AB Mountain – Lupe Joins the Arctic Sisterhood! Skagway, Alaska (8-7-17)

Day 8 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!

Loopster was right!  When Monday morning arrived, Skagway bore no resemblance to the virtual ghost town it had been at dusk on Sunday night.  It was still early.  Skagway wasn’t terribly busy yet, but you could just feel that the whole town would soon be teeming with activity.  Before that happened, Lupe and SPHP took a walk down to the Skagway Sea Terminal for a look around.

Three big cruise ships were in port, plus a yacht named Playpen and a number of smaller boats tucked away in a separate little cove.

Seeing the ocean and the beautiful mountains along the Taiya Inlet was fun.  However, Lupe had already figured out that just like yesterday’s bush pilot flight-seeing tour to Virginia Falls leaving from Muncho Lake, SPHP would announce that taking a cruise on one of these luxurious cruise ships wasn’t in the budget, either.

That was OK.  American Dingoes are flexible.  They’re open to all sorts of ideas.  Lupe had seen another less expensive entertainment possibility on the walk through town.  Maybe SPHP could be talked into this one?

Lupe was in for high times, alright, but not at the Red Onion Saloon, at least not now.  Today Lupe’s high times were going to involve 4,740 feet of elevation gain climbing AB Mountain (5,036 ft.).  She was going to join the Arctic Sisterhood!

In 1899, back in the Klondike gold rush days, the Arctic Brotherhood had been founded by 11 gold prospectors on a steamship headed for Skagway from Seattle.  The Arctic Brotherhood was originally a fraternal order whose members pledged to assist one another on the way to and while at the goldfields near Dawson City in the Yukon.

The in-land journey to the goldfields started at Skagway, where a unique two story hall decorated on the exterior with driftwood was built as the Arctic Brotherhood’s headquarters.  For a while, the Arctic Brotherhood became very popular and expanded rapidly, at one point having over 10,000 members and up to 34 different camps distributed throughout the Yukon and southern Alaska.

A NNE trending ridge starting at Yakutania Point just W of Skagway rises from Taiya Inlet some 5,036 feet to a mountaintop more than 5 miles away.  The letters “AB” appear on this mountain when snow conditions are right, so the mountain became known as A.B. Mountain or Arctic Brotherhood Mountain.  It’s sometimes said in modern times that climbing AB Mountain makes one a member of the Arctic Brotherhood.

The real Arctic Brotherhood never accepted female members, but SPHP didn’t want to worry Lupe with such trivial details.  As far as SPHP was concerned, if the plucky Carolina Dog could get to the top of the mountain today, she was going to become a member of the Arctic Sisterhood.  SPHP told her as much.

Of course, after all her wonderful adventures in the Yukon and Alaska both last year and yet to come on this 2017 Dingo Vacation, Lupe was excited about the prospect of joining the Arctic Sisterhood!  She was eager to get going right away!

SPHP found the small trailhead for AB Mountain on the S (L) side of the road to Dyea almost immediately after the road turned to gravel.  On the opposite side of the road Lupe spotted a small sign saying A.B. Mountain next to the start of the Skyline Trail.  (9:30 AM, 59°F)

For the first 2.25 miles, the trail was wide and easy to follow.  It varied quite a bit on how steep it was, with both fairly steep and almost level sections.  Lupe even came to a few dips.  Overall, Lupe gained elevation at a moderate pace.

This early part of the trail went through a forest.  Not far from the trailhead, Lupe explored a short side spur leading off the main trail to an exposed boulder.  This boulder provided a view back toward Skagway and the Taiya Inlet.  Everywhere else the only views were of the forest.

Shortly after returning to the main trail, Lupe crossed the first of two small streams.

After crossing the first stream, the trail went a long way through the forest before eventually crossing a second small stream.  Beyond the second stream, the trail began to steepen rapidly.  It was soon so steep that SPHP was often grabbing branches, tree trunks, rocks – whatever was available for assistance.  The steep climb didn’t bother Lupe, though.

