The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-08-05
FROM DYEA TO CLONDYKB
Account Of One Of the Early Trips
Over ChilkOot Pass.
DANGERS OF The YUKON RAPIDS
Magazine Article Describing the
Trip 60 the Scenes OF the New aud
Rich Gold Fields of the Ciondy Ne
In Northwest Territory.

A very good description of a trip over
the Chilkoot pass to the Yukon, covering
the now famous Clondyke region, was
published in Scribner's magazine OF No
vember, 1896. 1t was written By Fred
erick Funston. The way to be traversed
in order to reach those golden fields OF
the north is no easy one. Many difficult
ties are wel-nigh insurmountable, but for
the goal ahead, all to be overcome In
making the journey. In the following
language Mr.. Funston tells OF some of the
difficulties and incidents of the trip:
-Four of ns were landed with our ef-
fec,s at the head of Dyea inlet, 100 miles
north of juneau, at daybreak, on April
10, 1898. My three companions were Nc
Connell, a grizzly old Canadian; Thomp-
son. miner from Idaho, and Mattern, a
good-natured German, who had mined in
half dozen western states. l was the
only one Of the party who had had any
previous Alaskan e> perience, but all had
roughed it in other countries, and We felt
equal to the much-vaunted terrors of
Chilkoot pass, Miles canyon, and the
White Horse rapids. Mcconnell, Thomp-
son and Mattern were bound for the
placer gold mining camp OF Forty Mile
creek, at that time the only one on the
Yukon.
"Our outfit consisted OF two small tents,
couple OF handsleds, each eight feet
long, with steel-shod runners, blank cts,
guns, ammunition, a six weeks supply
OF flour, bacon and coffee, whipsaw,
axes, and other tools for bodybuilding,
and my collecting material and two small
cameras, the whole weighing about 1000
pounds. Our plan WAS to take the usual
route of miners bound for the Yukon-to
cross the Chilkoot pass and descend to
the frozen lakes on the other side, drag
ging our outfit on the handsleds across
these lakes, until we reached point
| where there were trees sufficiently large
to build small boat in which to con-
tinue the journey.
Near our landing place was the small
Thlinket Indian village of Dyea. whose
inhabitants turn an honest penny every
spring by assisting miners bound for the
interior in packing their supplies to the
summit Of the pass. We divided our
goods into seven packs, and engaged five
men and two women to carry these loads
to the summit OF the pass, a distance OF
Is miles, where they were to leave us to
our own devices. The start for the vii
lage was made on the morning of the
second day after our arrival. The In
dams supported the loads on their backs
by the aid Of deerskn bands passing
across the forehead. Several children
carried on their backs light loads, con-
sisting of TODD and cooking utensils for
the use of the Indians, while two OF the
dogs also wore packs.
"Our route lay up the valley OF the
Dyea river, a small creek, which heads
near the foot OF Chilkoot pass, and which
we we're compelled to wade number of
times. Near sea level the snow had
nearly all disappeared, but couple OF
miles up the canyon the ground was Gov
cred, and from here on our progress WAS
much lmpeded by ii. Every two or
three hundred yards the entire party
stopped to rest. At o'clock We reached
the forks of the river, seven miles from
our starting point, and the Indians,
throwing off their loads, said we would
camp for the night. They were com
pletely exhausted by foundering through
the soft snow under their heavy packs.
The snow ct this camp was about two
feet deep, and much more fell during
the night. Hall of the next day IVES
spent in wading through snow from three
to six feet deep to the place known as
Sheep Camp, only FIVE miles beyond
Our camp for the second nigt was at the
upper limit of timber, at the foot Of the
dreaded pass, and only II miles from the
coast, that We had left two days before.
Snow had been falling, and did not Gle, r
until the morning OF the next day.
Reused before daybreak, We found the
sky clear and the air frosty. Below us
was the scattering growth of stunted
spruce trees, and above the great sloI es
of ice and snow.
Looking for couple Of miles up q
large gorge fianked by precipitous snow
covered mountains, We could see at the
summit, thousands of feet above, the
little notch known "a Chilkoot pass, the
gate to the Yukon land The serious
ness of the work at hand was now appsr-
ent. Our picturesque retinue of children
and dogs was left in camp to await the
return Of the Indians, and having had
breakfast at 8 o'clock, the seven Indians
and ourselves began the toiIsome climb
upwards. On either hand were the huge
masses OF the coast range, buried in per-
petual snow and ice. nobody knows how
deep. The Indians, struggling under
their heavy loads. stopped for breath
every few minutes. We four white men
had the exasperatinz task OF dragging
along the two empty sleds.