/a>\u00a0phenomenon, the \u201cphantom pack\u201d syndrome leaves you disoriented. \u00a0Especially<\/em> when negotiating \u201cone big pile of *&^% rocks after another,\u201d you end up walking like the proverbial drunken sailor, weaving to and fro.<\/p>\n But these glacier-slash-ice-fields were just as treacherous, though in a different way. \u00a0My fellow hikers hadn\u2019t relieved me of my pack yet, so walking on the slippery snow led to several falls.<\/p>\n It got so bad that finally I\u00a0stayed<\/em> down – on the snow-slash-glacier – and slip-slid to the end. \u00a0That got my pants and boots thoroughly wet in the process, but at least – for a moment or two – I wasn\u2019t struggling over \u201cone big pile of &^%$ rocks after another.\u201d<\/p>\n Somewhere in there I slipped and fell on some rocks, banging my right knee enough that by Thursday, at Bennett, that area of my jeans was covered with crusted blood.<\/p>\n Which leads to my confession \u2013 I \u201cdo not deny, but confess<\/a>\u201d \u2013 that there were times on the Trail when if I could have cried I would. \u00a0(But that wouldn\u2019t have helped the pain in my feet, or<\/strong> made the journey any shorter.) \u00a0<\/em>Which brings us to the late afternoon and evening of the second day.<\/p>\n I know my brother took a spill or two – and got an infected elbow as a result – but mostly because he told me so later.<\/p>\n And as far as I know my nephew did okay crossing the many “beautiful but treacherous” streams, but not from any personal observation. \u00a0He – and my brother as well – were usually so far out in front of me that I often lost sight of them.<\/p>\n Then it started getting dark.<\/p>\n Back at the hotel in Skagway – before we left – it was still light as late as 10:00 p.m. \u00a0Therefore – I deduced – we should have plenty of hours to hike on the Trail. \u00a0But for some reason it got darker earlier on the Trail, which meant that by 7:00 p.m. or so my brother started getting worried. \u00a0The result was that in the fullness of time –\u00a0just<\/em> in time – we had a little parade.<\/p>\n To make a long story short, my brother went ahead the couple of miles to Happy Camp, dropped his pack and hiked back to where I was. \u00a0He<\/em>\u00a0carried my pack for a bit, then some strapping \u00a0young lad showed up. \u00a0He – the strapping young lad – had heard someone at Happy Camp talk about my struggles, and decided to come back and help. \u00a0(Apparently we \u2013 or at least I \u2013 became quite a\u00a0conversation piece<\/a><\/em>\u00a0around Happy Camp that night\u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n So the strapping young lad\u00a0carried my pack a while – “jabbering all the way,” my brother said – and finally my nephew came back. \u00a0He had also dropped his pack at Happy Camp and then he carried my pack the final mile and a half. \u00a0That was my brother’s recollection.<\/p>\n From that point, we all set off toward Happy Camp. \u00a0The nice ranger-lady followed behind me, engaging me in conversation. \u00a0(Probably trying to keep my mind off my aching feet<\/em>.) \u00a0So, eventually we all made it to Happy Camp, and that’s how we “had a little parade.” \u00a0But this time I wasn’t bringing up the rear. \u00a0(For once.)<\/em><\/p>\n On that note – and as described in\u00a0Campgrounds of the Chilkoot Trail<\/a>:<\/p>\n Happy Camp is the only campground on the Chilkoot Trail in the alpine<\/a>\u2026 \u00a0Happy Camp owes its name to the relief prospectors (and hikers) experienced from arriving at the first outpost after the pass<\/strong>. The camp is situated in a true alpine ecosystem and receives heavy use because of its location.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Personally, I can vouch for the \u201crelief\u201d part. \u00a0And<\/em> <\/strong>it got better. \u00a0(At least for that night.) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n That meant the three of us didn’t have to set up our tents in the waning light of that second day on the Trail.<\/p>\n It also meant that two of us got to sleep on cots. \u00a0(My nephew slept on his air mattress on the floor, despite my saying I’d sleep on the floor. \u00a0But I made it up to him – for carrying my pack – by splitting two six-packs of beer once we got back to Skagway, as described elsewhere.) \u00a0 <\/em>And finally,\u00a0the nice white-haired Canadian ranger lady brought us each a juice-box.<\/p>\n And a sweeter nectar I’ve never tasted. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n And I know that that left only four miles to do the next day, Thursday, to get to the railroad station at Bennett. \u00a0And<\/em> <\/strong>that rangers and other hikers kept saying the Trail would get easier and smoother “a mile or so further along.”