At the start of this steep section, the trail had still been in thick forest.  As Lupe gained elevation, however, the situation began to change.  Tall bushes and Devil’s club mingled in among the trees.  Lupe even saw a few blueberries and crowberries.  Gradually, the trees became smaller and fewer.  The tall bushes and Devil’s club prevailed.  Views were now starting to open up.

SPHP had previously read online about an obstacle that Lupe had to be fast approaching.  Somewhere along this steep section of the trail, trip reports stated there was a rope needed to get up a particularly slippery, dangerous spot.  How bad was this spot?  Was it a small cliff?  Would Lupe even be able to get past it?  SPHP was worried that the rope might be as far as the Carolina Dog could go.

Lupe finally did reach a yellow rope dangling 40 or 50 feet down a long, smooth-surfaced rock.  The rock was plenty steep, but this wasn’t nearly as bad as SPHP had feared it might be.  No exposure, no insurmountable obstacles.  In fact, the American Dingo could scamper up and down the rock at will.  The rope was a tremendous help to SPHP.  With its assistance SPHP simply walked right on up the rock no problem at all.

Lupe kept climbing.  SPHP had to stop frequently to catch breath.  Lupe was starting to get above all the trees.  The trail remained very steep.  Even the tall bushes and Devil’s club were starting to give way to shorter vegetation.  A high point up ahead looked like the start of easier terrain, and some fabulous sweeping views.

The climb up to the first sweeping viewpoint was farther than it looked, but Lupe and SPHP made it.  The terrain was a lot easier here.  The vegetation was reduced to tundra plants.  Nothing obstructed the glorious views which were absolutely amazing in virtually every direction.

Lupe met two people at this first sweeping viewpoint.  Sean and Rebecca Riordan from Brooklyn, New York were here enjoying the grand views.  They had come to Skagway aboard the Explorer of the Seas, which Lupe had seen docked down at Skagway this morning.  Sean and Rebecca were super friendly and nice to Lupe.  Rebecca said her grandma was named Lupe, too!

Sean, Rebecca and SPHP had a good time chatting for quite a while.  Lupe certainly didn’t mind taking a break being petted and loved.

Sean and Rebecca had to be back down to the Explorer of the Seas in time for an 8:00 PM departure, so eventually Lupe and SPHP had to bid them farewell and bon voyage.  If the American Dingo hadn’t been committed to joining the Arctic Sisterhood today, she might well have followed Sean and Rebecca down for pizza and drinks aboard the luxurious Explorer of the Seas.

As it was, it was time to get moving again.  The summit of AB Mountain was still a long way off, not even in sight yet.  Up ahead, Lupe could see two rounded higher hills along the ridge.  The trail led toward a closer wall of rock, as if destined to skirt these hills to the W (L).

The trail was no longer as wide, well-worn and easy to follow as it had been way back down in the forest.  SPHP somehow lost it, and wound up on a boulder field below the E side of the rock wall.  About half way through the boulder field, people were seen up on top of the rock wall.  Apparently the trail was actually up there.

Lupe and SPHP made it past the boulder field, and up onto the ridgeline beyond the two rounded hills.  The trail continued winding along the top of the ridge, and after a while Lupe could see two distant high points ahead.  The closer, lower one was marked on the topo map as the location of Hump Benchmark.

It was still a long way to Hump Benchmark, never mind the summit.  Lupe continued up the ridgeline.  Sometimes the trail was easy to follow, sometimes cairns marked the way, sometimes there was no indication at all of where to go except onward and upward.  Lupe was still gaining elevation steadily.  The views were fantastic on all sides.

SPHP was getting tired.  It seemed like Lupe had already gone a long, long way, but it was clear she still had significant ground left to cover.  Several groups of people had either started out earlier in the morning, or had passed Loop and SPHP on the way up.  Every now and then one of these groups was met making their way back down.

No one seemed to know how far it was to the summit of AB Mountain (5,036 ft.), although SPHP was pretty certain Lupe had been seeing the summit beyond the Hump from various vantage points along the ridge.  However, everyone had turned back before getting there.

Only the last couple of guys Lupe met, one from England and the other from New Zealand, told SPHP they had been to the summit.  They had found a large cairn at the top.  They claimed it was only another 30 to 60 minutes away from where Lupe was now.

