Routes To The Klondike
In the late 19th century, there were two established routes to the interior of the Yukon: either up the Yukon River by river boat from its delta in the Bering Sea or across land from the South-east Alaskan ports of Dyea and Skagway to the head of the Yukon River and then down the river by boat or canoe. Other routes were of a more improvised nature, based on old fur trader's routes and routes for previous smaller gold rushes in Alaska or Canada. Travel in general was made difficult by both the geography and climate. The region was mountainous, the rivers winding and sometimes impassable; the short summers could be hot, while from October to June, during the long winters, temperatures could drop below −50 °C.
Aids for the travelers to carry their supplies varied; some had brought dogs, horses, mules or oxen, whereas others had to rely on carrying their equipment on their backs or on sleds pulled by hand. Shortly after the stampede began in 1897, the Canadian authorities had introduced rules requiring anyone entering Yukon Territory to bring with them a year's supply of food; typically this weighed around 1,150 pounds (520 kg). By the time camping equipment, tools and other essentials were included, a typical traveler was transporting as much as a ton in weight. Unsurprisingly, the price of draft animals spiralled ; at Dyea, even poor quality horses could sell for as much as $700 ($19,000), or be rented out for $40 ($1,100) a day.
Read more about this topic: Klondike Gold Rush
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