Chilkoot Trail, Day One, Lunch and Later

Our lunch time company on the first day included a large, ancient tree, the likes of which I hadn't seen since my family lived in Washington. The tree was at a lunch spot/camp site called Finnegan's Point, 4.8 miles (7.7 km) from the trailhead. It had probably been witness to the Stampeders of Goldrush days and to the Tlingit traders before them. I couldn't resist nestling in its roots for a photo op. We just don't have trees like this in Fairbanks.

Other lunchtime company included five teenage boys; and we quickly realised that, for better or worse, this was likely the group of five with which we would share our camp spots and much of the trail. Camp sites are limited on the trail; and we had heard that not only did we have the same summit day as one other group, but they were starting their hike on the same day as ours. There was the usual early trail awkwardness. We knew it would soon be broken, and we could only hope these boys weren't typical teenagers. Yvette was concerned they might be a church group and felt immediate guilt that they would share the trail with us. She and Ken have both been known to exhibit symptoms of Turrett's Syndrome during especially trying moments... on and off trail. For now, greetings and conversation between the two groups were kept to a minimum, while we sized each other up.

Throughout the afternoon, we continued to experience torturous heat.
I was relatively comfortable in my scant, all-synthetic, quickdry clothing. At least compared to Rocky: he was drenched in cotton, causing Yvette to shriek each time he tried to hug her. I think this romance killing aspect is just one more reason not to wear cotton on the trail (in case its hypothermia inducing properties weren't reason enough).

I caught glimpses of snow capped peaks in the distance and wished for the cooler air of higher altitudes. The mountain streams did provide some relief through the constant availability of cold drinking water; and we took every opportunity to dip our bandanas in the glacial water, cooling off our sweaty heads.

Distant Glacier	Glacially Cold Stream
PA on the Chilkoot	Natural Staircase

I was really tempted to pull over more than once to stick my hot, likely swollen, and definitely aching feet in these babbling brooks. In spite of my stiff-soled mountaineering boots, the rocky sections of the trail were taking a toll. After a rather lengthy section of boulder-sized cobblestone, I called out to Ken:

I didn't move all the way to Alaska so that I could hike in Pennsylvania!

Ken laughed and immediately dubbed this quote of the day. So even though the hike from Finnegan's to our camp site- Canyon City- was only 2.6 miles (4.4 km), we were happy when we turned the corner and saw the shelter beckoning.

I'm stressing how hot it was on this early part of the trail for a reason. Yvette and I were so hot that we had decided we would do whatever was necessary to cool off and get rid of Day One Stink (knowing that there were four more days of Stink to come). So while Ken and Rocky set up the tents, we took our pack towels and washrags down to some overflow of the Taiya River. Yvette and I being... well, Yvette and I... we stripped down and began washing our steamy selves in thirty four degree (1 C) water. I guess Yvette had forgotten her concern for the potentially Christian boys hiking the trail behind us. Suddenly she gasped (and not from the water temperature), "Boys! Boysboysboys!" We covered as much as one can cover with a pack towel and laughed that this incident had occurred before we'd been properly introduced.

The boys politely walked on as though they had seen nothing. It was almost convincing... but not quite. The overflow that Yvette and I had planted ourselves in was directly in front of the trail into camp. But what could we do? On the trail, there were bound to be many more naked moments. So we finished washing, dried off, and headed off to have a good laugh with Ken and Rocky over dinner. A few hours later, with all food and smelly hygiene products safely stowed in a bear bin, we settled in to read and sleep. The sound of a waterfall drowned out all human created noise, and I slept soundly. Day One on the trail had come to an end.