The Donjek Glacier circuit is a Kluane National Park classic - a rigorous, 96-kilometre trek across two mountain passes and along a sweeping valley glacier. Kluane is one of Canada's best kept secrets for backcountry enthusiasts. Its superb hiking, plentiful wildlife and heart-stopping scenery rivals the Canadian Rockies, but without all the people.

The Kluane landscape is expansive and raw. Just 20 million years old, the St. Elias Mountains are geologically very young. Prominent features like moraines, alluvial fans and floodplains dominate the scene. Vast icefields at the heart of the park send long fingers of ice into the broad valleys behind the park's Front Ranges. The chance to travel near one of these glaciers is one of the reasons people find this route so alluring.

Two friends and I hiked the Donjek route during a hot, dry summer a few years ago. Haze from forest fires tinted evening skies with a rich palette of copper and orange. In our inspiring surroundings-and facing a challenging route-we could sense the trip would build confidence and cement lasting friendships.

Though we dehydrated every morsel of food we could, my borrowed, overstuffed 80-litre pack settled on my back like a lead weight. We spent our first two days in Burwash Uplands, camping among the hummocks and consuming some of our pack weight. In mid-August the Uplands tundra was hinting at a colour change, and we found thickets of juicy, tart blueberries for our cereal. A woodland caribou startled us as it bounded past our camp.

We spent much of our second day atop the fortress-like Amphitheatre Mountain looking across to Mt. Steele. Crossing Hoge Pass the next day with our heavily laden packs was grueling, but our reward at the top was views of snow-capped mountain ranges spilling toward the horizon and the sense that the park was opening up before us.

Finding the most direct route from Hoge Creek to the glacier involved a bit of bushwhacking and determination. But as we drew closer, the air became cool and brisk and the sounds of the glacier egged us on. We spent our fourth night on a cliff overlooking the toe of the Donjek Glacier, serenaded by the jarring creaks and crashes of ancient ice as it collapsed into the river.

After days of sweltering heat and sun, we woke to a thick fog. We re-acquainted ourselves with our compasses and found our way to Big Horn Creek. Though it was late enough in the summer that we could walk up the creekbed, the countless crossings were exhausting and the day's drizzle soaked us to the bone. We pushed on through nasty weather, making camp at the end of a trying day below Atlas Pass.

The next morning, a skiff of snow blanketed the valley. Denying it was there, we returned to the warmth of our sleeping bags until the mid-morning sun could reach down into the creek and melt it away.

We climbed Atlas Pass, crossed the Duke River and made for the head of Copper Joe Creek. Near the Duke, we came upon the largest bear tracks I had ever seen. My splayed hand fit neatly into the depression made by the paw. This area has very high concentrations of grizzly bears, and we saw fresh sign almost every day.

A group of guided hikers passed by as we packed up camp, looking as surprised to see us as we were them. A fellow with a New York accent hollered across the creek, his tone laced with disbelief that three women would be going it alone out there. "Where are you girls from?"

We waved and yelled back, "Whitehorse", barely making out his words over the noisy stream.
"Wow," he mused out loud. "Local wildlife!"

The nitty-gritty:
Degree of difficulty: Rated 'advanced' by Parks Canada. Challenging trek for experienced backcountry travelers. Route crosses two mountain passes and numerous rivers.

When to go: June to mid-August

Length: 96 kilometres. 6 to 10 days to complete. Note that this is a route, not a 'trail'.

Access: Drive to the trailhead, located down an old mining road off the Alaska Highway near Burwash Landing. Register at the start and end of your hike and pay park fees at the Kluane National Park office in Haines Junction. Several Yukon tour operators offer shorter fly-in and guided Donjek hikes.