The lure of riches led men in droves to Dyea Alaska and the glacially sculpted valley of Chilkoot Pass. This land, long stewarded by the Tlingit people, where for thousands of years the ice gnashed its way down the mountain peaks, and the chattering streams carried old bones to the sea, encountered an unsalt-worthy horde. The rush of human feet, beasts of burden, and canine companions, crushed the earth to an unrecognizable mush. Flags of unfamiliar laundry flew among the branches of the forest. Streams bent and twisted out of their custom. Even under the protective cloak of snow Chilkoot Pass could not withstand the trampling unscarred. The Klondike Gold Rush lasted but a few short years, and to this day the land is tainted with physical reminders of greed. To this day the hearts of the Tlingit people carry the ache of this wound.
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