Wuddddddup legendary children.
So I arrived in Vancouver on monday but this will be a wrap up of my weekend in Dawson City.

I will start off by mentioning that I had some unreal photography, but being a clumsy man I accidently deleted all of my pictures on my camera (yes kathryn i still have the camera). I managed to get some more good ones but I had a few sweet viddies that the world will never see.
So I already mentioned diamond tooth gerties, the craziest 110 year old gambling hall in town. That is pretty much the main attraction in town, theres really not much else other than the old buildings and the many small museums. It is however one of the most unique places on earth because I don't think there is really anywhere else like it.

The city is pretty much 8 streets going east west and about 11 north south. Tiny. Every other house is some sort of tourist shop whether a preserved parlour, bank, or one of many jewellrey stores using local minerals and gems, including mammoth tusk (cray). On saturday I did end up getting my pic taken as you may have noticed. I got to dress up in some fierce looks as the camera man directed me on how to pose. It was very chill. The rest of the day was just checking out the many different bars, which are all attached to different old-school hotels. Some are very quaint, like the midnight sun hotel lounge and the pub at bombay peggys, the refurbished w****house I stayed at. Some are also very shady, such as the 'snake pit' at the Westminster hotel, built in 1898........thats right 1898, far older than probably any other hotel in Canada. And it looks aged.
I also chanced across a bar selling the local dawson specialty beverage. Its a pretty standard drink, you choose your shot (the tradition is yukon liquer which is a sweet banana-y liquer). Then you get in line, a man says a little speech to you, and then he puts a black, pickled toe into your drink. Yes, a toe, a skinny, long, dark, pickled toe.
The drink went down suprisingly smooth, minus the crunchy bit I tasted after :l To be honest it wasnt even that bad, and there's got to be some nutrition in there somewhere.
I decided not to get too wastey alone another night, so after watching the 10:30 diamond tooth gerties show (all 3 nightly shows are diff), and feeling sorry for the poor girls shakin dem tail feathers for dirty old men to see, I went back and watched a movie. Thelma and Louise happened to be my choice, its an unreal movie, and even more moving on VHS for some reason. They're some badass chicks killing rapists and jumping off cliffs and such, definitely recommended!
Sunday, I was supposed to meet rory's friends to go to tombstone valley but when I woke up at 6am to go, I realized I would probably dig my own tombstone in this valley if I actually hiked for 6 hours after 4 hours of sleep and the last thing being consumed was a box of onion rings. Not QUITE breakfast of champions, so I had to sleep in. I am very upset about missing it, but I did find a great trail that goes up a large hill behind the city to a place called the midnight sun dome, the highest peak in the area. It was a treacherous climb, full of graveyards, sticks, logs, mosquitos and the fierce ptarmigan. A grey bird that sounds like a little martian baby when it calls ( look it up if you're curious). When i reached the summit after about 1.5 hours of climbing, I actually was so exhausted that I had to stop and catch my breath for about 5 mins, but then I found a bench which is perched on top of a rock, giving a view of the entire surroundings. It was a magnificent spot, completely silent with a view of endless hills going out into the blue horizon. I have photos of it, but there is no words for such a fantastic view of one of the most famous spots in Canada. You can see the convergence of the Yukon and Thron Diuck (Klondike) rivers perfectly, as well as the geography of the area. There were so many mineral deposits in the area because it sits low at the convergence of two large rivers.
The area was originally marshland, a flood plain for the rivers. Joseph Ladue, from Quebec, set up the first trading post there in 1897/8 when gold was discovered in the area. Within months, the city had almost 30 000 people there (at the time vancouver would have had less than 10 000, and edmonton a mere 1200). In its peak (which was only a year, as after about 2 years the city went back to a ghosttown), the city had everything one could want, fashions from paris, champagne (some would use it as bathwater), prosties, exotic foods, many animals and whatever money could buy. The gold had a very fascinating effect on the local economy. The great abundance of gold, combined with the low supply staples such as food, lumber, nails etc. meant that at a time when a bag of tomatoes would cost 5 cents, an onion could go for as high as $10-20. a meal in seattle would cost 25 cents, yet one could sell a banana for $5. The reason why the city ballooned up of course is because of the gold money because even if you werent digging you could get some by just opening up shop to the sourdoughs. The natives also made a fortune as packers for the diggers, carrying sometimes 200lbs on their shoulders (women included) across the trails.
Making it to Dawson was the goal of the miners. Whether coming up Skagway through the chilkoot pass, up through BC, going up the Yukon river from Alaska, or travelling accross land from as far as edmonton, they all aimed to reach Dawson and make a claim. Newspapers all over western canada and north west US would advertise outfitters, with citys attempting to persuade prospectors to come to them to outfit. Seattle, San Francisco, Victoria and Vancouver were the main posts. Depite the fact that thousands perished in the attempt to get there, citys would shamelessly describe how the route from their location would be simple, appealing to the average prospector who had to experience in climbing or hiking. Through edmonton for example, there was no path even cleared, and the route went through endless brush with no food for horses to forage on , and fiercly cold winters. The first group to leave from there took 2 years to get to dawson, by the time they reached it the gold was gone.
The most popular route was the chilkoot from skagway on the alaskan panhandle. It was the shortest route, but was by no means easy. First off, getting to the city through the queen charlotte islands was no walk in the park with massive glaciers and rough waves through the area. Some thought that would be the hardest part but it was by far the easiest. If you managed to arrive there without losing your outfit or abondoning ship, there was the next step, evading 'soapy' smith the dictator of skagway.

