Day 10 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!
Something was still wrong. The road Lupe had been following from the gravel pit went only a short distance before ending at a shack in an impenetrably dense forest. This couldn’t possibly be right. If it was, the forest had grown up to such an extent that the Carolina Dog was never going to get to Fraser Peak (5,978 ft). After a quick glance around to make sure no sign of a road or trail was being missed, Loop and SPHP went back the way they’d come.
The instructions SPHP had taken off the internet before Lupe left on this Dingo Vacation seemed clear enough, and the morning had begun well. It was a beautiful, cloudless day. After leaving the International Falls trailhead, Lupe and SPHP had headed N on South Klondike Highway No. 2, stopping at a few pullouts along the way for a look at small sparkling lakes in the scenic, heavily glaciated Tormented Valley.
Fraser Peak was only 5 miles N of International Falls, and easily spotted from the South Klondike Highway. There was supposed to be a pullout that serves as a trailhead on the E side of the highway about 1 km (0.6 mile) S of Canadian Customs. SPHP also watched for a side road going W or NW into the forest on the opposite side of the highway 100 meters (330 ft.) N of the pullout toward customs.
As it turned out, there were two large gravel parking areas on the E side of the South Klondike Highway. Between them SPHP did see a side road going NW from the highway. This side road was nearest to the pullout closest to Canadian Customs. It was blocked by two cement barriers, and disappeared into tall bushes and forest beyond them.
The side road was not 100 meters N from either of the pullouts. It was the wrong direction from the pullout closest to customs, and more than twice as far N as it should have been from the pullout farther S. There was no doubt Lupe was in the correct area, however. Fraser Peak was right where it should be, and so was Canadian Customs. Maybe the online directions were just a bit sloppy?
SPHP turned the G6 around and drove back to the pullout farther away from customs. Lupe would start for Fraser Peak (5,978 ft.) from here. (11:05 AM, 66°F)
Loop crossed over to the W side of South Klondike Highway No. 2. It still bothered SPHP that the side road was so far from the pullout. As the Carolina Dog followed the highway N, SPHP kept an eye out for signs of another road, but saw nothing. Lupe reached the side road with its concrete barriers perhaps 250 meters from where the G6 was parked.
The side road headed W or NW into the forest, as expected. This road was supposed to go 0.6 km before reaching a junction with another road near a gate. Lupe would take the second road SW to Fraser Peak.
Fine and dandy, but that wasn’t how it worked out. After entering the forest, the side road soon curved N away from Fraser Peak. Unexpected. Finding no sign of any trail continuing NW, Lupe and SPHP stuck with the road. Before long Looper arrived at a gravel pit.
The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was right. Better check those directions again. The directions did mention this gravel pit and a highway maintenance garage as an alternate starting point for Fraser Peak. For those coming from the N who don’t want to have to go through Canadian Customs, a road to the gravel pit leaves the W side of South Klondike Highway No. 2 shortly before reaching customs.
Not sure why we wound up here starting from where we did Loop, but it’s fine. There’s supposed to be an old road going SW from the NW portion of this gravel pit. It will take us to the gate we are supposed to be looking for, although it’s now 0.9 km away instead of only 0.6 km.
So follow the SW edge of this gravel pit NW looking for an old road?
Yep. That ought to do it.
Except it didn’t. Instead, when Lupe found an old road, it ended at this dilapidated shack in impenetrable forest. Hmmm. Back to the gravel pit. Maybe there was another road even farther NW? Sure enough, the American Dingo found one. Yeah, this was it alright. All systems go!
The correct road was nearly level and went through the forest heading straight toward the lower end of Fraser Peak’s NE ridge. The whole mountain was soon in view.
Loop reached the gate mentioned in the directions. 30 feet before the gate, a trail or faint road intersected with the road Lupe was on. It came out of the forest from the SE (L). SPHP was certain that was the route Lupe was supposed to have taken to get here from the highway. Oh, well. This had been a roundabout way, but so what? It worked.
Beyond the gate, the road started gaining elevation. Already near noon, it was sunny and getting hot out. There wasn’t much shade on the road. Lupe and SPHP would have liked to stop in the shade when there was some, but biting flies and mosquitoes made that not such a great idea.
