Heads up from the Hitched4fun Family! We are currently out practicing what we preach—experiencing this incredible history firsthand as a family! We will begin shipping all orders placed between July 25th and August 4th starting on Wednesday, August 5th, in the order they were received. (Note: If this amazing community buys out our on-hand inventory while we are gone, there may be a slight delay as we await a rush restock from the printer!) Thank you so much for your patience, understanding, and continued support while we take this special time to walk in our grandfather’s footsteps.
On July 30, 2026, I will be looking out over the coastline of Juneau, Alaska.
I will have arrived there on a modern Emerald Princess® cruise ship. I have a climate-controlled cabin, modern GPS, and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand. But as I stand on this deck, I have absolute goosebumps. Exactly 134 years ago, my 3rd great-grandfather, Thomas R. Bennington, stepped foot in this exact same spot, kicking off a journey that would redefine my understanding of American grit.
On June 2, 1892, Thomas wasn’t on a luxury cruise. He was preparing to navigate a brutal, 700-mile journey into the uncharted Yukon wilderness with primitive 1890s gear and a boat he built by hand. He wasn’t following the massive crowds of the Klondike Gold Rush—he was breaking the trail three full years before the rush ever began.
Bringing Alaskan Pioneer History to Life
For years, Thomas’s incredible story lived in a handwritten journal sitting in a family folder. But when I sat down to transcribe his daily logs into my new book, Before the Klondike, I realized I needed to understand exactly where he was.
As an avid modern explorer, I turned to my trusty GAIA GPS software.
Thomas was highly descriptive in his writing. I started plugging his camps, the wild rapids he ran, and his hunting trails into the digital map. This actually helped me solve a 130-year-old family mystery! In his journal, Grandpa kept referring to navigating “the Kink.” I thought it was a typo until I pulled up the modern satellite maps and saw that the Fortymile River has a massive, literal kink in it. Bingo! I knew exactly where he was.
I was so inspired by this that I partnered with GAIA GPS to include 26 custom maps right inside the book so you can track his exact coordinates as you read!
Choose Your Own Adventure: How to Read the Journal
To celebrate my family returning to the exact spot where his Alaskan pioneer history began, I want to share his story with you. Choose your preferred way to read below!
Option 1: Get the Hand-Signed Premium Edition If you want the ultimate centerpiece for your RV bookshelf, you can grab the physical paperback directly from our store. I am personally hand-signing every single copy before it ships!
- Use code KLONDIKESAVER at checkout for $10 off to help offset shipping!
- 👉 Click here to buy your hand-signed copy of Before the Klondike (Note: Orders will ship on August 5th!)
Option 2: Enter the 100-Copy Kindle Giveaway! Prefer to read on a screen? Starting on July 30th, I am giving away 100 FREE Kindle copies over on Goodreads! The giveaway runs for 30 days, and Amazon will beam the book straight to your device if you win.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
BEFORE THE KLONDIKE
by Thomas R. Bennington
Giveaway ends August 29, 2026.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Be sure to follow the Hitched4fun Facebook and Instagram pages during our trip! On July 31st, we dock in Skagway, and I will be broadcasting a video from the exact mud flats where Thomas and his gear were dumped ashore in 1892 to face the wilderness alone.
Happy Camping (and Happy Reading!),
Aaron M. Scullin
FAQs
A: Since we are currently out tracing my grandfather’s 1892 trail in Alaska, our shipping department is on a brief pause! We will begin shipping all orders placed between July 25th and August 4th on Wednesday, August 5th in the order they were received. (Note: If this incredible community buys out our current on-hand inventory while we are off-grid, your order will ship just a few days later as soon as our emergency restock arrives. We will keep you updated every step of the way!)
A: Not at all! If you are one of the 100 lucky winners, Amazon will automatically deliver the eBook to your account. You can read it on a physical Kindle device, or simply download the free Amazon Kindle app to read it on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device.
A: 100% true. This is not historical fiction. It is the real, raw, day-by-day transcription of my 3rd great-grandfather’s personal survival journals from 1892 and 1893, three years before the famous Klondike Gold Rush began.
A: Yes! Whether you buy the hand-signed physical copy from Hitched4fun or win the digital Kindle edition, you will get to see all 26 custom GAIA GPS maps detailing exactly where Thomas was each step of the way.
A: Absolutely! GAIA GPS is one of the best navigation tools for outdoor lovers, especially those who enjoy exploring off the beaten path. It includes advanced features like topographic maps, live trail tracking, and the option to download maps for offline use. When you’re out in remote places with no cell signal, those offline maps are an absolute lifesaver. If you are an RV enthusiast who loves exploring, it is highly worth a look! Because we use and love it so much, we partnered with them—if you sign up through our link, you get 10% off your subscription, and Hitched4fun.com gets a small commission to help support our family business. 👉 Click here to get 10% off your GAIA GPS subscription!
A: Yes, you absolutely can! If you prefer the convenience of Amazon, the standard Paperback and Kindle eBook editions are available there. Additionally, the durable Hardcover edition is exclusively available through Amazon! Just please note that because Amazon prints and ships those orders directly from their own warehouses, copies purchased through Amazon cannot be hand-signed by me.
A: Want to check for an instant cousin connection? It is incredibly easy:
– On FamilySearch (Free): Log in and view his profile directly at LL3J-G69. Then click view relationship.
– On Ancestry (Paid): Instantly see his death record at Thomas Richard Bennington (1855–1897) or LifeStory here.
If the system shows a green line connecting your family tree directly into our wild 1892 Yukon expedition line, leave a comment on this post immediately so we can welcome you to the family circle! You can read the unvarnished history your ancestors actually lived in the premium hardback edition of Before the Klondike, available on Amazon.
👉 Click here to shop all editions of Before the Klondike on Amazon
