The gold seekers climbed over 1,200 steps to reach the top of Chilkoot Pass where they crossed the border into Canada. The angle of climb was about 30 degrees, and the line could only move as fast as the slowest climber. Anyone who stopped to rest might wait hours to get back in line. The Northwest Mounted Police required that each person entering Canada bring a year's worth of supplies. This generally weighed more than a ton and might require twenty or more trips up the slope.

This 1898 photo of Chilkoot Pass shows a long line of people carrying their supplies to the summit. It might take a person twenty or more trips to carry everything to the Canadian border. The grooves in the snow, to the right of the line, were made by people sliding back down the slope to get another load.

SHS category: Alaska - Passes & Trails