The road had steepened quite a bit by the time it began curving W up a ravine. A creek in the ravine was too large and swift to cross easily. The directions said to continue following the road, anyway. The road would lead to a better place higher up to ford the creek.
The road briefly leveled out as Loop approached the ford. An elevated pipeline in a wooden housing also went over the stream. The wooden housing was clearly marked “Keep Off – Fall Hazard”, yet a distinct trail led right up to it. Clearly this warning is not always heeded.
The ford didn’t look bad. The water was swift and knee deep on SPHP, but the creek bottom wasn’t as full of big rocks where the road crossed it as elsewhere. SPHP waded in. Looper followed, but the fast water was deep enough to scare her. She retreated to the bank.
SPHP made it across just fine. Once on the far side, SPHP turned around to begin the process of coaxing Lupe to follow. The Carolina Dog had vanished! Looking up, there she stood, feeling foxy and quite pleased with herself on the Dingo bridge.
Now that the stream had been crossed, Lupe and SPHP left the road climbing a steep hillside to the SW. In retrospect, it might have been better to stay on the road all the way to Bryant Lake, which wasn’t all that much farther away. The lake would have been worth seeing. However, climbing the hillside was a more direct route to Fraser Peak.
The steep hillside wasn’t terribly high. Loopster was soon up where the terrain leveled out to some extent. Loop and SPHP now headed S or SE toward the lower end of the big E ridge coming down from the N end of Fraser Peak.
Lupe was already near tree line. She traveled across open ground where little streams trickled down gentle slopes to shallow ponds. Yet it must have been quite dry recently. The tundra crunched beneath SPHP’s boots. Loop had a good view of the big ridge she needed to get up on ahead. A rocky ravine with a snow bank in it looked like a good place to begin the ascent.
Lupe and SPHP weren’t entirely alone. As the American Dingo headed for the big ridge, several grouse or ptarmigans got her all excited. They ran along the ground a short distance before flying off.
The route up the ravine with the snow bank was steeper than expected, and the upper reaches were very rocky. Lupe had to wait around quite a bit for SPHP. She was already getting some great views of the Tormented Valley off to the E and NE.
When Lupe reached the ridgeline, she still had a very long climb ahead of her. Fraser Peak’s long NE ridge had a series of large gaps or gashes running across it like the one she’d come up. Just like at AB Mountain (5,036 ft.) and International Falls, these ravines were oriented SW/NE. Lupe and SPHP found it easiest to stay well S of the steeper N edge of the ridgeline when trying to get past the gaps.
Between the gaps, Lupe had to climb up and over a series of steep ridges. There was a lot of exposed rock, but for a long way there was also a fair amount of alpine vegetation. Loop was often able to follow natural vegetated ramps zig-zagging up the rock formations on the ridges.
The gaps were sometimes full of broken rock. Often there were large snow banks or hidden tarns. Lupe almost always lost some elevation crossing these ravines. The gashes made the climb significantly harder and more time consuming than going up a smoother, more even ridge would have been.
Whenever Loopster was on or climbing the ridges between the gashes, the views were tremendous. She enjoyed a splendid panorama of a vast territory to the E.
After a long, winding climb over ridges and gashes, Lupe came to the last big gash in Fraser Peak’s main NE ridge. She was above nearly all of the alpine vegetation now. The gash was full of broken rock and snow.
Once past the final gash, the toughest part of the climb up Fraser Peak was directly ahead. This was the steepest part of the mountain. Lupe and SPHP were now much closer to the cliffy N side of the ridge. The ridge narrowed considerably as the Carolina Dog scrambled ever higher.
American Dingoes are great scramblers. SPHP frequently had to use hands for support. A few super steep spots where there was a lot of loose rock and dirt were the worst. The upper portion of the ridge narrowed so much that for the first time it was possible to see a path worn by other climbers.
SPHP proceeded cautiously, slowly. A mistake up here would not be good. Lupe was very patient. Finally the steepest part of the climb was over. The terrain remained very rough, but was rapidly leveling out. Awesome cliffs were close at hand.