<\/p>\n But it never happened. \u00a0At least not until a mile or so from the station, when the Trail got wide and sandy. \u00a0In fact the Trail at that point was pretty much like walking on the beach. \u00a0Which of course presented its own different challenges, but at that point I wasn’t complaining. \u00a0(Much.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Thursday, August 4, 1:20 Alaska Time<\/a><\/em>. \u00a0We\u2019re at the Bennett railroad station. \u00a0Got here at 12:05 AT. \u00a0I\u2019ve set up my tent to dry it off \u2013 it rained last night \u2013 and heated up some water… \u00a0 Spilled some walking back across the tracks. \u00a0(\u201cNo open fires.\u201d) \u00a0But there was enough left over to make hot coffee. \u00a0For the first time since Monday morning. \u00a0The right knee of my jeans is covered with blood. \u00a0The ankle areas are dried mud. \u00a0I have two or three large blisters, one each inner heel, that have already popped. \u00a0And one large blister on the right big toe that looks about to pop. \u00a0Huge! \u00a0But right now the world looks great!<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n That’s what I wrote in the notebook I’d packed, writing in it for the first time since Monday. \u00a0So there – at the railroad station that would remain unmanned until the 3:15 arrived – the right knee of my jeans was crusted with dry blood. \u00a0And my feet were blistered and beyond sore<\/em>.<\/p>\n Which is another way of saying they don\u2019t call the Chilkoot Trail \u201cthe meanest 33 miles in history\u201d for nothing. \u00a0Meanwhile, I had one final point to be made. \u00a0I made it via email – to the folks back home – once the three of us got back to Skagway: \u00a0“I used up my quota of expletives for the next couple of years, so any prayers in my direction would help immensely.”<\/p>\n So now,\u00a0to paraphrase that great philosopher,\u00a0Forrest Gump<\/a>:<\/p>\n * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n Unless otherwise noted, the images in this post \u2013 including the photos at the bottom and top of the page \u2013 are ones I took during the aforementioned \u201chike.\u201d \u00a0(More like sheer torture\u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n For example, the image at the top of the page is courtesy of\u00a0happyotter666.blogspot.com<\/a>. \u00a0See also\u00a0Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – Wikipedia<\/a>, which provided the “cornered” quote.<\/em><\/p>\n Re: \u00a0\u201cO be joyful.\u201d \u00a0See also\u00a0Definition of oh be joyful \u2013 Online Slang Dictionary<\/a>, and\/or\u00a0O-be-joyful \u2013 17 of the Finest Words for Drinking<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Re: \u00a0Whiskey and other \u201cardent spirits\u201d\u00a0used\u00a0as currency. \u00a0See also\u00a0TTB.gov Alexander Hamilton And The Whiskey Tax<\/a>: \u00a0\u201csmall farmers on the young Nation\u2019s western frontier in the Appalachian Mountains, often distilled whisky from their surplus corn crop. \u00a0This whisky was then often used as a form of currency on the cash-strapped frontier.\u201d<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n Re: \u00a0“Called Me by My Name<\/a>.” \u00a0The allusion is to a song by\u00a0David Allan Coe<\/a>. \u00a0(Which – incidentally – is one of my signature karaoke songs.) \u00a0The photo shows Coe on stage in 2009. \u00a0It is not i<\/strong>ntended to refer in any way to the\u00a0“nice\u00a0white-haired Canadian ranger lady.” \u00a0That\u00a0nice\u00a0white-haired Canadian ranger lady should – in my estimation – be elevated to sainthood, along with\u00a0Mother Teresa<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Re: \u00a0The juice boxes and “sweeter nectar.” \u00a0My brother said his was grape juice, but I could have sworn that mine was “raisin.” \u00a0I remember thinking that it was such an odd flavor for a juice box, but I couldn’t find any such flavor on the internet. \u00a0(Or maybe I was in a state of\u00a0delirium<\/a>.) \u00a0One thing I do know: \u00a0No matter what the flavor, that juice box – at that point in time – was delicious!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/1\/1f\/Lewis_and_Clark_1954_Issue-3c.jpg\")
So here’s another side note: \u00a0\u201cO Be Joyful<\/a>\u201d was our code-word for\u00a0ardent spirits<\/a>. \u00a0We started packing them \u2013 in past canoe trips, like down the Missouri River from\u00a0Fort Benton, MT<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 as a way of following in the footsteps of\u00a0Lewis and Clark<\/a>, and other American pioneers.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net\/v\/t1.0-9\/14192674_169241536843292_4442031214252241413_n.jpg?oh=0a5f7f633e2b079c6a349d3e1e7294df&oe=587E4041\")
