50,000 to 2

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50,000 TO 2 Karen-Serjeantson and Mike Sheridan ready crampons, In the Yukon bears outnumber the downwind of the tent, but can be ice axes, Weher climbing boots, population. There are 50,000 bears shortened to 10 metres if you're too mountainb biking shoes, running shoes, weighing 300 to 400 kg and 23,000 exhausted to walk that far (definitely hiking shoes, wedding cake and dress, people. Thus, it is wisetoknow some no cups oftea in thej pit). All food had suit, two bikes etc., everything we bear facts. Treat bears with respect, to be eaten (not too much of a probneed for SIX weeks of outdoor they're native, big, run up to 60 km/h, lem). All toothpaste swallowed or adventureintheYukonandtwoweeks and are good swimmers. It is true that disposed of well away from the tent. of pre: and. after Nos smelly clothes alwedding bliss at lowed in the tent and the cottage (just polypro must be a 71 hour domesstored 1,000 metres tic flighta away). away or beside your neighbours tent (al- Knowing we though you are unhad too much likely to have any). gear to hike (local lingo) Generously donating with, it was blood to the Canadian clear weneeded mosquito blood bank to base our- 1S a daily event unless selves. Theperrain or wind tempofect place was rarily keeps them Haines Juncinside their homes tion, ParkHeadquarters, with a Scrub bashing propopulation vides an excellent which fits on opportunitytorendeztwo pages in the vous with a bear. phone book, an Whatever you do, awesome bak- Cache Lake, Kluane Karen Serjeantson singing or swearing, it ery, and a genmust be frequent and eral store with all the rest Mike adult grizzlies are not good climbers loud - just breaking branches 1S not figured we didn'tneed anyi maps since because their claws are too large, but sufficient to differentiate you from I had local knowledge (even if the there are few trees in Kluane. Given any other animal. closest I had ever been to the Yukon all this, the literature still says that was Vancouver, 2,500 km away). bears fear humans just SO long as Toss away your flashlights in the bears can read, we'll be OK! summer. There is enough daylight to Kluane Park is 22,015 squarekilomewalk 24 hours a day should you get tres, the largest ice field outside the Since encountering bears was not lost, or read a book in your tent, polar regions, with 2,050 glaciers, entirelya new experience tome, I'll let except from about lam to 4 am when many of which: arel longer than 70 km. Mikegivehisi first impression. "It was small print is a bit difficult to read. It contains the tallest mountain in BIG!" Cloudy nights are a pleasure, giving Canada, the largest massif in the you a bit of darkness in your tent. world (100 km diameter at the base), Keeping camp was a bit more work Mt. Logan, 5,951 m. than Mike was used to and a little Yukon rivers are like the grizzlies, different for me, since I was used to very big, and in almost all cases not Before telling you a story, let us tell being able to hang the food in trees, crossable anyt time of year but winter you some of our impressions of the but there were no trees here taller than onskis or snowshoes. With theexcep- Yukon and background information what a grizzly could reach. All cook- tion ofone river, the Duke, which we on hiking in Kluane ing and eating should be 35 metres crossed only once in early morning at a very braided part. Bridges on the Alaska highway and helicopters are the best methods to cross Kluane rivers. The sheer quantities ofglacial meltmaker many creeksa challenge to cross after 10 am. Scree slopes. You have to love them to hike in Kluane. The goats, sheep, and bears don't have a problem with them. Signs of all these animals are visible above 2,500 metres. Alpine meadows and fresh water abound for camp sites in paradise - if only the damn mosquitoes would go away. The only kind of tracks were grizzly tracks. If the toes are OldMiner's Cabin, Vulcan Creek Karen Serjeantson pointed towards you, it's OK, you've already passed each other. If lakes, clear, blue morning streams Not deterred by this or our lack of the toes are pointed the same direc- turning intol brown, siltytorrents each map, we trudged off following our tions as yours, bel loud, there could be afternoon, expansive green meadows noses you could see the route a grizzly munching amongst the wil- sandwiched between stark scree across the glacier and then onto the lows. slopes, tundra, abandoned mining West Ridge to the top We reached slopes, 10,000 ft foothills and 17,000 Vulcan Creek by lunch time - it was A popular area? More for wildlife to 20,000 ft snow capped mountains. big, brown, and ugly. We decided to than people. We met with only 1 stay on the true right and take our group of hikers, but saw 8 grizzlies, Luckily, Kluane (and most of the chances - Bad Move! countless mountain goats, Dalls sheep, Yukon) 1S of little forest or mineral caribou, ground squirrels, field mice, value, leaving it