The Brit and the New Zealander had lied.  Not on purpose maybe, perhaps they had gotten to the cairn that quickly, but SPHP couldn’t get there that fast.  Not even close.  An hour zipped by and the summit, wherever it was, still didn’t appear to be anywhere nearby.  Lupe wasn’t even to the Hump yet.

The trail had all but vanished.  Lupe rarely even saw a cairn.  Another problem now existed.  The character of the long ridge was changing.  Lupe came to a series of long gashes.  Each gash extended all the way across from one side of the big ridge to the other, forcing Loop to find a way around or through each one.

These gashes were all oriented SW/NE.  They seemed like they had been created by a giant wielding a dull knife to slice a series of cuts partway into the ridge, as if it were a loaf of bread.  Each cut amounted to a gap, and at the edge of each gap Lupe found herself at the top of a wall of rock 10 to 30 feet high.  Sometimes there were relatively easy routes down into the gashes and up the other side.  Sometimes there weren’t.

The gashes made this part of the ridge an interesting trek, but really slowed SPHP’s progress down.  Lupe sometimes had to go way around the end of a gash.  Usually it was too steep to go around the W side, but it was always possible to get around the E side, provided Lupe and SPHP down climbed enough.

Instead of gaining elevation steadily, Loop sniffed and explored her way along a twisting up and down off-trail route wherever the terrain appeared most favorable.  Some of the gaps she crossed were full of loose rock and boulders.  Others contained snow banks.

At last, Lupe was nearing the Hump.  However, the biggest, deepest gash yet appeared between her and the Hump.  Looper had to lose 150 feet of elevation going around the far NE end of this gash.  Then it was a long climb up a series of benches to reach the top of the Hump from the E.

When Lupe reached the top of the Hump, the weather was changing.  All day long the sky had been slowly clouding up.  Now clouds swept over the ridge to AB Mountain.  Lupe and SPHP were periodically engulfed in fog, only to have sunshine reappear a few minutes later.  The clouds sailing by came out of the W.

From the top of the Hump, Lupe could finally see the summit again.  It wasn’t that far away!  Loop had to lose some elevation to get there, but the terrain was now less rugged than it had been getting to the Hump.  Lupe had an almost direct route to the summit!

Lupe and SPHP made it to the summit cairn on AB Mountain (5,036 ft.)!  Another cloud was sweeping over the ridge.  Nothing could be seen except the nearby terrain.  The rest of the world was gray.

It was still a joyful moment!  Lupe was at the top of AB Mountain.  She had joined the Arctic Sisterhood!  The long trek had been completely worth it.  SPHP congratulated Lupe, shaking her paw and praising her persistent effort.

Lupe had been standing up at the summit cairn for 6 or 7 minutes when a hole in the clouds opened up a partial view to the N.  SPHP was surprised to see another high point not even 0.2 mile away!  It looked to be almost identical in elevation to where Lupe was at the cairn.  Was it possible it was even higher?  Probably not, since the cairn was here, but SPHP checked the topo map anyway.

Oh, good grief!  That other high point to the N actually was the true summit of AB Mountain!  The topo map showed the other high point as 1535 meters (5,036 feet) compared to 1532 meters (5,026 feet) where Loopster was standing at the cairn.  No denying it.  Assuming the topo map was correct, which one had to, that other high point was 10 feet higher.  The map even showed the name AB Mountain right at that N high point.

It was now 2 hours since the Englishman and New Zealander had told SPHP it was only 30 to 60 minutes to the summit of AB Mountain.  Clearly they hadn’t bothered going over to the N high point.  They’d only mentioned the cairn.  It was getting rather late in the afternoon, and the weather was continuing to degrade with more clouds moving in.

No matter!  Lupe was going to the true summit!  It didn’t look hard to get there, and shouldn’t take long.  No time to lose, though.  SPHP explained to Looper that to make her ascent of AB Mountain and new membership in the Arctic Sisterhood official, she needed to tag that N high point.

SPHP didn’t have to tell her twice.  Loop led the way to the true summit.

