Thursday, June 28, 2018 Start: Canyon City Stop: Sheep Camp 6.3 Miles Even though my beanie is over my eyes I can still tell that it’s getting brighter after 3am. I sneak out just after 5am and pee just down the trail from my tent. I manage to fall back asleep and awake sometime after … More Chilkoot Trail Day 2: The Missing Ranger
Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Start: Skagway Stop: Canyon City Camp 7.7 Miles We gobble down a hearty breakfast and then head over to the trail center to wait for our ride to the trail head. Ann gets us there in no time and also provides the bear spray and fuel that we had requested ahead … More Chilkoot Trail Day 1: The Up And Down And Roots And Rocks Trail
Tuesday, June 26, 2018 Start: Juneau Stop: Skagway Miles: 0 5:30am in the hotel lobby for a taxi ride to Alaska Marine Ferry Terminal. After watching a mega RV miraculously back onto the ferry, we board by walking on the same rampway. And then it’s views for miles and miles and hours and hours. It’s … More Floating The Lynn Canal To Skagway
Monday, June 25, 2018 Start: Seattle Stop: Juneau, Alaska Miles: 2.8 4am is too early but that’s how you get to Juneau in time to climb a mountain. I’m to the airport and through security by 530am. A few days ago when checking in for my flight I upgraded to first class for an additional … More Up Mt. Roberts
June 24, 2018 Start: Smart’s Mountain Stop: Seattle I’m up with the sun and in the garden by 630am. I work for two hours watering and picking raspberries as the sweat rolls down my face. Breakfast is a buffet of leftovers. Biscuit and gravy, egg scramble, pancakes soaked in butter and fresh fruit. Yazhi somehow … More Cascade Volcano Tour
Changes/Additions: using older 2015 arcblast pack which weighs less stove kit liner sock + waterproof sock to keep feet warm in snow fleece rain pants camp bra (so I can change out of sweaty bra) extra pair of gloves to try out before Kilimanjaro camera kit clothing worn: convertible pants and not skirt book games … More Chilkoot Ready: Gear List II
I’ll be setting foot on the Chilkoot Trail in exactly one month from today. I’m like, oh my gosh I need to get everything ready…….and then I’m like, wait, I think I’m ready. I figure that about a week out from departure I’ll check the weather and then I will know what gear I’m taking. … More Chilkoot: One Month Out
Chilkoot Trail 2018 oz. lb. zpacks 55L arc blast with hip belt pockets 22.5 zpacks 0F wide long bag with draft tube 27.1 big agnes platinum fly creek UL1 + GG polycryo sheet, 30 oz. 30 79.6 5.0 thermarest xtherm long 16.5 gossamer gear … More Chilkoot Trail Gear List I
I’m back at home now, knee-deep into the berry harvest. There’s nothing like the meditation of picking berries and then the subsequent consumption. You can not go to the store and purchase this kind of fresh and tasty berry and so it’s tallied in the column of Smart’s Mountain blessings. Any thru-hiker would go mad … More 2017 Pacific Crest Trail Reflections
Tuesday, June 6 Start: ridgetop Stop: Tehachapi 11.5 miles Total Miles: 380 Yep, it was a bad spot to camp. The PCT joins a road atop the ridge but when hikers get there they don’t know which way to go. They go back and forth on the road, talking to their hiking buddies with headlamps … More Day 31: That’s One Way
Journey Return 