KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH Hikers on the Chilkoot Trail: A Descriptive Report

The index of hiking experience as expressed in Table 11 was developed by computing a cumulative score from four measures of experience. One to five points were assigned to each of these four variables, depending upon the respondents' relative positions in these experience variables. The cumulative scores ranged from four to 20. For the case where the respondent had not provided information for three or four of these variables, this respondent was dropped from the index (insufficient information). For the case where the respondent had not provided information for one or two of these variables, the average score from those variables with information was assigned to those variables without information. The following is a description of the four variables used to construct the index of hiking experience.

Variable 1:

Table 9 is the first variable. Scores were assigned as follows, based on the percentage categories:

45.9% = 1
5.7 and 11.8 = 3
35.4 = 5

Variable 2:

Hikers were asked to add-up the number of overnight hiking trips they had taken in the past 12 months.

Variable 3:

Hikers were asked to give their age for their first overnight hiking trip. By subtracting this age from their present age, we developed a variable measuring their number of years participating in overnight hikes.

Variable 4:

Hikers were given the opportunity to rate themselves as hikers.