Title: Hiking in the Morning

General Information about Item:

• Superstition, Tradition
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States/Canada
• Trail of Origin: Chilkoot
• Informant: Sam D
• Date Collected: 10-29-19

Informant Data:

• Sam D is a 40 year old male from Juneau, Alaska. Sam grew up in Southeast Alaska, and currently works for the state government. Sam hiked the Chilkoot trail in 2015.

Contextual Data:

• Historical Context: First used by the Tlingit people of Alaska as a trade route, the Chilkoot became an important trail for miners and prospectors coming to Alaska during the Klondike gold rush in the 1890s. The trail was mostly abandoned after the end of the gold rush in 1898, until the trail was restored for recreational hikers in the 1960s. Currently, the trail is a popular recreational hike, and stretches between Skagway, Alaska, and Bennett, British Colombia. (Source) Dyea is a small town a north of Skagway, between the residential part of Skagway and the entrance to the Chilkoot trail.
• Cultural Context: Currently, there are a number of public cabins and campgrounds located along the Chilkoot trail, maintained by the US and Canadian governments. These are areas where hikers will often congregate, and rest for the night. Sheep Camp is one such area.
• Social Context: Sam mentioned this superstition when asked about his experience hiking the Chilkoot, and any advice he would give to someone hiking the trail for the first time.

Item:

This is a superstition about the time of day to hike the section of the Cilkoot Trail leading to the Chilkoot summit, colloquially known as The Golden Staircase.

When you hike the summit of the mountain, there is avalanche danger, unless you hike in the morning.

Transcript:

• “They [the American Park Rangers] make everyone leave [Sheep Camp] at about 5 AM the day they hike the Golden Staircase. The earlier in the day you do it, the less likely it is for avalanche problems. It’s not much of a problem in the summer, but they have a routine of it.”

Collectors Note:

This is a magic superstition, that uses the law of similarity. The hikers climb the mountain in the morning, like the sun rising to the top of the sky in the morning.

This may also be a practical piece of advice that extends beyond the law of similarity. During the day, snow exposed to the sunlight melts, creating a heavy, unstable slab of snow that is more likely to break off in an avalanche.

Collector’s Name: Soren Thompson

Tags/Keywords:

• Landslide
• Superstition
• Chilkoot Trail
• Thru Hiking