On that note, I \u201cbrought up the rear\u201d the next day as well, and for pretty much the rest of the hike.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net\/v\/t1.0-9\/14141815_172893533144759_5824421755989474590_n.jpg?oh=c280672f816251f3de4e2c4efb8f3b02&oe=58867305\")
Finally \u2013 after much anguish \u2013 you get to and over the summit. \u00a0But as noted, things don\u2019t get any easier. \u00a0There \u2013 on the other side of the summit of Chilkoot Pass \u2013 were at least three \u201cglaciers,\u201d or ice-fields. \u00a0(Like the one at right.) \u00a0<\/em>My first reaction was: \u00a0\u201cGreat! \u00a0Nice smooth snow to walk on!\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net\/v\/t1.0-9\/14191928_169241093510003_5905230632460841055_n.jpg?oh=fe26daded88917dc28ed91c054899103&oe=5881F4D0\")
Along with the usual\u00a0\u201cone big pile of &^%$ rocks after another\u201d \u2013 and the three \u201cglaciers\u201d noted above \u2013 the other side of the pass featured a seemingly-endless series of streams and\/or rivulets like the one at left. \u00a0They too were beautiful, but treacherous. \u00a0(I was going to say “like some women I know,” but decided against that.)<\/em><\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/8\/89\/David_Allan_Coe.jpg\/220px-David_Allan_Coe.jpg\")
All I remember is that along about 7:30, I could see some\u00a0people on the Trail ahead of me. \u00a0Eventually I limped up to where my brother and nephew were. \u00a0Also there were the aforementioned “strapping young lad,” along with a nice white-haired Canadian ranger lady who\u00a0called me by my name<\/a>. \u00a0(They keep tabs on all hikers on the Trail<\/em>.)<\/p>\n![\"Happy](\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/common\/uploads\/photogallery\/20160211\/park\/klgo\/3123607C-1DD8-B71B-0BEBB5E0652A2823\/3123607C-1DD8-B71B-0BEBB5E0652A2823-large.jpg\")
Apparently the nice white-haired Canadian ranger lady felt sorry for us. \u00a0(Or at least for me.)<\/em> \u00a0So she let the three of us use her personal shelter tent. \u00a0That is, she said she had to get up early the next morning for some meeting elsewhere on the Trail, so she’d stay in main – wooden – shelter at Happy Camp, shown at left.<\/p>\n![\"Wooden](\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/common\/uploads\/photogallery\/20160216\/park\/klgo\/3BF37C0A-1DD8-B71B-0BD0A2FAA276A233\/3BF37C0A-1DD8-B71B-0BD0A2FAA276A233-large.jpg\")
From that point the rest of the hike is a blur. \u00a0I know we made it next day to the campground at\u00a0Bare Loon\u00a0Lake<\/a>. (Which included numerous tent platforms like the ones at right.) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThat\u2019s all I have to say about the Chilkoot &$%# Trail!\u201d<\/em><\/h2>\n
![\"](\"http:\/\/s2.quickmeme.com\/img\/ea\/ea818c47f87d1cc618a08e527aa40f123611b77aee0cf8f5981e3262f88e1e9b.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/www.eyehealthweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/depth-perception.jpg\")
Re: \u00a0\u201cNo depth perception<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0As illustrated by the image at right \u2013 courtesy of\u00a0lookfordiagnosis.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 imagine trying to negotiate \u201cone big pile of &^%$ rocks after another,\u201d with no depth perception. \u00a0And<\/strong> while trying maintain enough speed to keep up with your brother and nephew, while seeing the \u201cpiles of &^%$ rocks\u201d as a blur. \u00a0(As in the background at right.) \u00a0And<\/strong> with the full knowledge that one bad move \u2013 one twisted knee or ankle \u2013 will cost you a cool $28,000 to get airlifted out. \u00a0(That\u2019s what they told us in Skagway when we got our permits. \u00a0Meaning it\u2019s happened often enough that they have the figures down pat.) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/38\/ChilkootTrailSheepCamp.jpg\/220px-ChilkootTrailSheepCamp.jpg\")
Re: \u201cNo chow in your tent.\u201d \u00a0The photo at left \u2013 courtesy of\u00a0Campgrounds of the Chilkoot Trail \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 shows both a \u201cdining shelter\u201d in the background, and in the foreground a ranger at Sheep Camp giving a lecture like the one in the main text. \u00a0Also, \u201cRangers recommend 7.5 to 10 hours for a group to travel from Sheep Camp to Happy Camp.\u201d \u00a0We<\/strong> took longer than that\u2026\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n