THE ICE TRAIL ON THE YUKON 



Williams, the first man attempting the trip, who in 1886 

 went out on a desperate mission to secure aid for the 

 miners in the forty-mile stampede, and perished of hunger 

 and cold. The old-timers argued that no man could drag 

 on his sled food sufficient to last for the six-hundred-mile 

 struggle over the jam of broken ice that gorged the river. 



The pioneers left a tortuous trail which above the Pelly 

 crossed and recrossed the river, on an average of once in 

 every mile. They could not take the shortest course from 

 point to point, because of open water and other obstacles 

 which later did not exist. The men who came after them 

 followed in their footsteps, partly because they could not be 

 sure that the detours were not still necessary, and partly 

 because it is easier to follow than to originate. The open 

 places had alternated from side to side of the river. The 

 trail wound like a snake's track, and the weary pilgrims 

 who followed it at times traveled two miles east or west 

 for every mile they gained in the direction of their homes. 

 There was little or no attempt afterward to better the trail. 

 On catching up one evening with a party which had trav- 

 eled ahead of us all day, I asked one of the men why he 

 had not gone back a few rods on the trail after a particu- 

 larly aggravating detour and made a cut-off which would 

 have saved a mile of unnecessary walking. 



" For the same reason, partner," said the man, with a 

 smile that showed how sure he felt of his ground, " that 

 you neglected to do it. Why didn't you think of all the 

 sore-footed chaps that are following after you on the trail? " 



The chief rush of travel occurred late in November and 

 the early part of December. All classes were represented, 

 from the Jew peddler to the millionaire mine-owner. 

 Some, " gee-pole " in hand, dragged heavily loaded sleds, 

 while others trotted along behind well-broken dog teams 

 and had their hired men do the work of making and break- 

 ing camp. Others traveled by " Siwash Express," which 

 carried passengers at the rate of a dollar a mile; only the 

 passenger was not actually carried, but walked or trotted 

 beside the sled, fully content that he had secured the trans- 

 portation of food for himself for thirty days, and his blank- 

 ets, at any figure short of a king's ransom. 