Oddly enough, the scariest part of the whole climb was a short stretch of level ground. Lupe was very high on the NE ridge when she came to a section that narrowed down to as little as 3 or 4 feet wide. Only a 20 or 30 foot long stretch was this narrow, but the steep drops to the abyss on both sides were essentially cliffs. This part of the ridge was flat overall, but covered with tilted rocks. Fortunately, the rocks were small.
No significant obstacle rested upon this rock bridge in the sky, but the fearsome dizzying drops on either side gave SPHP pause. Lupe waited calmly while SPHP tried to summon an ounce or two of courage. Walking across that bridge of rock really wasn’t anything physically difficult at all. Nothing to it actually. It would take only a few seconds. On the other side, the way to the summit was open. This was it, the final test. Several minutes passed.
SPHP patted Lupe and felt better. Let’s do it! Over in a flash. Made it! So pathetically easy, yet psychologically difficult. Apparently the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood suffered no qualms. She had trotted across like it was nothing.
At any rate, it was done. The route to Fraser Peak’s summit was wide open. Fear turned to joy! Lupe was going to make it!
In only a few more minutes, Lupe was approaching the summit area. The top of Fraser Peak (5,978 ft.) was divided into two minor ridges by yet another gash of moderate size. Lupe and SPHP were closest to the lower NE section of the summit region. Here, a large pole stuck up at the edge of a cliff to the E. It had been visible for a long way from below, but SPHP had mistakenly taken it for an antenna or tower of some sort.
Before continuing to the true summit, Lupe headed over to the curious pole to investigate. The pole was at least 2 feet thick and perhaps 20 feet tall. It was all bare wood except for a red painted figure resembling an odd Santa Claus carved into the upper end of the pole. The figure faced NE gazing out beyond the cliff over the Tormented Valley.
The significance of this strange totem pole wasn’t at all clear. Lupe had seen similar native artwork in Carcross a few days ago. The red figure almost assuredly was not Santa Claus, but no plaque or anything else was around to explain who or what he represented.
Having inspected the totem pole without learning much, it was time to go in search of Fraser Peak’s true summit, which had to be very close now. Lupe went down into the gash separating the summit area into two sections. The terrain was still rising as she headed SW up onto the larger, higher ridge.
The higher SW portion of Fraser Peak’s summit area encompassed 2 acres of rocky ground almost entirely devoid of vegetation. The surface was uneven, but not steep. Near the SW end, 4 minor high points were in contention for the title of true summit. The two highest were a couple of large boulders separated by only 5 to 10 feet. The W boulder seemed an inch or two higher than the E one.
Lupe hopped up on the W boulder to claim Fraser Peak (5,978 ft.) as her first peakbagging success since becoming the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood after climbing AB Mountain (5,036 ft.) two days ago. Loop had an eye-popping view of Taiya Peak (6,844 ft.) (2,086 m) a couple of miles away to the SW.
As impressive and beautiful as Taiya Peak was, it was only part of a vast snow white panorama of dramatic mountains partially buried beneath massive glaciers extending to the W horizon.
SPHP recognized at least one of those high distant peaks. Lupe had seen it only yesterday from another angle at the far W end of her explorations off the International Falls trail. She was seeing it again here on Fraser Peak from a much higher vantage point. Not until many months later while looking at maps did SPHP begin to suspect that peak might have been the Skagway High Point (8,239 ft.).
After a stint at the true summit, Lupe moved to the next highest boulder only 5 or 10 feet away. It appeared to be only an inch or two lower than the true summit. From this E boulder Loop could see part of Summit Lake and the jagged snowy mountains beyond it to the SE.
The third highest rock on Fraser Peak was another large boulder 20 feet NNW of the two highest ones, but was clearly a little lower. Another 30 feet beyond it to the NW was yet another high point on a small ridge. This fourth high point was easily at least a couple of feet lower than the true summit, but was near the W edge of the summit area, making it perhaps the best seat in the house as far as views were concerned.
Lupe and SPHP headed over to the ridge where the fourth high point was located to take a look and have a break. The Carolina Dog rested comfortably on a small cushion of vegetation next to the rocks. Looper eagerly accepted water and Taste of the Wild. Meanwhile, SPHP gazed out upon the splendid scenes in all directions.
