Log One: The Wild Side
The Launch From Letnikof
This trip had been weeks in the making, planning around schedules, kids and the weather. We had postponed twice before and my time in Haines was quickly coming to an end, I had just five days until I would be on the ferry heading back down the Lynn Canal.
As Renee reversed her Zodiac into the water at Letnikof Cove, across from the Haines Cannery where a few fishing vessels were offloading their daily catch, we were all pretty giddy with excitement. The conditions for our crossing were perfect, perhaps a good omen for our trip I thought, calm seas would see us safely and quickly across the Chilkat Inlet. We were heading southwest to a beach where we would anchor the boat and hike up into the Chilkat Mountains.
The Passage
Our plan was to climb up to a peak called The Witch’s Tit in the next 24 hours. We would hike up to a campsite called God’s Camp for the night, continue up the mountain the next morning and then come all the way down, hop back into the Zodiac and be back home in a lovely hot shower by tomorrow evening.
The Witch’s Tit is just one of the infinite peaks in the Chilkat Mountains, the range west of Haines. One of our group had climbed this same peak 20 years ago, and the others had always wanted to. I had first heard about this peak while at the brewery in downtown Haines, the back garden offers an awesome view of this particular mountain in the Chilkat Range.
Over several weeks we had gathered beta from various people who had been up there. Apparently there was something of a trail leading up to the campsite, though different people told different stories of where it was and its condition. Some said we needed crampons, others said trail runners and spikes were fine. Some said it was a simple way to the top, others said it was technical, requiring rope for the last forty feet.
This mix of information set our expectations such that reaching the summit was not our goal. None of us were in the business of bagging a peak, but truly interested in enjoying the journey. We would take the expedition as it came and make decisions along the way based on everyone’s comfort.
Left To Right: Renee, Julie, Krystal, Alissa
Halfway across the inlet, our Captain Renee killed the engine for a moment so we could all study and discuss the possible routes up to the peak. All of these women had lived in Alaska for a long time and I was quite star struck to be in their company.
The Landing
The Zodiac pulled up to the beach, we unloaded ourselves and all the gear, ushering packs up the beach by assembly line. Then while Julie and Renee figured out anchoring the Zodiac, the rest of us searched for the trailhead.
Securing the boat took finesse and balance: they had to account for the tides, leaving enough slack in the anchor so the boat wouldn’t take on water, but not too much to allow the boat to smash up against the nearby rocks.
The Hike
Eventually we found the trailhead tucked away at the end of the beach, but we lost it almost as soon as we entered into the forest. It was hard to read, with game trails leading off in almost every direction and some massive bear prints, near dinosaur size, had sent us all into nervous bursts of laughter distracting us from navigating for a little while.
For the next hour we were bush waking up a steep incline, but the old forest of huge trees kept the forest floor free from anything too obstructive. Some areas were thick with deadfall and sometimes footings were slick from slippery mosses, but I am gifted with a silver lining perspective that leaves me with the impression things could be worse.
At some point we all paused to rest for a moment in this gully, and suddenly I got the sense there might be some type of trail was over yonder. Sure enough, we stumbled across a beautiful trail that would lead us the rest of the way to our campsite. After bush waking hiking up a trail felt easy, despite the relentless incline.
note the shadows of the mountains in the sea below
Eventually, we reached the end of this jungle-like section and entered, ever so magically, into an open meadow. This was a sure sign of significant elevation gain and hinted we were near the end. In the meadow there were no bushes scraping and snagging at us, no roots and branches to contort through.
The meadow was a breath of fresh air, offering space, views of the peaks basking in the golden light of early sunrise, and freedom of movement despite the continued incline. Best of all, sweet little flowers in coordinating hues of pink and purple lined the trail, I could almost hear them cheering us on. This was the final push for the day. A few moments later we hike up and over this grassy knoll to meet our campsite for the night.
Three hours later and we were all still trudging along the same trail. Our progress and gain in elevation was marked by distinct changes in the flora surrounding us.
The trail led us out of the huge trees into a forest of smaller trees and lots of devil’s club. The trail itself changed, becoming dryer and offering less traction. This dusty trail led us along the tops of several cliffs. This section of significant exposure also offered some of the first epic views, a view is always a nice incentive to keep trudging along when hiking.
After the cliffs the trail took us through a thick field of bushes, ferns, fireweed, spiky devils club, and saplings. This was the most challenging part of the hike, for as the flora changed suddenly into a dense jungle, the trail became so moist it was near impossible to maneuver up it. We had to pull ourselves up using the branches and roots of the Alder saplings growing along the way. The same roots and branches that helped us, criss crossed the trail in every direction like a web. We had to crawl and climb our way through.
The Camp Site
As I hiked up and over the final ledge the Rainbow Glacier came into view, it was spectacular. I was so glad to have made it up early enough for sunlight to still grace the mountains, casting shadows across the texture of the glacier ice and rock peaks.
After a long and tedious hike, we were all ready for an evening of hot toddies by the fire.