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The man 

An inexperienced traveler on the Yukon trail and the protagonist of the story. The man ignores advice from those more experienced in the Yukon, accepting only what he has learned through his own experience. He has limited understanding of extreme cold and no imagination to understand how it could threaten him. He is cruel to his dog.

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The dog 

The man’s companion on the trail. There is no real bond between the dog and the man. The dog depends on the man for food and fire but does not really care about him due to the man’s cruel treatment. The dog’s natural instincts and fur allow it to survive more easily in the extreme cold than the man.

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The old man from Sulphur Creek 

An old man experienced in the extreme cold of the Yukon. He is never seen directly in the story, but the man thinks of the advice the old man gave him. While the man mostly ignores this advice, he comes to realize that the old man was right about the dangers of traveling alone in cold weather.

The boys 

The man’s friends and companions, waiting for him at the camp on Henderson Creek. They are never seen directly in the story. The man hopes to join them before nightfall, and later imagines himself as one of “the boys” finding his own body frozen in the snow.

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