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They are celebrating at Happy Camp every night this time of year. It’s high season.

If you’ve never been, check this trip report / article and photos from guru Peter Potterfield on Great Outdoors:

The rocky slope is dusted with light snow and coated with freezing rain. I take one more big step—slowly and carefully–and then another. Here, on the steepest part of this storied route, the next step is the only one that matters. These are the so called Golden Stairs leading to Chilkoot Pass, and a similar caution must have been the mantra of hardy miners who plied this cruel slope in 1898. Here, the most trying section of the long ascent climbs steeply up past the “Scales,” the historic rocky ledge where miners had to prove they carried the requisite weight of equipment and supplies to pass muster with the Mounties.

Both sides of the trail are littered with rusting relics, equipment the miners jettisoned out of exhaustion. Even today, the offal of their back-breaking burdens remains, strewn along the way, giving the trail an authentic aroma of human struggle. But these treasure seekers weren’t the first to use this great trail. One of the few glacier-free corridors through the intimidating Coast Range of British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska, the Chilkoot Pass had for centuries been a crucial trade route for the native peoples of the coast. And now it remains one of the most interesting backcountry routes in North America. …

Hiking Historic Chilkoot Pass

Want to go?

Check our information page on The Chilkoot Trail – besthike.com

An excellent Himalayan hiking option in Northern India:

… Although Sikkim is only 65 miles long and 45 miles broad, yet it contains some fo the finest mountain and ravine scenery in the world. The Kanchenjunga range is viewed in all its splendour, while the Everest massif can be seen from many advantageous points. …

Sikkim (in orange)

The jumping off point for Sikkim is Darjeeling. Several hikes are recommended:

1. TO PHALUT AND BACK
2. TO PAHLUT AND RETURN via JHEPI
3. PHALUT AND PEMIONGCHI

Number 3 sounds great:

… The march, though long has few equals in the variety and beauty of the scenery that is met with. Leaving Phalut the road takes a short climb to the Singalila Ridge (12, 200 feet at Singalila Point) along which it travels for 3 miles. The grassy, boulder strewn mountain side, gay with flowers, and with the snows always in view, presents a pretty picture. Plunging downwards for 11 miles the road drops 8,000 feet, passing through a variety of vegetation shortly how cold it is up in Phalut, at the start of the march, it is very warm in Dentam. There is a small bazaar in the neighbourhood.

The climb to Pemiongchi, 6,920 feet, begins with the next day’s trek. The 11 miles march is enlivened by some very beautiful scenery, including scenery, including cascading waterfalls and gorgeous orchids. The full beauty of the Sikkim forests strikes one during the march to Pemiongchi.

Pemionngchi is remarkable for its monastery and different angle at which Kanchenjunga is viewed. The monastery of Sanga Choling is the older and largest in Sikkim and it means “The Sublime Perfect Lotus”. A beautiful view of the surrounding country-side can be obtained from the monastery and it is itself of great interest.

The return journey is via Rimchenpong (6,300 ft), Chakung (5,100 ft) and Badamtam (2,500 ft). The route however, can be shortened by 1 day by making a double march of 20 miles from Chakung direct to Darjeeling via Singla, Barnesbeg and Takvar Tea Estates. …

read more – Hot Stimulating Treks and Tours

original – flickr – Gateway to Singalila National Park – Kanchendzonga

Singalila National Park – Wikipedia