ALASKAN MINERAL RESOURCES IN 1906. 
the head of American River, a tributary of the Alsek. Some years 
later another party attempted to cross by this same route, but wer 
unsuccessful on account of the badly crevassed condition of the 
glacier. Evidently the feasibility of this route depends on the state of 
the ice at the time the attempt is made. 
It may also be possible to use the Yakutat Glacier in the same way 
and thus to shorten the distance of ice travel by at least one-half. 
From Yakutat a party can take boats to Dangerous River and 
ascend it to the east side of the lake at the foot of the glacier. The 
Indians say that from this point the interior ice field can be reached 
by traveling along the edge of the glacier. So far as the writer knows, 
the route has not yet been actually traversed by either natives or 
white man. 
From Chilkat River.%— Another route, which has the advantage of 
being well known, extends from Chilkat River over Dalton's trail as 
far as the head of the east branch of the Alsek. This stream is said to 
be navigable for river skiffs, although somewhat turbulent for ordinary 
canoes. The first explorers ° of the Alsek descended this branch to the 
forks and then reached the coast by way of the main river. 
By way of Whitehorse and J)ezadeash River. — It is possible to go 
from Whitehorse to Dezadeash River over a wagon road recently 
built into the Kluane Lake mining field. Having reached the Deza- 
deash a party can easily descend by boat into the upper canyon of 
the main Alsek as far as the first glacier which comes into the river. 
It is said that this glacier forms a series of rapids which is entirely 
impassable, but that by making a portage of several miles across the 
end of the glacier it is possible to reach the river again below. From 
that point navigation can be resumed and continued to the Pacific. 
aGlave, E. J., Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (weekly), vols*- 70-71, June 28, 1890, to January !(), 
1891. 