Skagway emerged similarly to dawson, as a place near the gold region to outfit prospectors and get there money. There was one very significant difference though, the law was absent from skagway. Dawson, being in Canada, was under constant supervision and regulation by the north west mounted police. Though they allowed gambling, drinking and prostitution, there was no murders and scarcely any crimes there other than excessive drinking, cheating and the heinous crime of 'foul language'. It was said that one could leave a sack of nuggets on the street and no one would touch it. Indeed, one man would leave his finest suit in his window for everyone to see when he left to go mine, and it was never once touched. Dawson was by and large ruled by Inspector Samuel Steele, the 'lion of the yukon' he was called because he ensured the queen's laws were respected.
Skagway was the opposite. There was one US marshal in town, who was easily influenced by the use of nuggets. Skagway was a western frontier, run by the miners community. They would elect a leader, vote as a group and distribute justice summarily without regard to the actual constitution. It was said in the streets beside the dance halls you would hear the sounds of people screaming for help of gunshots between the show tunes. There was no order from above, it existed in isolation. One man in particular, bill 'soapy' smith had a network of thieves and spies so vast that many wouldnt know if their neighbours, local store owners or even bank clerks were in his payroll. He would extort and steal from any prospector he could, which was the majority. One popular method was to set up 'information booths' which held abosutely no info of value, but cost a fortune. Another method was to persuade people to visit one of his stores, where someone would take the persons money once inside, and as the poor victim would try to go after him, the rest of the customers (all spies) would crowd around the victim and shout about how horrible theivery is and the dishonesty in stealing, thereby covering the theif for a quick escape. The victim was left bewildered and pennyless. He was eventually shot, by a canadian i might add, but not after he had taking hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you still had an outfit and some money to spare, you could start the trail from Skagway. It started as a walk through the hills, turning into larger hills and glaciers. Along the way was 'dead horse trail' so called because hundreds of horses were left to die along the trail if they were lame or malnourished. There were so many people taking this trail that it looked like a line of ants going into the distance, with such little space between people that if you fell off the trail it could take hours to find another spot. The trail moved very slowly as each person had sometimes 1000lbs in goods. Starved and frozen people would march over the horses bodies, bodies of people who have perished and other wreckage from miserable prospectors while experiencing -40 degree whether in winter. Feet were blistered, skin was black from frost bite, and the journey seemed endless. Horses were seen jumping off cliffs as an act of suicide, men also shot themsleves, hung themselves, or simply gave up and died in their tents. There were however a few that made it through the pass, and the very small percentage that did arrived at the lakes high in the mountains, the headwaters of the Yukon. Here many thought it would be a simple lazy river ride to Dawson. Of course it wasn't. The thawing river could only be used in spring and summer, which meant it was full or ice chunks, rocks, rapids and cruel twists and turns. Not only that but most poeple had to take boats which they made at the lakes, and they were not expert craftsmen. Inspector Steele had a post there, and ensured that all boats were well made and that miners had enough supplies. They would not be allowed to take the river if they had insufficient goods or money or if they show little prowress on the water. Though it seems cruel, he actually saved likely hundreds of lives, because the boaters could see the river littered with smashed boats, floating merchandise, and a myriad of other tragedies. One man left with his provisions and crashed his boat, losing everything. He then went back to the lake, bought a whole new outfit (costing hundreds, which would be like hundres of thousands now) and again crashed and lost everything. He walked off the river, said aloud "my god, what will happen to jane and the kids?" and shot himself. Only after these trials were faced could they reach dawson, and that was the 'easy' way.
