BWCA BeaV's Alaskan video - Part 6 - Over The Chilkoot Pass Boundary Waters Group Forum: BeaV's Trip to Alaska
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      BeaV's Alaskan video - Part 6 - Over The Chilkoot Pass     

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12/12/2014 09:49AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Here ya go for part 6 all you BeaV junkies (and I am one!).

This one is 40:46

password

P0rt@g3

second figure is a zero

Onward.

Paddling To, Through and Around Alaska - Part 6 -Over The Chilkoot Pass
 
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12/12/2014 12:13PM  
That was a really tough stretch; can't wait to see what comes now.
 
bbrown6057
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12/12/2014 03:20PM  
You're one tough hombre Bob. Couple of questions. First, what's the bolt for sticking through your baseball cap and secondly on the pass, how did you stay hydrated? Did you have to resort to melting snow for water?
 
12/12/2014 03:53PM  
quote bbrown6057: "Couple of questions. First, what's the bolt for sticking through your baseball cap and secondly on the pass, how did you stay hydrated? Did you have to resort to melting snow for water?"


The bolt sticking though my LaTourell's hat was used for a camera mount.

Hydration- Only had 2 camps above snowline where I melted snow for water. The other camps I would boil water at the camp I was starting from in the morning, make a portage load to the next camp, return to the first camp, drink/eat/dry socks, then repeat 2 more times. It would be silly to carry water or food up the mountain that could be consumed at a lower elevation! Every night I tried to have all my gear together again where I slept. Next day repeat. Of course, when I had snow around I would eat snow as I was moving (I was plenty hot so had plenty of body heat to melt snow in my mouth before swallowing- "experts" say don't do this but me and the critters do it).
 
HighPlainsDrifter
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12/13/2014 08:49PM  
Holy smokes. To think I groan about taking heavy gear over a 400r portage...... At least I don't have to have crampons, snow shoes, and avalanche shovel. Amazing footage of the mountains and the steepness of that pass.

When in the snow fields, how did Beav know where the trail was? In the forest zone, are the trees blazed?
 
12/14/2014 10:44AM  
quote HighPlainsDrifter: "the steepness of that pass.

When in the snow fields, how did Beav know where the trail was? In the forest zone, are the trees blazed? "

The Golden Staircase is said to be 45 degrees...this might be overstated abit. I'd say it 40-45 more accurately. I know when I had the canoe on my shoulders, I had to lift the bow way up to keep it from touching the slope in front of me. Awkward way to portage a canoe.

The trail below snowline was as easy as a BWCA portage to follow. The trail above that of course was not visible and this was the zone where treeline was getting near so very sparse on trees. It was a little tricky through this area and I did find some blazes from decades ago here and there. The blazes were from long ago before this became a park. There were too few blazes to follow, but at least when I did find one, I figured I was heading in the right direction. Once above treeline, trail didn't matter cuz I was in a valley with steep mountains on both sides- just go up. Then the last issue is deciding which pass to take once near the top. My solution was to take that historic photograph of the stampeders heading up the Golden Staircase with me. I used that as my reference to choose correctly.

 
HighPlainsDrifter
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12/14/2014 12:59PM  
Yes, you spent some time with that photograph at the top. From the looks of the photo it had been unfolded and folded many times. I doubt I could have talked into the camera at the top. I think the emotion (of what had gone on to this point) would have got the best of me. I liked your toast to those who had gone before. I almost expected the words "a drink to the livin' a toast to the dead" (Gordon Lightfoot), but your toast touched the moment.

Thanks for answering questions.
 
Savage Voyageur
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12/15/2014 08:15PM  
That was unreal, wow BeaV, I loved the toast at the top. I have watched 4 tonight, I can't stop watching. Thanks all.
 
Dbldppr1250
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12/18/2014 06:29AM  
I did some therapy for my back fusion yesterday, working with an elderly gal who looked like she was very fit. She and I were talking about canoeing, and I mentioned Beav's trip. She told me she had backpacked the Chilkoot Pass, taking 5 days. She had a hard time understanding how Beav could do what he did when I gave her more details. Truly amazing to others that have been there!
 
12/18/2014 07:21AM  
A question for BeaV: your green pants...what kind are they? Yes, a very important question. Haha.
 
eOar
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12/18/2014 09:04AM  
I was wondering the same thing. LOL
 
paddlefamily
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12/18/2014 01:28PM  
The calories burned! That pass is bananas. Incredible footage to watch and those views are amazing. What a great feeling it must have been to savor the sense of accomplishment after months of pondering.
 
12/19/2014 08:11PM  
quote nojobro: "A question for BeaV: your green pants...what kind are they? Yes, a very important question. Haha."

Pants are important, too. These were just a pair of cheap wool pants I bought from Glen's Army Navy in Grand Rapids, MN. It's good they were cheap because they were junk after the Chilkoot Portage. The spikes on the crampons tore'em apart. I burned them sometime after completing that portage.
 
yellowcanoe
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12/21/2014 06:54PM  
I'm in awe of portaging a Sea Wind over the Chilkoot!
Its inspiring that if you have to do, you figure out a way to do.
 
12/24/2014 11:52AM  
quote paddlefamily: "That pass is bananas. What a great feeling it must have been to savor the sense of accomplishment after months of pondering."

Yes it was a great feeling of accomplishment to make it to the top. However, it was a false sense of relief since I still had 16 miles of portaging to go. The next few days seen me getting my butt kicked a few times. No video footage to show it, though. The 2 days after the Pass were nearly as hard, physically, as the Golden Staircase days.
 
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