You are here

Challenging Rescue On The Chilkoot Trail At Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

Share

Looking South from False Summit on the Chilkoot Trail. NPS Photo.

The Chilkoot Trail at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is one of the most challenging hikes anywhere in the country, and it's a tough place for a medical emergency. Last weekend, the Trail was the scene of the park's longest-ever litter transport and ground-based rescue.

In the late 1890s, tens of thousands of gold-seekers flooded into Canada's Yukon Territory via the small Alaskan coastal villages of Skagway and Dyea, and one of the most difficult parts of the 600-mile trip was up and over a grueling mountain route known as the Chilkoot Trail.

The hike isn't much easier today for anyone tackling a 33-mile segment of the historic route which runs through parts of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the Chilkoot Trail National Historical Site in Canada. Information about the trail on the park website notes, " Hiking the Chilkoot can be highly rewarding; however, unlike many hikes, taking on the Chilkoot means crossing an international border, and hiking 33 miles of isolated, physically challenging and potentially hazardous terrain."

A Route for Experienced - and Fit - Hikers

Hikers are cautioned that, "The Chilkoot is not a novice trail and should only be attempted by persons who are physically fit and experienced in hiking and backpacking." In places there is no trail at all, simply a "route" through very rugged terrain, and it's not hard to lose your way in fog and rain. The hike includes an elevation gain of 3,500 feet, of which 2,500 feet are gained over just 3.3 miles leading to the summit.

When trouble occurs, just getting the word for help out to the authorities can be a challenge. There is no cell phone coverage along the trail, although Iridium Satellite phones may work in some areas. A park video notes, "Although National Park Service and Parks Canada staff patrol the trail during the summer months, help from rangers and wardens might be many hours or even days away."

It's against that backdrop that rangers learned on the evening of July 26 that a 65-year-old man was reported to be immobile and complaining of frequent activations of his implantable cardioversion defibrillator (ICD). Due to the time of day, the potential severity of the victim's condition and the lack of available helicopters for the rescue, the incident commander decided to organize a litter evacuation.

A Demanding "Boots on the Ground" Rescue

The rescue was a cooperative effort by rangers, other park employees and Skagway Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue. When completed, it was the park's longest-ever litter transport from the Chilkoot Trail.

According to a park spokesperson, ten responders hiked six and a half miles of the trail to reach the victim. An off-duty trail maintenance employee, who just happened to be staying at the nearby Canyon City Campground, was the first to respond and provided the rescue team with an initial assessment and vital signs during the team's hike-in. A physician traveling with the hiking party assisted at the scene.

Rescuers reached the man and began the all-night litter transport just before midnight. The evacuation involved moving the man five miles over mountainous terrain for six hours during the night, transferring him to an inflatable watercraft for a swiftwater river crossing, and then transferring him to an ambulance for transport to Skagway's Dahl Memorial Clinic. The patient was treated at the clinic and then moved to Whitehorse Hospital in Yukon Territory, Canada, where he reportedly recovered and was released.

You can gain a little insight into the terrain and challenges involved in a hike on the trail and in this rescue from "Preparing to Hike the Chilkoot: Things You Should Know," an excellent six-minute video on the park website. You'll find the link to that video and additional information about the hiking the ChilkootTrail at this link.

Comments

This is our home park, and we're very proud of our friends and neighbors who made this difficult rescue happen.


Wow. I wrote a novel set during the Klondike gold rush, and my heroine was young and strong and still struggled to hike that trail. I'm impressed.


Congratulations to all who participated in this spectacular rescue!

Rick


Somehow “one of the most challenging hikes anywhere in the country” and 65 year old man with aimplantable cardiovascular defibrillator don't go together. Not saying it can't or shouldn't be done because many sports accomplishments have been made by similar people. Being in that age group I am saying be well aware of your limitations. Cheers for an outstanding job by the rescuers.


Agreed,Edmond. I have many many miles of hikes behind me, but in my mid 60's and with blood pressure, arthitis, and other assorted frailities, my awarness of my limtations made me cheer from the sidelines as my wife made her annual hike of the Chillkoot a couple of weeks ago.


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.