Below is the email sent to announce my adventure (even though I've been talking about it incessantly since purchasing the permit.
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Amendment: I am officially announcing that Kristin can just take over my life in Juneau. But good luck getting Peter to move here.
Hello,
You are receiving this email because I need to tell someone where I'm going and what I am doing.
My birthday is next week, so for my 30th birthday, I will be hiking the Chilkoot Trail.
Here's an FAQ:
Q: Who are you going with?
A: No one. I am going alone.
Q: Why? That seems like a bad idea to go out in the wilderness alone.
A: The Parks Service issues 50 permits per day to hike the Chilkoot Trail, when I called and reserved mine, there was 1 pass left that would allow me to hike the scales and pass in to Canada on my birthday. There are a lot of people around, it is a well trafficked trail.
Q: When are you going?
A: I will be going to Skagway on Saturday, June 30. I will begin the hike on Sunday, July 1. I will hike to Sheep Camp on the first day, for a total of 12.7 miles. On July 2, I will hike the scales and be at Happy Camp (7.8 miles). I will also be sitting on a mountain peak drinking bourbon and eating Hawaiian chocolate in celebration of a new decade of life. On July 3, I will hike 5.5 miles to Lindemann City, and on July 4, I will hike to Bennett Lake (7 miles). I will catch the train at 3:15 PM on July 4, and return to Skagway that evening. At 8:15 PM, I will depart Skagway on the Ferry and make it home to Juneau at 3 AM on July 5. The grand total will be 33 miles.
Q: There are a lot of bears, you should bring a gun.
A: That is not a questions, and I will not be bringing a gun. I do have bear spray.
Q: Do you have _______?
A: Yes, I do.
Q: What about _______?
A: Yes. I have been planning this for a while and have researched this trail and have asked A LOT of experienced camping friends for advice. I have also gotten advice from other hikers who have done this trip.
Q: That is a long walk, have you been preparing?
A: Yes, and I've been pleasantly surprised with how well I feel I've been doing.
Q: What if you die?
A: There's an "If I Die" file in my office that has all my beneficiaries listed on all the important accounts. It's in the drawer below my snack drawer. And make sure someone re-homes Nicodemus in a home that has an owner that doesn't travel as much, he's a very social cat and needs lots of attention. Actually, just call Hedy, she'll deal with my death.
Q: What about water and food? How much are you bringing?
A: Every site has a water source, food storage area, and an outhouse. Besides the long walk, it seems that this will be pretty nice camping.
Q: What is the weather forecaset?
A: Amazing. 70/80s and sunny. (Don't worry, I'm bringing the thermal stuff in a worst case scenario.)
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Hike #3: Arctic Valley with Friends, Anchorage, Alaska
This fall, T, H, and myself plan on going to Peru to do a
6-day/5-night hike in the Andes. This vacation is what spawned this whole idea.
In an effort to prepare for a long and high-altitude hike, I decided to do a
bunch of other hikes. Since it coincided with my 30th, a theme and
personal project emerged (#30Hikes). And in an effort to document and hold
myself accountable and share (even though I’m sure not too many folks will read
the ramblings), this blog was born.
Anyway, I was flying to Anchorage for a friend’s birthday in
June, and before the BBQ, T and H picked me up at the airport and we went for a
jaunt up Arctic Valley. This was an easy and beautiful hike. You gain most of
your elevation during the drive to the ski area, and it’s an easy walk up to
the pass and then up to one of the two peaks.
T took the dogs and walked ahead of everyone in Anchorage who happened to be there that weekend with
their dogs, and H and I took our time. There was a Mama moose with her baby in
a willow thicket that we kept our distance from. We couldn’t quite see Russia,
but it was a beautiful and sunny day.
And as always, we had wine on the side of the mountain.
Hike #2: Mt. Dewey (and surrounding areas) Wrangell, Alaska
About the hike: Mt. Dewey is located in Wrangell, Alaska.
