Windy Arm Storm 1997

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Dyea to Dawson 1997 – Windy Arm Storm

Fred O’Brien

In  June of 1997 Karl Dittmar and I took part in the Dyea (near Skagway, Alaska) to Dawson, Yukon International Centennial Race to the Klondike. The race was limited to 50 teams of two, and was a re-enactment of the great gold-rush stampede of 1897-98.  We had a 56 Kl. hike over the Chilkoot trail and a 1000 Kl. canoe trip from Bennet Lake, through several lakes and down the mighty Yukon river to Dawson City.   We each  had to carry a minimum load of 22.5 Kilograms (50 lbs), which included listed compulsory items such as a gold pan, 12 inch diameter cast iron frying pan (heavy!), hatchet, shovel, flour, beans and dried fruit – all to make it a realistic commemoration of the stampede.

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