Of the over 100,000 that attempted the journey, only a few thousand initially made it. They arrived broke, broken hearted and miserable. The most wretched group of beings on the planet at the time. Yet for most of them, after arriving they were ready to go home. The journey there had proven they were extremely resilient, and that satisfaction alone was enough to prompt their return. For those who stayed, they tried to get in on the gold somehow through mining or business. But the gold moved around so quickly, that there even fewer who made money form gold and were able to live comfortably back outside of the yukon. It must have been strange place indeed because people would throw gold nuggets as if they were garbage around town, some left sacks outside their tents for anyone to take, and some woudl fashion them into jewellrey to give their ladies. It just shows that they lived there to spend money, not to have it. They wanted to show off who had the most and who was powerful, but they above all were thrill seekers. Some would lose an entire fortune, and then optimistically set out for another mine hoping to repeat their past success. The gold wasn't all, it was the adventure that lured them there. There were cobblers, farmers' sons, soldiers, english aristocrats, south american natives, italians, french, men, women, blacks, whites, asians and more. No where else could a more varied community be found, the one thing uniting them their desire to leave home and go on an exceptionally challenging journey.
The history of the area is one of the most colourful and interesting parts of Canada's history. Though the majority of people there were originally american, it was situated in Canada, with people following canadian laws. In fact, it was only in Canada that one could stake a claim anywhre on crown land. It is a truly majestic land, with a mystery and fearsomeness about it that is unparalelled. I've never been anywhere and felt so intimidated by nature, and I was there in summer! The quiet, calm atmosphere combined with the soft light and breeze that is always present make it seem as if there is some sort of mystery behind the land, something that you cannot experience directly but is certainly there. Canada's arctic is a jewel in our country, which boasts some of the most varied ecozones on earth. There were many times when I felt frightened just looking around as it seems as though the forest will just suck you in, and you'll never be heard again. Part of its beauty is its seclusion and modesty, and though it can offer incredibly grand views of the sky and mountains, you never forget your submission to its dominance.
You can't help but feel proud too that the klondike rush was carried out with such a strong presence of mounties and the canadian gov't. They were like fathers watching over their children the entire time. Though it angered many prospectors (especially the americans who found out it was illegal to carry and handgun in dawson), it was ultimately for the benefit of the community. I guess canadians do value order over freedom, but these men were the most honest and noble of their kind. Never once did any mine on their own, and though they would often come across hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold, the only gold they received was as gifts for their supervision. Not only that, but these men endured the same frozen conditions, lack of resources, hours upon hours in darkness in small cabins, the filth of the city, and any other obstacle facing the miners, yet all they received as a small wage. They guarded the passes, ensured people were well stocked, provided tips on carrying and climbing and prevented and of soapy smith's spies from crossing the border (a few maxim machine guns were set up along the border). Many of these men went on to become the soon approaching Boer War, some were moved to high state positions and others became respected members of their home community. Without the mounties there is no possibility of the klondike expedition being as successful as it was, and it was due to them that many prospectors were saved from the terrifying conditions of life on the journey, form both other people and the elements.

I would highly recommend reading more about the journey, because it is so frightening there were some things I was actually scared to read. One story was about a group that travelled through mainland alaska, who all claimed to see a glacier monster, an all black ghoulish figure, that would crawl up the deep crevices and steal their stuff or kill. One man swore the beast killed his son. Others went completely insane, kill or mutilating themselves or others with them. Best of friends and married couples split up permanently. It is one of the least accessible places by land or sea, and was not intended to be inhabitable by large groups. However, if one can survive the harsh and unforgiving presence of mother nature, then she would reward you with riches beyond belief, in both gold and memory.

It is one of the most tragic stories in the world's history. So many people died, were mutilated or had their lives completely twisted from a rush to get rich quick. So little was known about the area and yet you would be hard pressed to not know a company that was offering to outfit for the trip. Ultimately though, it provides some of the most fascinating stories about human endurance, opulence and misery. The world never has, and never will experience a global gold rush of that magnitude again. And it all went down here, in Canada's frozen north.