Clouds obscured all views again as Lupe reached the true summit of AB Mountain.  A small rock stuck in a crack atop a massive rock appeared to be the absolute highest point on AB Mountain (5,036 ft.).  Lupe was happy to make her ascent and membership in the Arctic Sisterhood official by standing next to it.  SPHP put one of her front paws on top of the little rock and it was done.

Lupe remained at the true summit of AB Mountain for more than 20 minutes.  A 10 mph SW breeze blew a steady stream of fog across the mountaintop.  Every now and then, a partial view to the NE was momentarily revealed.  A few times Lupe saw blue sky and sunshine directly overhead, while surrounded by fog.  Most of the time the summit was simply socked in.  Loop never did see more than a faint outline of Mount Clifford, the next higher peak farther N along the ridge.

The American Dingo rested peacefully next to the little rock at the top of AB Mountain enjoying her status as the newest member of the Arctic Sisterhood.  There were a couple of other rocks nearby competing closely for the title of true summit.  After resting up and having some Taste of the Wild, Lupe tagged them, too.  No cairn or registry was found.

It was already early evening when Lupe and SPHP finally left the true summit of AB Mountain in a dark fog.  Lupe returned briefly to the cairn at the false summit, but could see nothing.

Lupe and SPHP hurried on due to the lateness of the hour.  The long trek back was a happy one and most enjoyable.  The solitude was unbroken.  Lupe seemed energized by the cool clouds and now mostly downhill route.  She ran and sniffed and explored far more than she had on the way up.

Fog prevailed much of the way, continuing to stream by from out of the WSW.  Once in a while there were holes in the clouds.  Dramatic glacier-clad mountain views popped into sight.  Lupe bathed in sunlight on the beautiful ridge for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes before it all disappeared again.

For a long time, Lupe and SPHP worked in dense fog back past all the gashes cutting across the ridge.  The Carolina Dog still faced significant down climbs to the NE, especially getting beyond the Hump.  Once past all the gashes, Lupe generally stayed right on top of the ridgeline and had more luck finding the best routes.  A few well-positioned cairns proved much more helpful pointing out the faint trail now than on the way up.

After a while, the clouds became so thick no more breaks appeared.  Lupe and SPHP continued lower traveling through dense fog.  It wasn’t until Lupe was working her way down the steep section that she lost enough elevation to emerge below the cloud cover.

Lupe could see Skagway now.  The Explorer of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas remained in port.  Sean and Rebecca were still in Skagway!

Any hopes the Carolina Dog might have had of having pizza and drinks with the Riordans were soon dashed, however.  The Explorer of the Seas was leaving!  Lupe and SPHP stood watching Explorer of the Seas sail S away from Skagway down Taiya Inlet.  Sean and Rebecca were probably enjoying their pizza and drinks right this very moment.

30 minutes later, Lupe saw the Radiance of the Seas follow the Explorer of the Seas away from Skagway.

So Lupe never did get to see Sean and Rebecca again.  They sailed away on adventures of their own.  Lupe’s fabulous expedition up AB Mountain had been successful.  The Carolina Dog had made it all the long, long way to the true summit.  Lupe had joined the Arctic Sisterhood!  Tomorrow would bring another fantastic northern adventure worthy of any official new member.

Down in the dark forest, dusk faded to the unbroken blackness of a starless night.  Lupe and SPHP traveled on through the gloom until at long last, the A.B. Mountain sign appeared in the flashlight’s beam at the start of the trail.  Lupe crossed the road to the G6, ready for Alpo and dreams of days gone by striking it rich in the faraway Klondike gold fields.  (11:16 PM)

AB Mountain trailhead directions:  From the South Klondike Highway (No. 98) take the turn onto Dyea Road (0.5 mile from Skagway, or 4 miles from US Customs).  Follow Dyea Road 2 miles.  Shortly before reaching the trailhead on the L (S) side of Dyea Road, you will pass a paved parking lot at a pullout on the L with a view of Skagway.  Dyea road turns to gravel a little past the pullout, and the trailhead appears soon after on the L (S) side of the road.  The trail starts at the A.B. Mountain sign on the other (N) side of the road directly across from the trailhead.  The trailhead has room for only 3 or 4 vehicles.

Related Links:

A Brief History of the Arctic Brotherhood

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