How it went: The short answer, it was WAY easier than I thought it was going to be. The hike was over in 15 minutes. It was less than 300 steps from the beginning of the trail to the end, and all steps and boardwalk. But, the easy hikes count as much as the hard hikes. The threshold was new, not any particular level of difficulty. After the 15 minute walk up and down the hill, we walked around Wrangell for the next 2 hours for a total of 6 miles.
The view and weather were great though.
Hike #1: Captain Cook's Monument Trail, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii
In May, we took a Southworth-ern family vacation (Dad, Eric, Sydney, Eydie, and myself). Upon Dad's desire, we hiked the Captain Cook Monument Trail.
History: At the mid point of the trail (at sealevel), there is a monument erected to Captain Cook and his death on February 14, 1779. To read more about the death of the "Discoverer" of already inhabited lands, our friends at Wikipedia have that covered.
About the trail: The trail is ranked as "Moderate" according to the website/app All Trails (my new go to for hiking apps). The trail starts at 1,256 feet and goes down to sealevel over the course of 1.8 miles - and that's the easy part. We timed it perfectly to be going uphill, at the hottest point of the day, and not the best crew.
How the hike went: The reviews for this hike talk about how there is no cover from the sun, and they were not lying. We did this hike in May (already warmer than the winter months), and started the hike around 10 am. It could have been earlier, but Dad insisted on finding the short cut down the road instead of parking where all the other cars were located at the trailhead.
Walking down was reasonably easy and uneventful. We spent the afternoon snacking and snorkeling. A pod of dolphins came through to say hello to the snorkelers. We decided to return and hike the trail back to the top at the hottest part of the day. Sydney and and I made it out in about an hour, with a small encounter with some goats. Eydie was a sticky but happy baby. After making it to the car, I dropped my backpack, and turned around to bring some cold water and coconut water to Eric and Dad. It took them about 2 hours to make it back to the car, with the heat and stamina of all involved.
History: At the mid point of the trail (at sealevel), there is a monument erected to Captain Cook and his death on February 14, 1779. To read more about the death of the "Discoverer" of already inhabited lands, our friends at Wikipedia have that covered.
About the trail: The trail is ranked as "Moderate" according to the website/app All Trails (my new go to for hiking apps). The trail starts at 1,256 feet and goes down to sealevel over the course of 1.8 miles - and that's the easy part. We timed it perfectly to be going uphill, at the hottest point of the day, and not the best crew.
How the hike went: The reviews for this hike talk about how there is no cover from the sun, and they were not lying. We did this hike in May (already warmer than the winter months), and started the hike around 10 am. It could have been earlier, but Dad insisted on finding the short cut down the road instead of parking where all the other cars were located at the trailhead.
Walking down was reasonably easy and uneventful. We spent the afternoon snacking and snorkeling. A pod of dolphins came through to say hello to the snorkelers. We decided to return and hike the trail back to the top at the hottest part of the day. Sydney and and I made it out in about an hour, with a small encounter with some goats. Eydie was a sticky but happy baby. After making it to the car, I dropped my backpack, and turned around to bring some cold water and coconut water to Eric and Dad. It took them about 2 hours to make it back to the car, with the heat and stamina of all involved.
Monday, June 25, 2018
The Plan
It's that point in my life where I've reached a milestone that society says is significant. To celebrate my 30th birthday, I am going to spend my 30th year doing 30 new hikes. Most will be around Juneau, and the rest will be as I travel for work, with a few destination locations mixed in.
The rules:
1. Only new hikes count towards the 30.
2. Do 30 in the 14 months surrounding my 30th birthday.
3. Repeat hikes don't count, but are always encouraged.
The rules:
1. Only new hikes count towards the 30.
2. Do 30 in the 14 months surrounding my 30th birthday.
3. Repeat hikes don't count, but are always encouraged.
#30Hikes
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