It had taken a long time to climb Fraser Peak. Lupe and SPHP lingered at the summit for over an hour. Loop appreciated both the extended break and the views. She was quite content taking it easy, or following SPHP around the summit looking first one direction then another.
Precious minutes flew by. Sadly, the moment arrived when the sun said Lupe needed to move on. One last look at that glorious view to the W.
It was too grand to simply depart. Would Loop like to go back to the true summit again? She would! A delaying tactic, but it still led to a sublime moment.
Conditions had been perfect. This had been a truly glorious day and mountain. And now, for the last time, Lupe stood perched high at the true summit of Fraser Peak. Mighty, frozen treasures of the Canadian and Alaskan wilderness were on display beyond her.
Done. Puppy, ho! Onward.
The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood leapt down off the summit rock. Better get a move on. It would take SPHP forever and a day to carefully scramble back down that steep upper NE ridge.
At the lowest end of the summit area at the top of the NE ridge, Lupe paused. Looking back, she could see that odd Santa Claus at the top of the totem pole. SPHP looked down the dizzying NE ridge. Yowser! If it had seemed steep on the way up, it looked incredible staring down upon it from way up here.
Of course, Lupe had hardly started down, when SPHP had to face the narrow rock bridge for a second time. Having done it once already, it now seemed less intimidating. Still a place for caution, but SPHP barely hesitated before quickly striding across. Loop was over it in a flash, too. The long, slow descent of the upper NE ridge began.
Lupe hadn’t paid much attention to Bryant Lake on the way up. It had been out of sight until she was climbing the upper NE ridge, and then she had been facing the wrong direction. On the way down, though, she was facing it. Loop had plenty of time to study the lake while SPHP ever so slowly, bit by bit, carefully worked down the ridge.
An awful lot of time had gone by when Lupe and SPHP finally reached the start of the gashes along the ridgeline. The sun would still be up for a little while longer, but Loop was now in the shadow of the mountain. Even this far down, the middle part of the long ridge seemed much steeper and the gashes much deeper than SPHP remembered.
Lupe was now having a grand time, though. She was back where there was some vegetation. She raced up and down, all around, sniffing here, there, everywhere, among rocks and ridges, tarns and snow banks. She was often far, far ahead of SPHP. Lost from sight, she would suddenly reappear in another direction, still running and sniffing. From time to time, she returned happy and breathless to SPHP.
The terrain looked different going down. SPHP had a hard time recognizing which gash Lupe needed to go down to get off the ridge. The sun had set and light was beginning to fade by the time SPHP guessed and committed to a long gash full of rock and boulder fields.
By now, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was out of gas. Three long days of adventures in a row and the Carolina Dog had shot her wad. Loopster begged SPHP to stop and rest. SPHP complied, but never for more than a minute or two. It was going to be dark soon. Being stuck way up here among steep boulder fields was not in the plan.
Happily, the chosen gash was the correct one. There was that snow bank again. Lupe finally made it off Fraser Peak’s NE ridge. She got soaking wet and cold fording the creek instead of using her Dingo bridge. On the road passing through the forest in near darkness, SPHP sang badly (a special talent) to ward off bears. No bear dared take on that racket. After reaching the gate, Loop took the side trail which SPHP believed was a shortcut back to the highway.
It was! The side trail became a road. Sure enough, it led Lupe back to the highway only 100 meters N of the pullout where the G6 sat all alone waiting for her return. (11:12 PM)
Alpo, water, dinner, lights out. Fraser Peak (5,978 ft.) had been such a fabulous day!
Trailhead Notes: The trailhead for Fraser Peak is the second big pullout 1 km (0.6 mile) S of Canadian Customs on the E side of South Klondike Highway No. 2. (The highway from Carcross to Skagway) There are no signs, information or facilities on site.
The most direct 0.6 km (0.4 mile) long road to the gate at the connecting road leading to Fraser Peak is only 100 meters N of this pullout back toward Canadian Customs on the opposite side of the highway. Look carefully and it’s not hard to find. Loop and SPHP missed it, because trees and bushes have grown up sufficiently to hide this road from the highway. Vehicle traffic is blocked at the start by several large boulders.
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