Early last year an idea was bounced around a little moms group about a backpacking trip...possibly the Chilkoot Trail a thirty some odd hike from Skagway, Alaska to somewhere over in Canada. At least that is what i remember when a couple of the moms asked if i was interested in going on the trip. Having never hiked more than 5 miles (excluding Military) in one day, let alone hiking daily over the course of a week, and not having any backpacking experience or gear, i immediately said, "Yes, count me in".
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| Wickersham Dome with Sadie and Sarah, Sept 2011. |
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| Scenic Wickersham Dome, Sept 2011. |
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| Mud Boardwalk Wickersham, Sept 2011 |
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Wickersham Dome with Bobbi
(fellow Chilkoot Chick), June 2012. |
Once i made the decision, i started hiking as often as i could during the summer of 2011. I did not have a backpack yet but it did not stop me from using my little day pack and adding approximately 20lbs of weight. I hiked Wickersham Dome, Angel Rock to Chena Hot Springs, and my usual Thursday night fun hikes with the local hiking club. I planned on maintaining my training throughout the winter by purchasing snow shoes (outings with the hiking club) and skis (outings with my biking club, Ladies of Leisure). The snow shoes did not get used but i did go skiing and even took Morgan out a few times. I also played hockey and went on a very strict diet to drop my post pregnancy weight. I figured i would rather carry the weight in my pack and not on my body. I am very proud to say i dropped 40lbs and have kept it off for almost 4 months. Only time will tell if i can maintain it, especially once the big hike is behind me.
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| Angel Rock/Chena Hot Springs Hike, Sept 2011. |
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| Scenic Angel Rock/Chena Hot Springs Hike, Sept 2011. |
Once the weather warmed and the snow melted, myself, Bobbi, and Amanda, three of the four Chilkoot Chicks, started a rigurous hiking schedule. We hiked twice a week, usually Thursday evening for a couple hours (mostly with the hiking club on their Thursday fun hikes) and Saturdays for longer excursions. For the most part, we hiked together (with the exception of our fourth person, Blythe (Bobbi's sister), who lived in Anchorage, six hours away. Blythe did make a trip to Fairbanks. We did have a small hike, minus Amanda, on the Angle Rock Loop. A nice hike but we did get caught in a freak rain storm which freaked out the two little ones (Bobbi's boys, ages 1 and 4). Luckily, it did not last long and we continued on our hike.
My last hike before i leave on my trip was Angel Rock and the trail to Chena Hot Springs. I had planned to stop hiking about a week before my Chilkoot trip but the local hiking group was doing this hike and i really wanted to join it. Why...last year, we lost the trail and it took a fellow hiker ~20min to find it again. I really enjoyed the hike but because of this issue, i wanted to wait to hike it with someone that new the trails. It was a great day with the hiking club. I had no problems following the trail. 8.5 miles later, i was sitting at the hot springs enjoying a cold draft of Alaskan Amber followed by a very hot dip in the springs. A great final hike before the big trip.
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Chilkoot Chicks (Amanda, Bobbi, and Loda)
somewhere in the woods, June 2012
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Today is Thursday, July 5th. I picked Blythe up at the airport and took her to Bobbi's house to rendezvous with our hiking group. We are doing a final check of gear, divvying up the community gear (tents, stoves, first aid, bear spray, and the like), and swapping snacks. We each bought a box of trail bars or the like for the trip split with the group. It makes me feel like i am in grade school again. We load Amanda's Subaru with our four backpacks, post hike packs (which we will leave at the post hike hotel), and their miscellaneous gear they will need for the drive down. We take a couple of fun photos and say our goodbyes to Bobbi's family and each other. Or rather, "see you soons", as i we will rendezvous again in Skagway this Saturday.
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| Packing for the Great Adventure, July 5, 2012. |
The three ladies are driving to Haines and then taking the fast ferry to Skagway. I will be flying out early Saturday morning to Juneau and then hopping another flight to Skagway. I should arrive a couple hours before the ladies, meeting them at the fairy to grab my gear and carry our post trip packs. Once the hike has concluded, Blythe will head off into the sunset with her man, Dustin. I will be joining Amanda and Bobbi on the drive back home. I am hoping to do the drive in one day as Jeff leaves the next day for Idaho to pick up our RV. The RV is another future post....or many future posts with my dad and brother, Gene, joining Jeff on his adventure. Not to mention, we will still have a whole month left of summer to take the RV out for a spin.
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| See you in Skagway Ladies, July 5, 2012. |