astrue wilderness for The electrical storm that hit us in the spruce grouse, marmots, bald eagles, the wildlife. The only foreseeable afternoon occurred while we were moose, beaver, and coyotes, which threat is your average tourist com- 35 metres above the river climbing we never saw but only heard in the plaining iti 1S1 not accessibleenough. In over our second impassable bluff night. Oddly, with all the glaciers other words, unlike Denali, Alaska, Being very wary of the lightning and in the park, we never heard any you can'tdrive into the park, you have our metal ice axe conducting rods. avalanches as the summer snow is to walk there. we sheltered under a rubbish sack in incredibly stable. a small gully. The lightning missed Mt Vulcan was one of the many and we scrambled our way further up Hitch hiking for all our transport peaks we spied that didn't look too the valley to camp a few hours later proved relatively easy, although the difficult to climb. This was the only day in SIX weeks 1001 metre "Recreation Vehicles" with whereweh hadto wear our parkas We a 4WD truck and car in tow never We felt real silly Wandering down found a very damp Fiordland type seemed to have room for us. Locals the Alaska Highway, scorching hot campsite on a partially eroded river seemed to generally best understand day, with packs towering above our terrace. that hikers are a harmless species. heads full of crampons, ice axe, The local human population are a rope, tent, plastic boots etc. We had Ther next morning was declared a pit talented and friendly bunch, who asked at the information centre about morning - again the only one in SIX offered us their homes to stay at and climbing Mt Vulcan - no-one there weeks. By lunch time there was no the use of their Canadian canoes. had done: it or knew the route but they more rain, the nver, however, was had heard of someone climbing it 3 meaner than ever now full of rain A land of contrast with emerald blue years ago. water as well as snow melt This side of the river looks fine to me, I confi- glacier. This was only a baby of4 or Securing the ridge again and back to dently predict. Justaround the corner, 5km in length, not in the samel league the security (or sO it seemed) ) of some however, the river swung in against asthel Donjek, at: 80 km, which wel had very slushy snow. We got the rope another bluff up and over yet seen on a previous trip. back out as the fall out on either side again! Meanwhile, on the other side of the ridge was not the place for a the grass was certainly looking a lot The gear we had brought all this way picnic. Aropel length from thet top, the greener. was goingt to beused and roping up for wet snow was avalanching to the left some classic glacier travel swallowed and the cornice to the right was be- We camped in the early evening at most of it. As always, travel across coming more and more overhung. the headwater forks. Both of the the glacier lookede leasier than itt turned forks wereuncrossable, butthe camp- out to be - numerous slots to leap Flag it. That's close enough for us. ing was very pleasant in the alpine across- - andi itt took 20 or 3hours to: slog We turned around and headed back meadows. across and then some tricky manoeu- for picnic country, eventually getting vring to get around the bergshrund back to the tent about 8pm. Only The crack ofdawn swept past: at 3am and onto the ridge another 3 hours till a sunset of sorts without us we didn't really get going until the middle of the day, Initially the ridge was pretty mild Cruising out the next day down the about 7am. This was about lowest with great views of the valleys to the true left took a mere 3 hours No river time and we crossed without south. We came across a rock step bluffs, no scrambling in the bush, no incident. Scrambling amongst the after an hour that required a sidle in inching round in waist deep, swirling moraine we spooked a herd of goats. similar rock conditions to greywacke ice bergs nothing What they were eating I don't know, crumbly as hell - with black ice thee environment was completely grey. hiding underneath. Scramblingaround Back at the visitor centre we could amongstther rock wasnot comfortable look back up at Vulcan, pointing out We didn't have any problems easing with rocks tumbling past, loosened to a couple of passing tourists that ourselves onto the tongue of the by the afternoon sun. we almost got to the top! TIM TAM SLAMS Karyn Burgess Take one mug of milo and a Tim Tam biscuit. (Beginners should use only one Tim Tam. Experienced slammers can try two at a time). Bite off each end of the Tim Tam (don't be greedy, too big a bite will spoil the slam). Dip one end of the Tim Tam in your milo. Suck the milo up through the other end of the biscuit. (Quite a lot of suction is required, there is no room for the lilly-lipped). cmus When biscuit begins to melt, slam it into your milo) mouth before it drops into your drink - those S who cannot hold their Tim Tams will suffer. from lumpy milo syndrome!