Surviving the Canol Trail
Annual hike puts youth to the test
Meagan Leonard
Northern News Services
Monday, August 3, 2015
LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS
For the handful of youth who traverse the foreboding terrain of the Mackenzie Mountains each year for the Canol Trail youth leadership hike, it is like entering a "Jurassic Park-type world" says Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya.
This year 12 youth and seven leaders participated in the hike's 10th anniversary, spending seven days winding their way 80 kilometres down the historic Canol Trail. Yakeleya said the first few days of the hike are the most challenging because participants need to learn new skills to survive on the land and how to work as a team.
"A lot of the things the youth learn in communities and in town don't apply to the bush," he explained. "They learn how to live in a world without cellphones or iPods and how to work together ... they step into the past and learn about the mysteries of the land."
Twenty-year-old Dakota Erutse has been applying to join the hike for three years but still was not entirely prepared for what awaited him in the Mackenzie Mountains.
"It definitely took a toll on my feet which are still quite sensitive," he told News/North two weeks following the trip's conclusion in early July.
"I wanted to embrace the personal challenge. I've heard how strenuous it is ... and wanted to accept that challenge."
He said he did some regular exercise and jogging ahead of the trip but it did not prepare him for the 10 to 12 hours of hiking a day while carrying 60 pounds. He said at times, it felt like the walking would never end.
"It was challenging in terms of being patient," he said. "One thing I didn't expect was the rocks, which came in all shapes and sizes: big rocks, small rocks, smooth, sharp edged - and this was for half the trip."
Erutse said the most interesting part was walking adjacent to an area burned in last year's wildfires and learning about the history of how the Second World War impacted the North.
"The scenery and the mountains were nice and everything was orange, so that was my personal favourite," he said. "One of the new things I learned was how present WWII was up in the North, particularly on the trail. We had a lot of history on that and just to contrast that with the traditional lifestyle of my ancestors was neat to ponder."
Good pair of hiking boots
In terms of advice for future hikers he emphasized the need to prepare beforehand by exercising and walking regularly - also purchasing a good pair of hiking boots.
Despite the challenges, Erutse said the experience was incredibly rewarding.
"It was a good experience in terms of getting to know some of the youth and some of my peers," he said. "The sense of accomplishment was definitely rewarding."
Alfred Gully has lived in Norman Wells for most of his life and joined the hike this year for the first time. While the walking was difficult - especially through the swamps - he said he had a lot of fun.
"I love being in the mountains," he said. "Me and my friends built a table out of 2x4s and a refrigerator in the ground ... that was cool."
Gully said some of the youth had a hard time eating the military rations.
"We had to eat MREs - I didn't really mind it but other people didn't really enjoy it," he said with a laugh. "So I took all their MREs."
Yakeleya says seeing the youth conquer their fears and rise above challenges is what makes participating in the hike so worthwhile as a leader. He says the changes he witnesses in youth by the end of the hike are remarkable.
"You can see the progression," he explained. "It's almost like you're planting the seed and the seed is pushing its way through the soil and you can see that it's struggling but with the right atmosphere it can grow very healthy."
By the end there was an incredible sense of bonding among the participants, he said.
"One of them wanted to drop out at mile 25 and the others said, 'no come on, you've got to do it, we're all in this together'," he said. "It's the attitude of not giving up, it's experiencing the sense of accomplishment ... all their senses come alive and it's incredible."
Constructed during the Second World War, the Canol Heritage Trail weaves its way from Norman Wells through the Mackenzie Mountains to the Yukon. During the war more than 900 kilometres of pipeline was stretched along the route to carry oil to Whitehorse.
