Chantel is my niece. She is now 17 and she has just graduated high school. But in the summer of 2005, she came with us over the Chilkoot Trail.

She really impressed me. How many 11-year old girls do you know who can kickbutt over 3700 feet? When she asked to come with us, she kept telling us she could do it. Besides, she would get to bond with her two aunties. She’s never really hadthe chance to spend quality time with us.

I told her the trail would be hard. She would get hungry and her feet would be sore–not to mention the state of her shoulders from carrying a backpack.